How to Assign Points to the NCAA Bracket
During March Madness, one of the most exciting activities for die-hard basketball fans is the NCAA Tournament bracket. The brackets themselves can prove challenging, deciding which lower-seeded team will upset a higher one, along with selecting the overall winner of the tournament. If you are in charge of developing the point system for your office or neighborhood NCAA bracket pool, follow a few simple steps and you will be set.
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Instructions
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The first step is to break up the rounds in the bracket. The first round of points includes the winners of the first round of games, resulting in the remaining 32 teams. The second round is the Sweet 16, the third the Elite Eight, the fourth the Final Four. Lastly, there are the final two teams. For each correct pick in each round, a certain point value is awarded.
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Decide upon the point value for each round. Assigning a single point for each pick is not advisable, as the point value should increase the more correct picks one has. Instead, start with one point for correct first-round picks. Increase the value exponentially as the teams dwindle and the tournament heats up. For example, if the first round is assigned one point for every correct pick, round two awards twp points for correct picks. Correct picks in round three will get four points. Round four picks merit 16 points, and so on.
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After assigning a point value for each round, decide on how you want to handle the final two teams. Assigning increasing point values, along with giving a large number of points to those who correctly select one or both final two teams, is what will make or break a bracket. For instance, if you assign 32 points for each final game correct pick and 50 points to selecting the overall winner, a player who did poorly in most of the bracket but managed to select the winning team will have a shot at winning the entire bracket challenge.
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In addition to assigning a high point value to the final two teams, consider having one final twist on your bracket. Have every person participating in the bracket challenge guess the final score of the game, along with selecting the winning team. This can help break any potential ties, as the person who came closest to the final score will be declared the winner.
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