PickHoops Scoring

Basic Scoring

Using basic scoring, group owners choose how many points to award per correct pick for each round, from round 1 to round 6.

The opening round "play-in game" is not used.

Advanced Scoring

When using advanced scoring, the following bonuses can be multiplied and/or added to the points awarded for each correct game. Bonuses are applied for correctly picked games for all rounds of the tournament.

Bonus: Seed number

Add or multiply the seed number of the winning team.

Bonus: Seed number for upsets

Add or multiply the seed number of the winning team if the actual result is an upset (higher seed number wins).

For example, if you correctly pick #10 N.C. State and they beat #7 UCLA, you would receive a bonus of 10 either added or multiplied to your score.

To receive this bonus you did not also have to pick the loser of the game correctly, just the winner.

Bonus: Difference in seed number for upsets

Add or multiply the difference between the seed numbers of the two teams if the actual result was an upset.

For example, if you correctly pick #12 Mississippi State and they beat #5 Kansas you would receive a bonus of 7 either added or multipied to your score.

To receive this bonus you did not also have to pick the loser of the game correctly, just the winner. The seed numbers used for the calculation are the seed numbers of the actual teams that played in the game.

Bonus: Add points per round

Add a custom number of points based on the round (1 through 6).

Bonus: Add points per round for upsets

Add a custom number of points based on the round if the actual result was an upset.

Tiebreakers

Groups have the option to select up to three tiebreakers for the purpose of resolving ties in the standings for their group. These tiebreakers will be evaluated in the order that the group owner specifies. Further ties are left as ties in PickHoops standings.

Tiebreaker: Riskiest upset picks

Each bracket is evaluated using the exclusive PickHoops risk assessor, which computes the risk of each chosen upset versus historical tournament results. The bracket that is deemed riskiest by this methodology wins this tiebreaker.

Tiebreaker: Most games correct

This tiebreaker evaluates the total number of correct games in the bracket, regardless of round.

Tiebreaker: Most games correct in first round

This tiebreaker evaluates the number of correct picks in the first round only (32 games).

Tiebreaker: Most games correct in first 2 rounds

This tiebreaker evaluates the number of correct picks in the first two rounds (48 games).

Tiebreaker: Most games correct in latest round

This tiebreaker evaluates the brackets by the number of correct games by round, starting with the championship game and working back to the first round games. A bracket beats another when it has more games picked correctly in a later round.

Tiebreaker: Total points in championship game

When using this tiebreaker, entrants must enter the predicted score of the championship game.

The bracket with the combined scores of both teams in the championship game closest to the actual combined score wins the tiebreaker.

Tiebreaker: Championship game point spread

When using this tiebreaker, entrants must enter the predicted score of the championship game.

The bracket whose difference in points between the two teams in the championship game is closest to the actual difference wins the tiebreaker. The difference is calculated by subtracting the predicted score of the team on the right side of the bracket from the predicted score of the team on the left side. So if you filled 78-66 into your bracket, the point spread would be 12. But if you filled 71-77 into your bracket, the point spread would be -6.

For the purposes of this tiebreaker, it doesn't matter which teams made it to the championship game or which scored more.

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