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How to run a football prediction pool with friends

To run a football prediction pool with friends: create a free account on a prediction app, pick the competition (or several), share the invite link with your group, and agree on scoring rules — the usual setup is 3 points for the exact score and 2 for picking just the winner or draw. Everyone predicts before kickoff and the standings calculate themselves.

What a football prediction pool is

A football prediction pool (sometimes casually called a quiniela) is a game between friends where everyone predicts the results of a league's matches and scores points based on how right they were. Whoever has the most points at the end of the season wins. The fun part isn't so much each match's score as the group's standings — who's in the lead, who's springing surprises matchday after matchday.

1. Choose the competition

First, decide what you'll follow: it can be a single league or several at once. The fewer matches per week, the easier it is for the whole group to get their predictions in before kickoff.

Match Prophets covers 9 competitions: Champions League, LaLiga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Primeira Liga, Eredivisie and Brasileirão.

2. Create the league and share the link

Create a free account, set up the league by picking the competition, and decide whether it's public (anyone can join) or private (only via the invite link). Share the link in your usual group chat — anyone without an account registers and joins automatically.

3. Set the scoring rules

The most common formula, and the one Match Prophets uses by default, awards points based on how precise the prediction is:

  • 3 points for the exact score.
  • 2 points for picking the winner or the draw, without the exact score.
  • 0 points if you miss both the score and the result.

The prediction locks the moment the match kicks off, so there's no room to change it mid-game.

4. Keep the league alive all season

The number one reason a prediction pool fizzles out mid-season is people forgetting to predict. It helps if someone in the group reminds everyone about the matchday before each weekend, and if the standings are visible and easy to check at a glance — seeing who's in the lead is more hooking than any reminder.

All that's left is picking the competition

Once the mechanics are clear — league, invite, and scoring rules — the rest rolls on by itself every weekend. If you're not sure where to start, check the detailed scoring rules or jump straight in and create your league.

Frequently asked questions

Is running a football prediction pool on Match Prophets free?
Yes, creating a league, inviting your group, and predicting matches is free, with no limit on participants or matchdays.
How many leagues can I follow at once?
As many as you like: when creating a league you choose which of the 9 available competitions it follows, and you can combine several in the same league or create a separate one per competition.
Can I change my prediction once the match has started?
No. As soon as the match kicks off, the prediction locks for everyone — so no one can adjust it on the fly while watching how the result is going.
Can I see what my friends predicted?
Not before kickoff, so no one can copy. As soon as the match starts, the whole league's predictions for that match are revealed.
How is the league winner decided?
By points accumulated over the season: 3 for the exact score, 2 for picking the winner or draw, 0 if you miss. The standings update on their own once each match ends.
Do I need to know a lot about football to take part?
No. Anyone can predict a scoreline, whether they follow the competition closely or not — in fact, part of the fun of a prediction pool is that the person who follows football least sometimes nails the weirdest result of the matchday.
Create my free poolSee all 9 leagues

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