NFL Pick'em Scoring Formats, Compared

Not every NFL pick'em pool is scored the same way. Here's how each of the formats REDZONEPicks.app supports works, so a commissioner can pick the one that fits their group.

Standard (Straight Up)

The simplest format: pick the winner of every game, and every correct pick is worth exactly 1 point. There's no ranking or strategy involved beyond the pick itself - it's the easiest format for a group that's new to pick'em pools.

Confidence Points

Players rank all of their weekly picks and assign each one a unique point value, with their most confident pick worth the most. A correct pick earns its assigned value; an incorrect one earns nothing. See our dedicated Confidence Picks guide for a full example.

Key Picks

A middle ground between Standard and Confidence Points: every correct pick still earns its normal 1 point, but each week players also flag a set number of picks (chosen by the commissioner) as their "Key Picks." A correct Key Pick earns a bonus point on top of the normal point, so the strategy is narrower - just deciding which handful of games to back extra hard - without the full complexity of ranking an entire week.

Capped Point Values

A hybrid format: each week, players have a small, limited set of high-value point tiers (set by the commissioner) to spread across their best picks - for example, one 5-point tier, one 3-point tier, and the rest of their picks left at a base value. It rewards conviction on a few picks each week without requiring a player to rank every single game the way Confidence Points does.

Against the Spread (Optional Add-On)

Any of the four formats above can also be scored against the point spread rather than straight up - meaning a pick only counts as correct if the team covers the spread, not just wins outright. This is a single pool-wide toggle a commissioner sets alongside their chosen format.

Choosing a Format for Your Pool

Standard is the easiest to explain to a brand-new group. Confidence Points rewards careful weekly analysis and tends to produce the most separation in the standings. Key Picks and Capped Point Values both add a lighter dose of strategy without the full commitment of ranking every game. A commissioner sets the format once, for the whole pool, when creating it on REDZONEPicks.app - see How It Works to get started.