How to play football squares online with friends
Squares used to require everyone in the same room, huddled around a poster board with a Sharpie. Now half your pool is a brother in Denver, a coworker who moved to Austin, and a group chat that spans three time zones. Here is how to run the same game with everyone in, no matter where they are watching.
What you need
One person to host (that part takes the Boxpick app, free for your first board) and a phone for everyone else. That is the whole list. Players do not need to download anything or create an account. They tap the link you share, pick their squares in the browser, and they are in.
Step 1: Create the board
The host creates a board in Boxpick and picks the game. Any NFL game works, not just the Super Bowl. Set your square price and payout structure so everyone sees the terms before they claim.
Step 2: Share one link
Every board gets a share link. Drop it in the group chat, the family thread, the office channel. Anyone who opens it sees the live board and claims squares right from the browser. No app install, no signup. Grandma can claim a square from her iPad. That is the test, and it passes.
Step 3: Fill the board and draw the numbers
Watch the board fill in real time as claims come in. When it is full, the host draws the numbers. Boxpick reveals the digits one at a time with a slot machine style animation built for the big screen, so make the draw a moment: AirPlay it to the TV while everyone watches their fate get decided. Numbers are always drawn after squares are claimed, which is what keeps the game fair.
Step 4: Watch the game do the work
Live scores flow in automatically. At the end of each quarter, the winning square lights up on everyone's screen, with the celebration to match. No one squints at a poster board doing last-digit math, and no one argues about who won the second quarter. Remote players see everything the living room sees.
What about collecting the money?
Boxpick tracks it but never touches it. The host marks each player paid or unpaid with a tap and sees at a glance who still owes. Your group settles up however it already does.
Free to join, free to host your first board
Joining a board is free forever. Hosting your first board is free too, with standard payouts. Boxpick Pro ($9.99 a year) unlocks unlimited boards, custom payout splits, fundraiser mode, and live win probability on every square. There are no per-board fees, ever.
Can people join a football squares pool without downloading an app?
Yes. Boxpick players join from a shared link in their web browser, claim squares, and watch the board live. Only the host needs the app.
Does online squares work for any NFL game?
Yes. You can run a board for any game on the schedule, regular season through the Super Bowl. Weekly boards are how a lot of groups keep the season interesting.
How do winners get paid in an online squares pool?
The same way your group already handles money. Boxpick tracks who has paid into the pool and shows who won each quarter, but the settling up happens between players, outside the app.
Is Boxpick free?
Joining any board is free, and hosting your first active board is free with standard payouts. Boxpick Pro is $9.99 a year for unlimited boards, custom splits, fundraiser mode, and live win probability.
Your whole group, one link
Host from the app. Everyone else joins from the browser, no download and no account.
