Football Squares Generator

The football squares generator sets up the classic 100-square game for the big match. Add the players and how many squares each has, and it fills the 10 × 10 grid at random, then draws the digits 0 to 9 for each team. Type in the score at any point to see who holds the winning square. It’s free, and you can print the grid for the wall.

How football squares works

1. Sell the squares. 100 of them, often at a fixed price each. Players can buy as many as they like.
2. Fill the grid. Here, squares are given out at random. Enter “Sam x10” for ten squares, or a name on its own for one.
3. Draw the numbers. Once the grid is full, the digits 0 to 9 are drawn for the top and for the side, so nobody knows which numbers they have while buying.
4. Check the score. At the end of each quarter, or just at full time, take the last digit of each team’s score. 17–14 means 7 across the top and 4 down the side. Whoever owns that square wins.

Unsold squares stay blank. If a blank square wins, most groups carry the prize forward or redraw.

Are some squares better than others?

Before the numbers are drawn, every square is equal: a 1 in 100 chance. After the draw, some are much better. In gridiron football, scores go up in 3s and 7s, so final scores ending in 0, 3, 4 and 7 come up far more often than ones ending in 2 or 5. That’s exactly why the digits are drawn after the squares are sold.

For a soccer match, the grid works too, but scores rarely pass 4, so the 0, 1 and 2 squares do almost all the winning. Draw new numbers for each half or each match to keep it fair over a tournament.

Prize splits

A common split pays 20% of the pot at each of the first three quarters and 40% at full time. Or keep it simple and pay the lot on the final score. Write the split on the printout before the kick-off.

For giving teams to people in a tournament, use the sweepstake generator. For a straight prize draw, the raffle ticket generator.