⚽ Step-by-step guide
How to Run a
Football
Sweepstake
To run a football sweepstake, give everyone a random player or team, agree the rules up front, and decide the winner from the result. The quickest free method is the SquadGames app: create a squad, share an invite link, and it draws a player for each person automatically at kick-off.
Method 1: The App (Under Two Minutes)
- 1Download SquadGamesFree on iOS and Android. Sign in with Google, Apple or your phone number.
- 2Pick a match and a modeChoose any upcoming Premier League fixture, then First Goal Scorer, Next Goal Scorer or Last Goal Scorer.
- 3Add your squadType names in directly, import from your contacts, or share the invite code or link into WhatsApp.
- 4Let the draw happenAt kick-off everyone is drawn a player from the starting lineup, automatically and at random.
- 5Watch the goals go inThe live pitch view updates as goals are scored. Whoever's player scores wins the bragging rights.
Method 2: Paper in a Hat
If everyone is in the same room, the traditional way still works: write each player or team on a slip, fold them, and have everyone draw one. Its weakness is trust and memory. Somebody has to run it honestly, and someone has to remember who drew what by full time.
Rules to Agree Before Kick-Off
- What counts as a winner — first goal, last goal, or every goal.
- What happens in a 0-0 — include a "no goalscorer" entry, or agree there is no winner.
- Own goals and penalties — decide before the match whether they count and for whom.
- More people than slots — agree how extra people share, or run a second sweepstake.
- The prize — bragging rights is the easiest. If your group adds money, keep it small, handle it yourselves outside the app, and check the rules that apply where you live.
Choosing a Format
For one match, the goalscorer formats are the easiest to explain. For a tournament or a race like the Grand National, a team or horse draw suits better. For an office, a free sweepstake with a joke prize avoids any awkwardness about money.
Free App vs Spreadsheet vs WhatsApp
See the side-by-side comparison on SquadGames vs spreadsheets and WhatsApp groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a free app such as SquadGames, or draw names from a hat. Either way, agree the rules before kick-off and decide the winner from the match result.
Create the sweepstake in SquadGames and share the invite link into your WhatsApp group. Friends tap the link and join from their phone.
No. A sweepstake can be entirely free, and SquadGames does not handle money. If your group adds a prize, keep it small and settle it yourselves.
A live match sweepstake in SquadGames works for 2 to 21 people.
Yes. Team draws suit tournaments better than single-match player draws. SquadGames ran a World Cup 2026 sweepstake this way.
More Sweepstake Guides
Start your free sweepstake
Free to download, free to play. No entry fees, no real money.
Get on App Store Get on Google Play