LAST MAN STANDING 2026
One pick a week. Win and you live. Lose and you're out. Run the classic survivor pool online for the whole NFL season — free for small groups.
WHAT IS LAST MAN STANDING?
Last Man Standing is the elimination game that's been run out of offices and group chats for as long as there have been office pools. The rules fit on a napkin: every week, each player picks one NFL team to win their game — straight up, no spread. Win, and you're through to next week. Lose, and you're out. The last player standing takes the pot.
Also Known As
The twist that makes it a season-long chess match: you can only pick each team once. Spend a juggernaut on a Week 2 home game and they're gone when you want them against a losing team in December. You can't run out — 32 teams across 18 weeks leaves plenty in reserve — so the game is pure timing, not rationing. Byes tighten it further: teams sit out in 9 of the 18 weeks, with as many as 6 off the board at once, so the team you were saving may not even be available when you want it.
Traditionally someone in the office runs it off a spreadsheet — chasing picks by text on a Saturday night, arguing about whether a message arrived before kickoff, and typing results in by hand. FootballPools replaces the spreadsheet: picks lock automatically as each game kicks off, results come in from live NFL data, and eliminations are scored for you. The commissioner just runs the trash talk.
How It Works
Pick One Team Each Week
From the week's games, choose the one team you're backing to WIN — straight up, no spread. Change it as often as you like until that game locks.
Your Team Wins → You Survive
A win is a win, by 1 or by 40. On to the next week.
Lose → You're Out
A loss eliminates you. So does a tie, unless your pool plays the ties-survive option.
No Picking the Same Team Twice
Each team can be used once per season, and a team on its bye is off the board that week. With 32 teams and 18 weeks you'll never run out.
Miss the Deadline → Eliminated
No pick when the week's last game locks counts the same as a loss. Reminders go out before every deadline so it doesn't happen by accident.
Last One Standing Takes the Pot
Outlast everyone and the pool is yours. If the last survivors all fall in the same week, your pool's tie rule decides how it pays.
The Rules
Standard Rules — Every Pool
Commissioner Options — Your Pool, Your Rules
Every option is set when the pool is created, so the rules are on the record before a snap is played.
Built for the Person Running It
Anyone who's run a survivor pool off a spreadsheet knows the real work isn't picking teams — it's chasing 30 people for picks and money every single week, for 18 weeks. FootballPools does the chasing for you.
Payment Tracking
Track who's paid into the pot and who hasn't. FootballPools never touches the money — the commissioner collects it however the group prefers.
Automated Reminders
Email and push reminders go out before every deadline — a day-before nudge and a last call — so nobody gets eliminated for forgetting.
Live Scoring
Results flow in from live NFL data. Survivals and eliminations are scored automatically once the week's last game is final — no Tuesday-morning data entry.
Auto-Pick Safety Net
Switch it on and any member who hasn't picked gets the strongest team left on their slate submitted for them — and they can still change it before kickoff.
Free for pools with up to 5 members. Larger pools pay a small hosting fee that grows only as your pool grows — see pricing for the details.
The 2026 Season
The 2026 NFL regular season runs 18 weeks, opening September 9, 2026 and closing after Week 18 on January 10, 2027. That's 18 chances to get it wrong, and one upset is all it takes.
You don't have to be ready for opening week. Pools can be created and joined at any point in the season, and with mid-season joining enabled a pool started in October works just as well — a new member is only responsible from the week they join.
Why FootballPools?
Built Around the NFL Week
Byes, Thursday-night locks, the Sunday slate, postponements, straight-up results — survivor here is built around how an NFL week actually runs, not adapted from another sport.
Private Pools With Invite Codes
Create a pool, share one code with the group chat, and everyone's in. Perfect for offices, bars, and families.
Free for Small Groups
Pools with up to 5 members are completely free. No credit card needed.
No Download Required
FootballPools is a web app that works in any browser. Add it to your home screen for an app-like experience.
Last Man Standing FAQ
START YOUR LAST MAN STANDING POOL
Set up your pool in under two minutes, share the invite code, and let FootballPools run the boring bits for all 18 weeks.