Runtiva survivor pools
Free survivor pools with your friends
A survivor pool is the simplest season-long game in sports: one pick a round, each team once, last one standing. On Runtiva it is free to play, lives inside your group next to the chat, and grades itself. Pick the guide for your seat, or read on for how it works.
I'm running the pool
Commissioner Guide
Create the group and the pool, choose the rules with recommended defaults, invite with one link, run each round in five minutes a week, and handle revives and edge cases.
I'm playing
Player Guide
Join with a code or link, make and change your pick, read the standings, name or hide your entry, and the strategy basics that keep you alive.
Run a pool
Tell us the pool name and headcount. We set it up with you.
Setup takes about two minutes, everyone joins from one link, and the app does the nagging. Leave your details and we'll get your pool running for this week's games, or do it yourself with the Commissioner Guide.
What is a survivor pool?
A survivor pool is a season-long knockout game. Every round, usually an NFL week, each entry picks one team to win its game outright. No spread, no points, no lineups. Win and you advance to the next round; lose and you are eliminated, unless the pool allows strikes. Each team can be used once all season, so the teams you burn in September are the ones you will want in December. Whoever is still alive after the final round wins. People also call it an eliminator pool, a knockout pool, last man standing, a suicide pool, or survival football.
How does a Runtiva survivor pool work?
A commissioner creates a pool inside a Runtiva group and chooses the rules once: classic one-life or strikes, team reuse, what happens to a missed pick, whether some weeks need two or three teams, and whether eliminated entries can be revived. Members join with the group's link or code and pick one team a round from the app. Runtiva opens and locks every round on the real schedule, grades every pick from the official result, updates the standings, posts a card to the group chat, and reminds anyone who has not picked. Ties and postponed games are pushes. Everyone alive after the last round shares the crown.
Free
No entry fee, no prizes, no purchase. The crown is the prize.
Automatic
Rounds open and lock on the real schedule; picks are graded from official results.
Social
The pool lives in your group with its chat, beside your weekly contests.
How do you run a survivor pool?
Create a group, start a survivor pool in it with the four-step wizard, and share one link. That is the whole setup. The Commissioner Guide explains every setting with a recommended default, gives you a two-weeks-out timeline, and covers revives, cancellations, and what to say when something odd happens. Your weekly job is about five minutes: nudge stragglers and enjoy the chat. Running one at work? How to run an office football pool covers choosing the format, when to start, and the invite.
How do you join one?
Tap the invite link, or open Groups in the app, tap Have a Code?, and type the 8-character code. The pool is offered as soon as you join the group. Read the rules, tap Join, and make your first pick. The Player Guide covers picking, changing a pick, the standings, and the mistakes that end seasons.
Survivor pool FAQ
What is a survivor pool?
A season-long game where every round you pick one team to win outright. Win and you advance; lose and you are out, unless the pool gives strikes. Each team can be used once, and whoever is still alive after the final round shares the crown. It is also called an eliminator, knockout, last-man-standing, suicide, or survival pool.
Are Runtiva survivor pools free?
Yes. There is no entry fee, no prize, and no purchase. Runtiva does not support or track money collected on the side. The crown is the prize.
How do I run a survivor pool with friends?
Create a group in the Runtiva app, start a survivor pool inside it with the four-step wizard, and share the group's link, code, or QR. The app opens and locks every round on the real schedule, grades every pick from official results, keeps the standings, and sends reminders. The Commissioner Guide walks through every setting.
How do I join a survivor pool?
Tap the commissioner's invite link or type the 8-character group code under Groups. The pool is offered right after you join the group. Entry closes when the first round locks.
Which sports have survivor pools?
Whatever the app's wizard lists for the season: currently NFL, MLB, and cricket tournaments such as the CPL. A season appears while it has an upcoming round at least 24 hours away.
When does my pick lock?
When that team's game starts. A Thursday game locks on Thursday even if the round runs through Monday. You can change a pick any time before its game kicks off.
What happens if I forget to pick?
The pool's missed-pick rule applies when the round closes. Most pools eliminate a missed pick; a commissioner can instead have the app pick the favourite, a random team, or reuse your last team. Reminders go out 48, 24, and 3 hours before the round closes.
What happens on a tie or a postponed game?
A push: you advance, your streak is unchanged, and the team goes back into your available list. The rule is the same in every pool.
Is a survivor pool legal?
Runtiva survivor pools are free to play with no prizes wherever Runtiva is available, and your state's minimum age applies. Age, identity, and location are verified at signup, so the app shows you exactly what you can play.
Can I hide my name in the standings?
Yes. Give your entry a name and choose Hide My Identity. Other players see only the entry name; the commissioner and Runtiva support can always see who you are.
Survivor pools are one way to play with your group. Runtiva groups also run weekly salary-cap contests for fantasy football and fantasy cricket, with a group chat that follows the community guidelines. New to Runtiva? Start with how to play.
Ready to play?
Survivor pools are free in the Runtiva app.