Blank NFL Playoff Bracket Template: Organize Your Group's Playoff Challenge
Learn how to use a blank NFL playoff bracket template to organize a friendly competition among friends. Includes step-by-step instructions for setting up the bracket, planning a realistic schedule, and making each round clear to all participants.
Contents
A blank NFL playoff bracket template is a single-page chart that lets you map the entire postseason from the Wild Card round through the Super Bowl. You can print it and fill in team names as games are decided, making it easy to run a friendly pool among friends without any special software.
What Is a Blank NFL Playoff Bracket Template?
A blank NFL playoff bracket template is a printable or editable diagram that shows the structure of the NFL postseason. It includes slots for all 14 playoff teams across the AFC and NFC, arranged by playoff seeding. The template starts with the Wild Card round and progresses through the Divisional round, conference championships, and the Super Bowl. Because it is blank, you can write in the teams and scores yourself, which makes it perfect for a group competition.
How to Build a Bracket with Your Group
Follow these steps to set up a bracket challenge with your friends:
- Choose a template. Download or print a blank NFL playoff bracket template. Many sites offer free printable versions, or you can create one in a spreadsheet.
- Decide on the rules. Will participants simply predict winners, or also assign point values for each correct pick? Common scoring gives 1 point per correct Wild Card pick, 2 points for Divisional, 4 for Conference Championships, and 8 for the Super Bowl.
- Distribute the blank brackets. Give each friend a copy before the playoffs begin. They must fill in their predicted winner for every game.
- Collect the brackets. Have everyone submit their completed bracket before the first Wild Card game kicks off.
- Track results. As the actual playoffs unfold, use a master bracket to record the real winners. Compare each friend's bracket to the master to calculate points.
How to Plan a Realistic Schedule
The NFL playoff schedule is fixed, so your group's challenge automatically follows it. The Wild Card round usually takes place over a weekend with three games on Saturday and three on Sunday. The Divisional round is the following weekend, and the conference championships are played the Sunday after that. The Super Bowl is two weeks later. To keep everyone engaged, send out a reminder before each round with the upcoming matchups and the current standings.
Making the Next Round Clear to Everyone
One common confusion in NFL brackets arises because the playoffs are reseeded after the Wild Card round—the highest remaining seed in each conference plays the lowest remaining seed, not a fixed bracket position. Use a simple table or note on your master bracket to show which teams advanced. For example:
| Round | AFC Matchup | NFC Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6, #4 vs #5 | #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6, #4 vs #5 |
| Divisional | #1 vs lowest remaining seed, other winners play | #1 vs lowest remaining seed, other winners play |
| Conference Championship | Remaining two teams | Remaining two teams |
| Super Bowl | AFC Champion vs NFC Champion | |
Explain this reseeding rule to your group before they fill out their brackets so they know that picking winners in the Wild Card round may change the Divisional matchups.
Handling Breaks and Changes
The NFL schedule includes a one-week break between the conference championships and the Super Bowl (the Pro Bowl is now played the week before the Super Bowl, but it does not affect the bracket). If a game is postponed due to weather or other reasons, update your master bracket and notify everyone. If a participant wants to change a pick before a game starts, decide in advance whether that is allowed—most pools do not allow changes after submission.