RULES & SCORING
Full contest rules, scoring breakdown, tiebreaker order, and legal terms.
Entry & Eligibility
- Entry fee: $25 USD per bracket.
- Maximum 2 brackets per person. Duplicate accounts will be removed without refund.
- Must be 18 or older to enter.
- Payment methods: Cash, Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, or PayPal Goods & Services.
- Submission deadline: June 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM Central. Brackets lock 2 hours before the first World Cup match (Mexico v South Africa, 2:00 PM CT).
- Picks may be edited up until the lock time. Once locked, entries are final.
Scoring — Group Stage
| Outcome | Points |
|---|---|
| Correctly picked a top-3 finisher (any position) | +1 |
| Bonus: exact position correct (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) | +2 |
| Maximum per team | 3 |
| Maximum per group | 9 |
| Maximum group-stage total (12 groups) | 108 |
Scoring — Third-Place Advancers
During the bracket creation flow, you select 8 of 12 third-place teams to advance to the Round of 32. After the group stage ends, FIFA officially announces which 8 third-place teams advance based on points and goal differential. You earn bonus points for each team you correctly identified as an advancer.
| Outcome | Points |
|---|---|
| Each correctly picked third-place advancer | +2 |
| Maximum advancer total (8 advancers) | 16 |
Scoring — Knockout Stage
| Round | Per Correct Pick |
|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 2 |
| Round of 16 | 4 |
| Quarterfinals | 8 |
| Semifinals | 16 |
| Final (Champion) | 32 |
| Maximum knockout total | 160 |
Tiebreakers
Applied in order until a winner is determined:
- Total points (highest wins)
- Correct champion pick
- Predicted final score (closest)
- Total goals in final (closest)
- Earliest submission time
The predicted final score is the score at the end of the full match — including extra time, before penalties. For example, if the final ends 2-2 in extra time and goes to PKs, the score recorded is 2-2.
Predicting a draw is allowed. A draw prediction means you expect the final to go to penalties, with your selected champion winning on PKs. Your champion pick still must match the winning side of the match (champion-takes-PKs in a draw, or champion-on-the-higher-score in a regulation/ET win).
Prizes & Payout
Winner takes all. The single bracket with the highest total score wins the entire prize pool. Tiebreakers (champion pick, predicted final score, total goals, earliest submission) decide ties.
Prize Tiers
The prize amount grows as more brackets are submitted. Once a tier is unlocked, that prize is locked in — even if entries slow down.
| Tier | Brackets Sold | Winner Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 150 | $1,500 USD |
| Tier 2 | 300 | $3,000 USD |
| Tier 3 | 500 | $5,000 USD |
Operator Fee
A portion of total entries is retained by the operator to cover platform development, payment processing, hosting, taxes, and operations. The remainder funds the prize pool up to the $5,000 USD cap.
Payout
Winner is paid within 7 business days of the World Cup Final (July 19, 2026) via the same payment method used for entry. 1099 forms issued for winnings $600 USD or more per IRS requirements. Winner is responsible for their own tax reporting.
Referral Program
Earn money for bringing in new players. Every friend who submits a paid bracket through your unique referral QR code earns you a payout. Open to everyone — you don't need to win the bracket to earn referrals.
How Tracking Works
- Each player gets a unique referral code and QR code tied to their account, available on their referrals dashboard.
- Friends scan the code or use the link — the system auto-tags their bracket as referred by you when they submit.
- QR codes work in person too — print them, post them, hand them out at events.
- Your referrals dashboard shows live counts: total referred, payment-confirmed, still-pending, and your estimated payout.
What Counts
- The referred bracket must be submitted, paid, and payment-confirmed before lock.
- Pending or unpaid brackets do not count.
- Self-referrals do not count. Suspected self-referrals will be removed without notice.
- The first referral source on a player's account is the one credited. Repeat scans from another referrer don't reassign credit.
Payout Method
Referral payouts go through the same channels (Cash, Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, PayPal G&S) used for entries.
Refunds & Cancellation
- No refunds, chargebacks, or edits once a bracket has been submitted. All entries are final.
- If the contest must be cancelled or refunded due to insufficient entries or any other reason, all participants will be refunded in the same form they paid (Cash, Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, or PayPal).
- Any bracket whose payment cannot be confirmed by the deadline — whether the issue originates from the operator's side or the user's side — will have its bracket cancelled and removed from the contest.
- Payments sent to incorrect or unauthorized payment methods are the sole responsibility of the user. Bracket Royale is not liable for funds sent to handles not listed in the official payment screen.
- Payment confirmations are processed within 24 hours of submission.
Disqualification
Brackets may be disqualified — with no refund — for any of the following:
- Payment chargebacks or reversals after submission
- Fraudulent or fabricated payment references
- Multiple accounts used to exceed the 2-bracket per person limit
- Coordinated entries or bracket sharing between multiple users
- Any attempt to manipulate the contest, scoring, or leaderboard
Match Postponements
If a World Cup match is postponed, rescheduled, or rerouted, scoring proceeds based on FIFA's official final results regardless of when matches are ultimately played. The contest follows the official tournament outcome even if it extends beyond the scheduled completion date.
Legal & Compliance
- Must be 18 or older to enter, regardless of state.
- Excluded states: Residents of Washington, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and Louisiana are not eligible to enter (state laws restrict paid contests).
- One person, one identity. No duplicate accounts. Suspected duplicates forfeit entries without refund.
- No collusion. No bracket sharing or coordinated entries.
- Operator reserves the right to cancel any bracket suspected of fraud, with no refund obligation.
- This contest is not affiliated with FIFA or any official tournament organizer.
- Disputes: The operator's decision is final on all scoring and rules disputes.
Privacy & Data
We collect: name, email, phone, and payment reference. Phone is used to confirm winners and for occasional contest updates. We do not sell, share, or trade your information with third parties. Data is deleted within 90 days of contest payout completion, unless required for tax records.
Contact & Support
For questions, payment issues, or disputes, contact:
Response within 24 hours. Include your bracket name and payment reference for fastest resolution.