1. Contest Overview
TourneyRank contests are skill-based competitions where participants rank all teams in a sports tournament (e.g., the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament) from strongest (#64) to weakest (#1). Points are earned when ranked teams win games, with higher-ranked teams earning more points and later-round wins earning increased multipliers.
The participant with the highest total score at the conclusion of the tournament wins. Success requires knowledge of team strength, historical performance, matchup dynamics, player personnel, coaching, and tournament context.
This contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Participants are solely responsible for determining whether entry is lawful in their jurisdiction. See our Terms of Service for full eligibility requirements.
2. How to Enter
- Create a free account on TourneyRank.
- Navigate to an active tournament and click "Create Entry."
- Rank all teams from #64 (strongest, most points) to #1 (weakest, fewest points) using the drag-and-drop interface.
- Name your entry and save your rankings.
- Review and accept the Entry Certification (skill-based acknowledgment, age verification, refund policy, and terms of service).
- Complete payment of the entry fee ($20 USD) via Stripe.
- Once payment is confirmed, your entry is locked and final.
3. Entry Limits & Deadlines
- Maximum entries: 3 paid entries per user per tournament.
- Entry deadline: Posted on each tournament page. Typically before the first game tips off. No entries or payments will be accepted after the deadline.
- Draft entries: Unpaid entries saved before the deadline can be paid and locked up until the deadline. Unpaid entries after the deadline are void.
4. Scoring System
When a team wins a game, all entries that include that team earn points equal to:
Points = Team Rank × Round Multiplier
For example, if you ranked a team at #60 and they win in the Sweet 16 (3x multiplier), you earn 60 × 3 = 180 points for that game.
Round Multipliers (NCAA Tournament)
| Round | Games | Multiplier | Max Points (Rank #64) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 64 | 32 | 1x | 64 |
| Round of 32 | 16 | 2x | 128 |
| Sweet 16 | 8 | 3x | 192 |
| Elite 8 | 4 | 5x | 320 |
| Final Four | 2 | 8x | 512 |
| Championship | 1 | 10x | 640 |
Maximum possible points from a single team that wins all 6 games ranked at #64: 64 × (1 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 8 + 10) = 1,856 points.
5. Why This Is a Skill-Based Contest
TourneyRank requires participants to demonstrate knowledge and expertise across multiple dimensions:
- Comprehensive evaluation: Participants must rank all 64 teams, not just pick winners. This requires breadth of knowledge across the entire field.
- Relative strength assessment: Success depends on correctly assessing how good each team is relative to all others — a fundamentally analytical task.
- Risk/reward optimization: The ranking structure creates strategic decisions. Ranking a mid-seed highly is risky but rewarding if correct.
- Full-tournament analysis: Points accumulate across all 6 rounds. Short-term luck in one game is diluted across 63 total games.
- Knowledge of multiple factors: Successful participants consider team statistics, strength of schedule, player health, coaching tendencies, historical tournament performance, and matchup dynamics.
6. Prize Pool & Payout Structure
97% of all entry fees collected for a tournament form the prize pool. 3% is retained by TourneyRank as a platform/operating fee.
Payout Table
The number of paid positions scales with total entries:
| Total Entries | Positions Paid | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| 2 – 10 | 3 | 1st: 60% / 2nd: 25% / 3rd: 15% |
| 11 – 25 | 4 | 1st: 50% / 2nd: 25% / 3rd: 15% / 4th: 10% |
| 26 – 50 | 5 | 1st: 40% / 2nd: 25% / 3rd: 15% / 4th: 12% / 5th: 8% |
| 51 – 100 | 10 | 1st: 35% / 2nd: 20% / 3rd: 12% / 4th: 8% / 5th: 6% / 6th–10th: 3.8% each |
| 101 – 250 | 20 | 1st: 30% / 2nd: 15% / 3rd: 10% / 4th: 7% / 5th: 5% / 6th–10th: 2.5% each / 11th–20th: 2.05% each |
| 251+ | Top 10% | 1st: 25% / 2nd: 12% / 3rd: 8% / Top 10 graduated / Remaining split among top 10% |
Example Payout
30 entries × $20 = $600 total
Prize pool: $600 × 97% = $582
7. Minimum Entries
A minimum of 2 paid entries from different users is required for a contest to proceed. If the minimum is not met by the entry deadline, all entry fees will be refunded in full and the contest will be cancelled.
8. Tiebreaker Rules
If two or more entries have the same total score at the end of the tournament:
- Championship pick: The entry that ranked the eventual champion higher wins the tiebreaker.
- Runner-up pick: If still tied, the entry that ranked the runner-up higher wins.
- Final Four accuracy: If still tied, the entry with more Final Four teams ranked in their top 10.
- Split: If still tied after all tiebreakers, prize money for the tied positions is split equally.
9. Prize Disbursement
Prizes will be paid out as follows:
- Within 14 business days of tournament completion and final score verification.
- Via the payment method on file or an alternative method agreed upon with the winner.
- Winners will be notified via email at their registered email address. Winners must respond and provide any required verification information within 30 days of notification.
- Winners may be required to verify their identity and provide tax information (W-9 / SSN) before receiving prizes of $600 or more. Failure to provide required documentation within the 30-day period may result in forfeiture of the prize.
- Winners are solely responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes on winnings. TourneyRank will issue IRS Form 1099 for prizes totaling $600 or more in a calendar year.
10. Data Integrity & Fair Play
- Game results are sourced from ESPN and verified against official NCAA records.
- All entries are timestamped and immutable after payment.
- We reserve the right to audit entries for signs of collusion, bot activity, or exploitation.
- Suspicious activity will be investigated and may result in disqualification.
- Decisions by TourneyRank regarding scoring, disqualification, and prize awards are final.
11. Tournament Cancellation, Disruption & Force Majeure
If the underlying sports tournament is cancelled, suspended, or significantly altered:
- No games played: Full refund of all entry fees.
- Partial completion (fewer than 32 games): Full refund of all entry fees.
- Partial completion (32+ games played): TourneyRank may, at its discretion, either award prizes based on current standings or issue pro-rated refunds.
- Completed with exceptions: If individual games are cancelled or forfeited, scores will be adjusted to reflect official results only.
Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control — including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, acts of war, government orders, internet or infrastructure failures, cyberattacks, or the absence of game data — TourneyRank may, in its sole discretion, cancel, suspend, or modify any contest, including concluding a contest early and awarding prizes based on standings at the time. TourneyRank is not responsible for games that are delayed, postponed, or cancelled by the governing sports body.
12. Amendments
TourneyRank reserves the right to amend these Contest Rules at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users and posted on this page. Amendments will not retroactively affect entries already submitted and paid for in an active tournament, unless required by law.
13. Contact & Disputes
For questions, concerns, or disputes regarding contest rules or results, contact us at: b@somr.co. See our Terms of Service for the full dispute resolution process.