Super Bowl squares template, how to play online, and more

The 2021 Super Bowl matchup is between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chiefs are making their fourth appearance, having lost in the first Super Bowl and then winning in Super Bowls 4 and 54. The Bucs are 1-0 in Super Bowls entering this year’s game, defeating the Raiders in 2003’s Super Bowl 37. With Super Bowl 55 taking place in Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs are the first Super Bowl team to play in their home stadium.

If what’s happening on the field isn’t quite enough to draw your attention, putting some money down on the action could make things a bit more interesting. Setting up a Super Bowl squares game is one way to stay involved in the matchup and may help keep the interest up for friends and/or guests who might not be as into football as the rest of us.

The Bucs lead the Chiefs, 7-3, after one quarter of play. Find that square that matches up with the the “7” on the Bucs’ side and the “3” on the Chiefs’ side.

The Bucs hold a 21-6 lead over the Chiefs at halftime. Your Super Bowl squares winner sits at the intersection of the Bucs’ “1” and the Chiefs’ “6.”

The Bucs stay ahead with a 31-9 lead over the Chiefs after three quarters. Find that name where the Bucs’ “1” box meets the Chiefs’ “9” for this quarter’s winner.

The Bucs complete their Super Bowl victory with a 31-9 win over the Chiefs. The third quarter winner takes this one as well.

Here’s a quick and simple way to play squares.

This part is pretty simple. You just need a 10-by-10 grid with 100 squares to work with. You can either draw this out on a piece of paper, or use an online template.

Here’s an example of what your grid could look like, thanks to PrintYourBrackets.com:

Most people will be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, so why not make a little coin while you’re at it? There are a few options to get people involved:

1) If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party, you can pass the grid around or set it up as an activity as guests enter. Guests who want to play can fill out as many squares as they want — typically for $1 per square. (You can do this ahead of the big game too, if you’re not watching with a group, and have the grid filled out ahead of time.)

2) If you’re hosting a strictly online game, you can use sites like SuperBowlSquares.org to help coordinate and organize players and bets.

Once the grid is full, the real fun part of the game begins.

Either by drawing numbers from a hat or using a random number generator, assign digits 0-9 (in the order they are drawn/generated) to the top row and left column of the grid. This makes each square an intersection of the two numbers — and will be what determines the payout for players.

Typically, winnings for Super Bowl squares are determined at the end of each quarter, based on the final digit of each team’s score. For exampled, if the Bucs lead 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, the Super Bowl square player whose square intersects with “4” and “0” would win a share of the pot.

There are many different ways to play Super Bowl squares and a host of different rules you can enact. (Some people do only one big payout at the final whistle, instead of each quarter, etc...). There’s no limit to the number of ways to split the pot, so get creative and have fun — and hopefully, make a little bit of money.