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How do I order a pool website?
Click the Start A Pool link to order your website.

How do I renew from website from last year?
To renew your website from last year, login to your website and follow the instructions at the top.

What is the difference between the Premium websites and the Standard websites?
Premium websites have more features and customization options and are recommended for most office pools. Standard websites have fewer options and are therefore comparable to the pools you'd find at other sites. The features page provides a detailed list of features and a comparison chart to help you decide which type works best for your pool.

Do you have demo websites?
We have three demo websites for you to see how our websites work. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Standard Demo · Premium Demo #1 · Premium Demo #2

What will be the URL for my pool website?
Your pool will be located at http://your-name.hoops.sportsfan.com where you get to pick your-name. If you will be using your own domain for your pool then the URL for your pool will be determined by your website URL.

Can I run the pool on my own website?
The pool website must remain on the sportsfan.com server because we do not sell or release the software used to run it. However, using frames you can achieve the desired effect of using your website address for your pool. See this page on using frames to view your pool using your personal domain name. Your players will believe your pool is being run at your domain.

Can I choose a different URL for my pool that I am renewing?
Pool websites that are renewed must continue to use the same site name in order to have access to their archived standings and member list. If you want to change names, the only option will be to order a new pool website instead of renewing the old one. All pool websites will be located at http://your-name.hoops.sportsfan.com.

How long does the website remain online?
Websites remain online until mid-February 2010.

How much do the websites cost?
The cost is based on the type of website (Premium or Standard) and the number of brackets entered in the pool. You only pay for the actual number of brackets since payment is not due until after the bracket deadline. The cost for Standard websites is $0.25 per bracket with a $5 minimum. The cost for Premium websites is $0.625 per bracket with a $24 minimum. If you are renewing a premium website from 2008, you will receive 20% off the per-bracket rate.

When will my website be available after I place an order?
Orders placed during our business hours (which today are 10AM ET - 1AM ET) will be setup and ready for you to use within 30 minutes. We will have extended business hours during the days before and after Selection Sunday.

What scoring systems are supported?
Our Standard websites have basic points-per-round scoring plus the ability to use double points or seed points for upsets. Our Premium websites offer a wide variety of supported scoring options. Contact us if you want to check whether or not your scoring system is supported.

• Summary of the scoring options in our Premium websites:
• The play-in game is optional. You decide to score it or not.
• You can set straight numerical points to be awarded for each and any round.
• You can set points to be awarded based on the winning team seed for each and any round.
• You can set points to be awarded for each and any round depending on the seed of the winning or losing team, whether or not the game was an upset, the seed difference, and the round number. These are called condition-based scoring options.
• You can combine the above points if you want for each and any round.
• Special bonus points options include "bonus teams", picking all 4 #8/#9 or #7/#10 games, picking all 8 games in a region's first round, picking 3 final four teams, and picking all final four teams.

• Summary of the scoring options in our Standard websites:
• Set the points to be awarded for each round.
• Option to double points for upsets in all rounds.
• Option to award the seed number of winning team for upsets in all rounds

How frequently are the standings updated?
The website standings are updated after each game. It typically takes a few minutes for the calculation to be performed. At peak traffic times, please allow up to 20 minutes for the calculation.

How does the commissioner run the pool if there is no program?
The commissioner of the pool has access to the pool's administrative menu which contains all of the settings used to run the pool and control the pool website. The commissioner does not have to import entries or the tournament bracket since this is done automatically by the website. The commissioner does not have to import tournament results or update the standings and reports as this is done automatically by the website.

My pool is going to be very large. Can I receive a reduced rate for additional entries?
If your pool will have more than 2500 entries, contact us before you place your order for more information.

Can the commmissioner enter picks for someone else?
The pool commissioner can add other people to the pool and add, edit or delete brackets even after the deadline has passed.

Can I collect an entry fee through the website?
Monetary transactions cannot be processed directly through the website. The Premium websites have financial features such as "entry fee", "prize calculation" and "Finances" Report. These features are to be used only where legally permitted.

Can I set a password to gain entry to the website?
The commissioner can set an "invitation code" that will be required to join the pool.

Can the same website be used to run a Sweet 16 Pool?
The Premium websites can run 64-team bracket pools, Sweet 16 pools, or both. If a website is running both, then each pool will have its own scoring system, standings and reports. A player does not have to be in both pools. The Standard websites do not have support for Sweet 16 pools.