Pub-Based Prediction Leagues: How to Make Them Work

To run a pub prediction league: lock predictions in before kick-off on Sunday, keep one rule for regulars and casuals (no handicaps), put the standings on a blackboard or chalkboard behind the bar, and have a clear "if you didn't predict, you got zero" rule. Set up a free league on ScoreBadger for up to 5 players, or Premium for up to 50 - plenty for most pub regulars.

A pub prediction league sits in a sweet spot. It is more structured than the usual "score predictions over a pint" chat, but lighter than a serious office league. The whole point is to give the regulars something to argue about, the casuals something to dip into, and the landlord a reason to put the football on every weekend.

Why a Pub Setting Is Different

Pub leagues have a unique mix you do not get anywhere else: regulars who know each other and the football inside out, occasional drop-ins who only show up for big matches, and the social pressure of doing it in a public space rather than a group chat. We touched on this in our piece on why prediction games are better than pub quizzes.

This means a pub league has to be:

• Visible - results posted somewhere everyone can see
• Forgiving - casuals who miss a week should not be permanently out
• Simple - explainable in 30 seconds to a new face
• Social - the chat in the pub matters more than the leaderboard

The Sunday Pre-Match Pattern

The classic pattern is this: people arrive for the Sunday lunch crowd, a few pints and a roast, kick-off at 2pm or 4:30pm. Predictions go in before kick-off. The standings get updated after Monday Night Football.

Practical mechanics:

• Pin the fixtures list and a pen near the bar from Friday
• Or, send the ScoreBadger link in a pub WhatsApp group earlier in the week
• Hard deadline: no predictions after the first ball kicks on Saturday
• Update the chalkboard after Monday's game
• Banter starts brewing for the next weekend's fixtures by Wednesday

The pre-match pint is when the predictions actually get serious. People talk about form, injuries, who is dropped, and you can hear five different theories on whether Spurs will keep a clean sheet. That conversation is the whole point.