What Makes a Good Prediction League? 6 Things That Keep People Playing

Every August, thousands of prediction leagues spring up. Friends make a group, share an invite code, and everyone is buzzing for the first gameweek. By November, half of them are graveyards. Predictions stop coming in, the group chat goes quiet, and the person running the league wonders what went wrong.

But some leagues last. The same group comes back every season, the rivalries build year on year, and people genuinely care about their position in the table. What makes the difference?

After watching how prediction leagues play out across hundreds of groups, the same six factors come up every time.

1. The right number of people

This is the single biggest factor and the one most people get wrong. Too few players and the leaderboard feels meaningless. Too many and you lose the personal connection that makes a league fun.

The sweet spot is 8 to 15 people. Big enough that you have genuine competition and there are always a few people around you in the table. Small enough that you know everyone, you notice when someone has a great week, and the banter in the group chat actually lands.

Leagues with 30 or more people sound impressive, but they quickly become impersonal. You stop paying attention to who is above and below you because the names do not mean anything. The social engine that drives engagement breaks down.

2. A scoring system everyone understands

The best scoring systems are the simplest ones. If someone asks "how does the scoring work?" and you cannot explain it in one sentence, it is too complicated.

Three points for an exact score, one point for the correct result. That is it. Everyone gets it immediately. There are no bonus multipliers to calculate, no tiebreakers that require a maths degree, no special rounds that change the rules halfway through the season.

Complicated scoring systems create two problems. First, people do not understand why they scored what they scored, which is frustrating. Second, the admin burden of explaining and defending the scoring after every gameweek burns out whoever is running the league.

Simple rules mean fewer arguments and more time talking about actual football.

3. Someone who keeps the energy going

Every good prediction league has at least one person who acts as the social engine. They post the standings after each gameweek. They call out the best and worst predictions. They tag people who forgot to submit. They keep the conversation alive.