How to fill out a March Madness bracket

Wait for Selection Sunday, when the teams are announced. Then pick a winner for every game, round by round, until one champion is left. That is the whole job.

Step 1: Wait for the field

Brackets open on Selection Sunday.

In 2027, that is Sunday, March 14.

The teams and matchups are announced that evening.

There is nothing to fill in before then.

Step 2: Pick the first round

The main bracket starts with 32 games.

Pick one winner in each game.

Not sure? Trust the seeds.

A low seed number means a strong team.

Seed 1 is the strongest. Seed 16 is the weakest.

Step 3: Keep picking winners

Every winner moves on to the next round.

Your picks play each other in round two.

Pick those winners too.

Keep going through the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight.

Six rounds in all.

Step 4: End with one champion

Four teams reach the Final Four.

Pick two winners, then pick the final.

One champion is left at the end.

Some pools also ask for a tiebreaker.

That is a guess at the total points in the final game.

Step 5: Hand it in on time

Pools lock when the first round starts.

In 2027, the first round starts Thursday, March 18.

A late bracket counts for nothing.

Finish before Thursday morning.

Three tips that hold up

• Do not send all four 1 seeds to the Final Four. It has happened once, in 2008.
• Pick a few upsets early. Low seeds win about one first-round game in three. Read how often upsets happen.
• Keep your champion safe. Most champions are 1 or 2 seeds.