The Official March Madness

[grimm]

as a helper, here are the rules and how things are scored.


Playing Men's Tournament Challenge is a breeze. Follow this step by step sign-up process and you'll be dancing it up in no time. Or, see below (step 3), for help on filling out your bracket in preparation for the big dance.

Step 1 - Entering The Game
To enter, fill out the free game registration. After registering, you are ready to play the Men's Tournament Challenge. A valid ESPN username and password will be used as an identifier to login to game play, and to keep track of your entry's score and standing. If you've had an ESPN account in the past but forgot it, here's how to find your account information. After you have logged in, click on the "Create Entry" link on the game's frontpage and you're off and running. Remember, new this year, participants can create up to five entries in the game!
Avoid March Sadness
Create up to 5 entries!

Step 2 - Naming your Entry (Optional)
Before filling out your bracket give your entry some character and assign it a name. Once you've clicked the "Create Entry" button, you will be forwarded to a screen that will ask you to name your entry. Your entry name will consist of two components: a location (most often where you reside), and a nickname. Once you have named your team, click on the "Submit Entry Name". You will have the opportunity to change your entry name at any point during the game by clicking the "Settings" link on your entry page.

Step 3 - Make your selections (Available March 13, 2005)
Before the release of the official tournament bracket on Sunday, March 13th, you will only be able to view your entry page. One hour following the announcement of the tournament match-ups you will have the opportunity to select who you think will win each of the 63 tournament games. The Tournament Challenge provides two means of making your online selections, a flash version and an HTML version.

* Flash Version: You will be directed to fill out each region of the bracket one at a time. Click or drag the team name as far as you think that team will advance. After completing each region you will be prompted to proceed to the next region. Upon completion of all four regions, you will be prompted to fill out the Final Four bracket. Once the bracket is complete, and you have submitted your tiebreaker score for the Championship game, a black Submit button will appear below the Final Pick to submit your picks.

* HTML version: You will be asked to submit the winners of each game round by round. Select the radio button next to the team you think will advance and click on the button at the bottom of the page to continue. Be sure to enter in a score for the Championship Game which will be used in the case of a tie.

Note: You will have the option to edit your entries at any time after they have been initially submitted.

Note: An e-mail reminder will be sent to all entrants who join the game before the brackets are released and who have not submitted their selections.

Step 4 - Creating or Joining a Group (Optional)
You have the option to group yourself with friends, co-workers, or completely random fans by joining or creating a group. Within each group, your entry will be automatically ranked. Most of the groups in Tournament Challenge are public and can be joined at anytime. If you want to play with a specific group of people you know, create a private group and make it only accessible to those whom you have given the group password. To avoid participants swapping one of his/her more successful entries into your group, you may want to consider making your group a "locked" group. After the game has begun, all entries in a "Locked" group cannot leave the group, join a different group, or create a new group. The creator of a group sets the group's name, motto and password. You can move your entry from one group to the next as long as it is before the first game of the tournament. All of this is easily found on the Group Directory.

Step 5 - Accumulating points
Now you are ready to take on the tournament. The object of the game is simple: Correctly pick the winner of the most games in the 63 game tournament. A correct selection in the first round counts as 10 points, and in the second round the point value is doubled. (See the table below for more details about the scoring breakdown).

Contest Scoring Chart
ROUND TEAMS GAMES POINTS/CORRECT PICK POSSIBLE POINTS
1 64 32 10 320
2 32 16 20 320
3 (regional semifinals) 16 8 40 320
4 (regional finals) 8 4 80 320
5 (national semifinals) 4 2 120 240
6 (national finals) 2 1 160 160
Totals -- 63 -- 1680