NFL 2026 — NFL TD Survivor Pools

NFL TD Survivor Pools

NFL Touchdown Survivor swaps teams for players. Each week you pick at least one NFL player, and you advance if that player scores a touchdown. Pick a running back who gets stuffed at the goal line and your season may be over. It is the same knockout structure as a team survivor pool, played on a much larger and much less predictable board.

Pools can require more than one pick per week, in which case an entrant advances if ANY of their selections score. Commissioners can decide whether passing touchdowns count for the quarterback, and can set flexible lock times so picks close at the right moment for the group.

ALA also offers sensible configuration options to fine-tune your pool if multiple selections are made by an entrant -- including restrictions on whether all of an entrant's picks lock at first kickoff (a recommended setting), and/or whether multiple players from the same NFL team can be picked in the same week. Missed-pick insurance, multiple entries and re-buys are all supported, and the last entry standing wins the pool.

How to set up a NFL TD Survivor pool

1. Set picks per weekOne player is the hardest version. Two or three picks — where any one scoring keeps you alive — makes for a longer pool and a friendlier one for casual entrants.
2. Decide whether passing touchdowns countCounting a certain number of pass TDs makes quarterbacks more viable picks and significantly changes strategy. Leaving them out keeps the pool focused on rushing and receiving scores.
3. Choose lives, entries and lock timeGive entrants more than one life if you want the pool to last, allow multiple entries per person, and set when picks close.
4. Send out invitesTouchdowns are picked up automatically from live scoring data, so eliminations resolve without anyone having to referee them.

Create your NFL TD Survivor pool — free to set up. Payment is due only after your game has kicked off and you are certain ALA's software can provide you with everything you need.

Frequently asked questions

How does an NFL touchdown survivor pool work?

Each week you pick an NFL player instead of a team. If your player scores a touchdown that week, you advance. If they do not, you lose a life. The last entry standing wins the pool.

Do passing touchdowns count?

That is an optional pool setting. A commissioner can choose to count a certain number of passing touchdowns — which makes quarterbacks pickable and considerably safer — or restrict scoring to rushing and receiving touchdowns only.

What if I make several picks in one week?

If the pool allows multiple picks per week, you advance if ANY one of your selections scores a touchdown. They do not all need to score.

How do selection locktimes work if multiple picks are made by an entrant?

ALA offers options to configure this sensibly, and recommends that if multiple picks are made by an entrant, that ALL of their selections are locked for the week as soon as their first pick kicks off. Otherwise, if the first of an entrant's selections score a TD in a game early in the week, they could change their later selections to a throwaway pick that is unlikely to score, thus not burning a more valuable player.

New to survivor? Read survivor pool rules, explained, or how to run a survivor pool if you're the commissioner. Compare every format in survivor vs pick'em vs confidence, or look up a term in the sports pool glossary.