Common questions from hosts and players
Real-world answers on fairness, entry rules, sign-up, and survival eliminations. Share this page with your group before kickoff to reduce confusion.
Questions and answers
Is FairDraw free to use?
Yes. Creating and running sweepstakes or survival leagues on FairDraw is free. Hosts handle any buy-ins or payouts privately with their group.
Do players need to sign up to join?
No account is required for most players to join a game through the shared link. Some host/admin actions require a host account.
How is the sweepstake draw fair?
FairDraw uses a locked random draw process and produces a draw certificate with a seed/reference so hosts can show the draw was random and not manually edited.
Can the host change teams after the draw?
Once the draw is locked, assignments should not be altered. If something is wrong, the safest approach is to communicate clearly and rerun a fresh draw before play begins.
What happens if more players join than there are teams?
Hosts should set and communicate limits before launch. If entries exceed available slots, close entries and refund/exclude late joins according to your local group rules.
Can one person have multiple entries?
That depends on host rules. Some groups allow multiple paid entries; others enforce one entry per person. Set this clearly before sharing the join link.
Can I run this in a pub or office pool?
Yes, FairDraw is designed for pub, office, and friend-group competitions. Hosts are responsible for any local legal/compliance requirements around money pools.
How do I share the game with players?
Use the join link from your host dashboard. You can also share live draw and results links so everyone can follow the game publicly.
What is the difference between Sweepstakes and Survival?
Sweepstakes assigns teams (usually once) and tracks outcomes. Survival is Last Man Standing: each round players pick a team to win, and usually cannot reuse that team later.
How do eliminations work in Survival?
If a player's selected team does not win that round, they are eliminated (unless your league rules define a special exception). Remaining players continue to the next round.
Can players reuse teams in Survival?
Standard survival rules do not allow reusing the same team. This is what makes late rounds harder and strategy more important.
What if a match is a draw in Survival?
Your league should define this upfront. Common options are: draw counts as a loss (elimination), or draw is void and picks roll over. Keep one rule for all players.
What if two players tie at the end?
Set tie-breakers before kickoff. Typical tie-breakers are: shared pot, earliest pick submission, or a pre-agreed final tiebreak prediction.
Can I edit picks after kickoff?
No. Fair play means picks should lock at your stated deadline (usually kickoff time). Late or edited picks after deadline should be rejected.
Can I run private games only for invited players?
Yes. Keep host controls private and only share join links with your intended group.
What if someone says the draw was rigged?
Share the live draw flow and draw certificate details with the group. Transparency before and during the draw is the best way to prevent disputes.
Can I run multiple competitions at once?
Yes, many hosts run separate games for different groups, entry levels, or formats (for example one sweepstake and one survival league).