The 2026-27 Premier League season kicks off August 21, and if you're the one who runs the office pool, you're currently weighing the same question as every August: spreadsheet again, or is there finally a better way?
Here's our honest comparison of the options for running a season-long Premier League pool — Last Man Standing / survivor, pick'em, or both.
What to Look For
A Premier League pool is a 38-week commitment. What matters over that horizon:
- Soccer-native rules: Does the platform understand draws, gameweeks, postponements, and rescheduled kickoffs — or is it an NFL product wearing a scarf?
- Automation: Season-long pools die when the organizer burns out. Auto-locking picks, auto-scoring, and reminders are the difference between a pool that finishes in May and one that fizzles in October.
- Money handling: Most group pools collect a pot. You want tracking tools — not a platform that touches the money itself.
- Pricing: Free tier? Per-player fees × 38 weeks adds up.
- Mobile experience: Every pick, all season, will be made on a phone during a lunch break.
The Options
Golazo (golazo.us)
Best for: Last Man Standing / survivor and Pick'em pools built for soccer
Golazo runs two Premier League formats: Last Man Standing (pick one team a week to win, lose or draw and you're out, last standing takes the pot) and EPL Pick'em (call 5 results a week, all 5 right wins the pot, rollovers when nobody does).
Pros:
- Soccer-native rules: draw handling, slate resets after all 20 teams used, postponement voids
- Commissioner options — draws-survive, rebuys, late join, final-gameweek pot rule
- Automatic live scoring from real results; picks lock at first kickoff
- Email + push reminders before every deadline
- Payment tracking for the pot (commissioner holds the money, always)
- Free for pools of 5 or fewer; works in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese
Cons:
- Newer platform (launched 2026)
- Two formats only — no fantasy-style points leagues
- Web app only (mobile-optimized, no app store download)
Pricing: Free for pools with up to 5 members; larger pools pay a one-time $2 per member above 5, paid by the commissioner.
RunYourPool
Best for: Groups already running NFL pools there
A long-established US pool platform with a large format library, built primarily around American sports. Soccer offerings exist but are not the core product.
Pros:
- Established, reliable, widely used
- Many pool formats under one roof
Cons:
- NFL-first design; league-soccer concepts like draws-as-eliminations and gameweek structures are not the native language
- Paid plans for meaningful pool sizes
Pricing: Paid, varies by pool size and format.
OfficeFootballPool
Best for: Commissioners who want maximum configurability
A veteran multi-sport pool site with deep commissioner controls, including soccer pool options.
Pros:
- Highly customizable rules and scoring
- Multi-sport — one place for your NFL and EPL pools
Cons:
- Dated interface, especially on phones
- Setup complexity can overwhelm casual groups
- Per-participant pricing adds up over a 38-week season
Pricing: Varies by pool size and type.
Superbru
Best for: Free public prediction leagues
A UK/South Africa-rooted predictor platform with big public Premier League prediction games and private leagues.
Pros:
- Free to play
- Large communities and public leaderboards
- Genuinely soccer-native
Cons:
- Points-prediction format — not a true Last Man Standing or winner-takes-pot game
- No pot/payment tracking; it's not built for money pools
- Ad-supported experience
Pricing: Free.
Fantasy Premier League (FPL)
Best for: Fantasy football — a different game entirely
The official fantasy game is free and brilliant, but it's squad management with transfers and captaincy, not a prediction pool. Worth naming because every August someone in the group suggests "just playing FPL instead" — and mini-leagues are great, but they don't scratch the elimination-drama or weekly-pot itch.
Pricing: Free.
The Spreadsheet + Group Chat
Best for: Small groups with a saint for an organizer
The traditional method, and to be fair: it works, it's free, and the rules can be anything the group agrees.
Pros:
- Free, infinitely flexible
- No signups for anyone
Cons:
- The organizer manually chases picks, enforces deadlines, scores results, and tracks money — for 38 straight weeks
- Timestamp disputes ("I sent it before kickoff!") are guaranteed
- Dies the week the organizer goes on holiday
Pricing: Free, if you don't count the organizer's sanity.
Head-to-Head
| Feature | Golazo | RunYourPool | OfficeFootballPool | Superbru | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Man Standing / survivor | Yes | Limited | Yes | No | DIY |
| Weekly pot pick'em w/ rollover | Yes | No | Partial | No | DIY |
| Soccer-native (draws, gameweeks) | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes | DIY |
| Auto scoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Deadline reminders | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | You |
| Pot/payment tracking | Yes | Partial | Partial | No | DIY |
| Free tier | 5 members | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Our Recommendation
For a Last Man Standing or survivor pool with money in the pot: Golazo — it's the only option here where the LMS rules (draws, resets, rebuys, co-champions) are native and the payment tracking assumes a real pot.
For a weekly rollover game: Golazo's EPL Pick'em is purpose-built for it.
For a free, casual predictor with no money involved: Superbru's public leagues are a good time.
For fantasy: FPL, obviously — different game, also worth playing.
For nostalgia and control: the spreadsheet endures. Just make sure the organizer knows what they're signing up for. Thirty-eight weeks is a long season.
Whatever you choose, set it up before August 21 — pools are better when everyone's arguing about gameweek 1 picks a week early.