January 5, 2025

Football Bingo - Rules of the Game

Hi everyone.

Thank you for joining my Football Bingo game. As a reminder, this is a fundraiser for the LASER Fund, which provides scholarships and other support to the Chabot College Language Arts division. 



You can pay via Venmo here. Please add a note that states "Football Bingo" and how many Bingo cards you would like. (For the Thanksgiving games November 27, 2025, cards are $5 each and good for all three games that day.)


How the game works:

You're given a Pinza Football Bingo card that you can use for every NFL game in the contest. (We play this game on Thanksgiving and for the NFL playoffs each year; each contest is a separate fee.)

Each card gets scored for each NFL game independently; the card is considered "wiped clean" after each game. Every square on your Bingo card represents a different incident that may occur during the game.

Scoring

Each square gets marked off as the incident occurs (see below for a complete list of all the possible squares and their definition.) If an incident occurs multiple times in the same game, you earn a point for each of these occurrences.

ESPN's game summaries and box scores will be used as the source for which incidents occurred and how many times.

You earn "BINGO" on your card by marking off five squares in a row - horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.




Free Spaces

You can earn a "free space" if your card has a set of incidents that are impossible to occur in the same game. Each "free space" that is marked is worth one point. "Free spaces" can be used to achieve a row of "Bingo." 

The following scenarios are the only ones in which a "free space" may be earned:

  • If your card has both "Home Win" and "Away Win", you can mark both spaces.
  • If your card has both "Home Half Lead" and "Away Half Lead" and the score is not tied at halftimeyou can mark both spaces.
  • If your card has all three of "Home Qtr Lead", "Away Qtr Lead", and "Tied Qtr", you can mark one of the spaces that does not occur during the game. (Your choice.)


Sample Scoring using the Baltimore at Houston game on Wednesday, December 25, 2024Free spaces are highlighted in green; other squares are marked in yellow

Notice the diagonal "Bingo."

For the tie-breakers (see below), any square that occurred multiple times was given multiple points. For this game, those point totals were:
  • Home Scoreless Qtr = 3
  • Away Qtr Lead = 2
  • Home Failed 4th dwn = 2
  • Away TD = 4
  • Away 3 punts = 2


Rankings

The top-scoring card for every NFL playoff game will earn a prize for its owner: an offer of a "refund" of part or all of your total donation, calculated based on the number of players in the Bingo tournament. 

The top-scoring card for each game will be based on:

a) Total number of five-in-a-row Bingo's. If these are tied,

b) Total number of unique squares marked on the card. If these are also tied,

c) Total number of points earned across all squares.  (The example above would score 21 points.)

d) If still tied, the player who has won the fewest Bingo games up to that point in the contest will be awarded the prize.

e) If this is also tied, the player who has the fewest "Free" spaces within their rows of Bingo will be awarded the prize.

If all of these are tied, then multiple winners will be declared for that game, and they would split the available prize pool for that game evenly.


Incidents and Definitions

Here are all the possible incidents and their precise definitions. Statistics are based on ESPN's game summaries and box scores. There are a total of thirty-two different unique incidents; twenty-five will appear on each Bingo card. 

Home/Away Win = the designated team wins the game.

Home/Away TD = a touchdown is scored by the designated team. 

Home/Away FG = a field goal is scored by the designated team.

Home/Away 2 pt = The designated team scores a safety or a two-point conversion after a touchdown.

Home/Away Qtr Lead = The designated team has more total points at the end of the first or third quarter.   (Referring to *total* score for the game, not points scored during the quarter.)

Tied Qtr = The total scores for both teams are the same at the end of the first or third quarter.

Home/Away Scoreless Qtr = The team scores zero points in a single quarter.

Home/Away Half Lead = The team has more total points at halftime.

Tied Half = The total scores for both teams are the same at halftime or at the end of the fourth quarter.

Home/Away Fumble Takeaway = The designated team recovers a fumble by the other team, resulting in a takeaway by the designated team.

Home/Away INT = The team's defense intercepts a pass thrown by the other team's offense, resulting in a takeaway by the designated team.

Home/Away 5 pen = The team is assessed five penalties during the game. Penalties that are declined do not count. Each group of five penalties registers one point. 

Home/Away 3 sacks = The team's defense sacks the opposing quarterback three times during the game. Each group of three sacks registers one point. 

Home/Away 3 punts = The team punts three times during the game. Punts that are blocked by the opponent still count. Each group of three punts registers one point. 

Home/Away 4th dwn convert = The team's offense runs a play on 4th down and successfully earns a first down. Field goal attempts and punts do not count, but fake field goals or punts do count. 

Home/Away Failed 4th dwn = The team's offense runs a play on 4th down and fails to earn a first down. Field goal attempts and punts do not count, but fake field goals or punts do count. 

Home/Away Missed Kick = The team attempts, but fails to score, on a field goal or a point-after-touchdown (PAT). Kicks that are blocked by the opponent still count.


Feel free to send any questions to me at coach.pinza@gmail.com or via Instagram @misterpinza

I hope you can support our fund and enjoy a little extra entertainment alongside the football games, regardless of which team you root for (or against).

Donation receipt letters

I will send every player letters for their donations. The amount listed in the letter will deduct the amount you've won from whatever you initially paid.  (If you paid $30 and won $5, the letter will show a $25 donation.)

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