Football Pools Terms Explained: Every Word on the Coupon

Football pools terms explained in this guide will help you read a pools coupon without guessing. The pools use words that sound strange at first: coupon, Treble Chance, banker, nap, perm and dividend. In fact, this guide explains each one in plain English, with short examples.

Last updated: November 2026

Quick Answer

• A pools coupon lists 49 matches, numbered 1 to 49, and the classic game is Treble Chance: pick 8 draws.
• Score draws are worth 3 points, no-score draws 2 points, and a decisive result 1 point.
• Your banker is a draw you fix in every line of your perm, while your nap is your single strongest draw selection.
• The Pools Panel decides the official result when a match is postponed or abandoned.
• Only the score after 90 minutes counts for pools settlement.

What Is a Pools Coupon?

A pools coupon is the list of matches you choose from. It lists 49 football matches, numbered 1 to 49. The home team appears on the left, and the away team appears on the right. In addition, each match shows the date, the kickoff time and the league. Most coupon matches are played on Saturdays, with some on Fridays and Sundays. In Nigeria, promoters include Mars Leisure / Mars Online and AiroBet.

Home Win

A home win means the team playing at home finishes with more goals after 90 minutes.

Away Win

An away win means the visiting team finishes with more goals after 90 minutes.

Draw

A draw means both teams finish level after 90 minutes. Overall, draws are the heart of the pools, because Treble Chance is built around picking them.

Football Pools Terms Explained: Treble Chance

Treble Chance is the classic pools game. You pick 8 draws from the 49 matches on the coupon. The football pools terms explained here start with it.

Each result on your coupon earns points, and the points decide how your line scores. A score draw earns 3 points, a no-score draw earns 2 points, and a decisive result earns 1 point. The scoring rewards draws because draws are harder to predict than home and away wins.

Football Pools Terms Explained: Score Draw and No-Score Draw

Score Draw

A score draw is a draw in which both teams score. Examples are 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3. Each score draw is worth 3 points, the highest score in Treble Chance, so many players build their lines around them.

No-Score Draw

A no-score draw is a match that ends 0-0. Neither team scores, yet the match still counts as a draw, and it is worth 2 points. So a 0-0 result helps your line, but it scores one point less than a score draw.

The Pools Panel

The Pools Panel is a standing panel that decides the official result of a match on the coupon when that match is postponed, abandoned or not played. The panel uses statistical data about the teams to reach its decision. Its decision counts as the result for pools purposes only. In other words, the panel’s result does not change the real match. If the game is played later, the real score stands in the league, but the pools result stays as the panel decided.

Football Pools Terms Explained: Banker, Nap and Perm

Banker

A banker is a draw selection you are confident about, and you fix it in every line of your perm. In other words, bankers are the matches you trust most. The risk is clear: if your banker does not draw, all your lines lose. So choose bankers with care.

Nap

A nap is your single strongest selection: the one match you are most confident will draw. First, always include your nap in every line. Many players build the rest of their perm around it.

Perm (Permutation)

A perm, short for permutation, is a way of combining your selections into several lines so different combinations are covered. For example, if you pick 10 draws but only need 8 for Treble Chance, a perm covers the different sets of 8 inside your 10 picks. A banker perm fixes your bankers in every line, and that reduces the number of lines you need to buy. Perms cost more than a single line, because you pay for every line in the perm. Our guide to bankroll management for football betting explains how to set a staking limit before you play.

Dividend and the Fixed-Odds Coupon

Dividend

A dividend is the payout per winning line. For Treble Chance coupons, it is worked out after the final results. In fact, it depends on how many winners share the prize pool. If the dividend is ₦5,000 per winning line and you hold 2 winning lines, your return is ₦10,000. That is 2 x ₦5,000. Dividends depend on results and the number of winners, so no one can promise a payout in advance.

Fixed-Odds Coupon

A fixed-odds coupon is a pools coupon where the odds are set in advance. Unlike Treble Chance, the payout does not depend on how many other players win, so you know the price before you play.

Football Pools Terms Explained: Void and the 90-Minute Rule

Void

A void result is a match result declared void, which means it has no valid result for pools purposes. As a result, a void match does not count as a draw, home win or away win for your coupon.

The 90-Minute Rule

The 90-minute rule says only the score after 90 minutes counts for pools settlement. However, if a cup match goes to extra time or penalties, the pools result is still the 90-minute score. For example, a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes counts as a score draw, even if one team later wins in extra time or on penalties.

How the Terms Fit Together: A Worked Example

Let us put the football pools terms explained so far into one example. Imagine you study the coupon and pick 10 matches you think will draw. You trust two of them most, so you make one your banker and one your nap, and fix both in every line. Treble Chance needs 8 draws, so your perm covers every set of 8 draws inside your 10 picks: 10 x 9 / 2 = 45 lines.

If your banker or your nap fails to draw, every line loses, so choose them with care. If your lines win, the dividend decides your return. At ₦5,000 per winning line, 2 winning lines return ₦10,000. That is 2 x ₦5,000. Remember that dividends depend on the results and the number of winners.

A Short History of the Pools

The football pools began in 1923, when John Moores of Littlewoods launched the game. Later, the Treble Chance game was introduced on 10 August 1946, and it became the classic pools game. At the pools’ peak in the early 1990s, about 14 million people played every week. The National Lottery launched in November 1994. Afterwards, pools numbers fell. As of November 2026, the pools still run in Nigeria through promoters such as Mars Leisure / Mars Online and AiroBet. Most coupon matches are played on Saturdays.

Football Pools Terms Explained: Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions players ask most about the football pools terms explained in this guide.

What is a pools coupon?

A pools coupon is a list of 49 football matches, numbered 1 to 49, that you choose your draws from. The home team is on the left and the away team is on the right.

How many draws do I pick in Treble Chance?

You pick 8 draws from the 49 matches on the coupon. Score draws earn 3 points, no-score draws earn 2 points, and a decisive result earns 1 point.

What is the difference between a banker and a nap?

A banker is a confident draw you fix in every line of your perm. A nap is your single strongest selection, the one match you are most confident will draw.

What happens if a match on my coupon is postponed?

The Pools Panel decides the official result using statistical data about the teams. Its decision counts for pools purposes only.

Does extra time count for pools results?

No. In fact, only the score after 90 minutes counts. A 1-1 draw after 90 minutes is a score draw, even if one team wins in extra time or on penalties.

What does a dividend mean?

A dividend is the payout per winning line. On Treble Chance coupons it is worked out after the results, so it depends on the number of winners.

Conclusion

The pools have their own language, but the words are simple once you know them. A coupon lists 49 matches, Treble Chance asks for 8 draws, and bankers, naps and perms help you cover your picks. Dividends pay per winning line, and the Pools Panel settles matches that are not played. Finally, the football pools terms explained here cover the words you will meet on every coupon. Keep this guide close when you study one. For more explainers, visit our Betting Academy, and see our free football predictions page for ideas on upcoming matches. If you like markets built around draws, read our guides on double chance meaning in betting and draw no bet explained.

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