You can join public pools from the
Discover page or use an invite link shared by a pool owner.
Help Center
Frequently Asked Questions
Fast answers for joining pools, setting rules, tracking scoring, and running a smoother PoolForge league.
Getting started
Pools
Pool owners can lock rosters at any time. Once locked, roster updates and scoring edits are disabled.
Team names are set per pool by owners. If you need a change, reach out to the pool admin.
Live stats
Scoring
Each pool uses a scoring ruleset configured by the owner. Points are calculated from live NHL stats.
Goalie goals-against: when configured, use a negative value (e.g. -0.5) to deduct points per goal allowed. Default 0 means no penalty.
When two or more teams have the same total points, the tie-breaker order is: (1) total goals, (2) total assists, (3) member ID for determinism.
Live stats update throughout game days. If a stat looks off, it may update after the data refresh.
Setup
Draft
Pool owners can enable drafts and share draft rooms. Once a draft is complete, rosters can still be managed based on pool rules.
Draft League, from setup to free agency
Follow the full experience below, or open the complete format guide for rules, tools, and plan limits.
What makes Draft League different?
Each NHL player can belong to only one team in the pool. A secure random snake order, exact position quotas, and legal-pick checks keep every roster exclusive and complete.
How does a commissioner prepare and start a Draft League?
The commissioner invites at least two active teams, confirms roster and clock settings, reveals and locks the random order, builds frozen rankings, then opens the lobby so managers can prepare and mark themselves ready.
Can a Draft League run live or over multiple days?
Yes. The clock can be untimed or set from 30 seconds to 72 hours per pick. Timed drafts use active time and always pause from 11 PM to 8 AM in the commissioner-selected timezone.
How do recommendations, queues, and smart auto-pick work?
Frozen projections keep the base ranking stable. Live recommendations add position scarcity, roster need, recent picks, and injury risk. Smart auto-pick checks a manager's private queue first, excludes the Do Not Draft list, and always respects roster quotas.
What happens if a manager times out or loses connection?
The configured timeout either makes a smart legal pick or pauses for the commissioner. Draft state is saved continuously, and the room can reconnect or use its fallback so managers can safely leave and return.
What happens when the Draft League ends?
After the final turn, the commissioner reviews skipped and incomplete assignments before finalizing every roster together. Managers can then make first-come free-agent claims, and paid commissioners may enable post-draft trading.
Is Draft League available for free and for playoffs?
Yes. Draft League can be created for the NHL regular season or playoffs and is included on Free. Paid plans raise pool and participant limits and can enable trading after the draft is complete.
League money
Payments
Entry fees and payouts are managed by pool owners unless explicitly stated. PoolForge does not process external payments.
Privacy and settings
Account
Visit Settings > Danger Zone to permanently delete your account and pools.
Pool Types Guide
Understanding Pool Types
Choose the format that matches how your group wants to build rosters, compete, and manage the season.
Classic season-long
Standard League
Roster
Use familiar cumulative scoring and flexible roster management.
- Best for: groups that want a familiar full-season pool.
- Cadence: daily scoring with flexible roster management.
Exclusive rosters
Draft League
Draft
Build every roster together in a live or multi-day snake draft.
- Best for: competitive groups that want every NHL player to have one owner.
- Cadence: draft together, then manage first-come free agents all season.
Weekly competition
Head-to-Head
Matchups
Face one opponent at a time and turn weekly scoring into wins and losses.
- Best for: competitive groups that like clear weekly wins.
- Cadence: one matchup at a time with win, loss, or tie outcomes.
Budget strategy
Salary Cap
Salary cap
Build a high-value roster while every move stays under the cap.
- Best for: managers who enjoy value picks and tradeoffs.
- Cadence: season-long scoring with budget-aware roster moves.
Short slate
Daily Contests
Daily
Create a fresh roster for one game day and get a fast result.
- Best for: quick contests without a full-season commitment.
- Cadence: daily entries, daily standings, and fast resets.
Compare Pool Types
Swipe horizontally to compare every format.
| Feature | Standard League | Draft League | Head-to-Head | Salary Cap | Daily Contests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Regular season or playoffs | Regular season or playoffs | Weekly schedule | Regular season or playoffs | Single game slate |
| Roster setup | Flexible selection | Random snake draft | Flexible selection | Cap-constrained selection | Fresh daily roster |
| Player ownership | Shared player pool | Exclusive | Shared player pool | Shared player pool | Shared player pool |
| Roster changes | Flexible add/drop | First-come claims | Matchup rules | Limited by cap | Rebuilt each slate |
| Scoring | Cumulative points | Cumulative points | Wins and losses | Cumulative points | Daily points |
| Trading | Configurable | Paid, after draft | Configurable | Enabled | Not used |
| Plan availability | Free | Free | Premium | Premium | Premium |
| Best for | All skill levels | Competitive groups | Weekly rivals | Value strategists | Quick contests |