Beginner Guide
How to Play Last Man Standing Football
Last Man Standing (also called Survivor or Last Man Standing football) is one of the most popular football prediction formats in the UK. The rules are simple to learn but the strategy runs deep — especially as the season progresses and your team options narrow.
The KwickPicks Team has spent years running and playing Last Man Standing competitions across the Premier League, Championship, and lower leagues. We write about LMS strategy, fixture analysis, and pick advice to help players at every level survive longer — and win.
What is Last Man Standing?
Last Man Standing is a weekly football prediction game where every player picks one team to win each gameweek. If your chosen team wins, you survive and progress to the next round. If they lose — or draw, depending on the competition rules — you're eliminated.
The critical twist that sets Last Man Standing apart from ordinary prediction games: you can only use each team once across the entire season. Once you've picked Manchester City, for example, they're gone from your available options for the rest of that competition. This forces you to think weeks ahead, not just week to week.
The competition continues until only one player remains. That player wins the prize pot — which can be anything from bragging rights to a cash payout funded by entry fees.
Step-by-Step: How a Season Works
1. Join a competition
Browse public competitions on Kwick Picks or get an invite link from a friend who has set up a private game. You can join for free or pay a small entry fee — whatever the organiser has decided. Once joined, you'll appear on the standings as an active player.
2. Make your pick each gameweek
At the start of each gameweek, you'll see all the available fixtures. Choose one team you believe will win their match. You have until the round deadline to submit or change your pick — usually the first kickoff of that gameweek. After the deadline, picks are locked.
3. Watch the results
Results are synced automatically as fixtures finish. If your team wins, you survive and carry on to the next round. If they lose (or draw, if draws eliminate in your competition), you're out. VOIDed picks — for postponed or cancelled fixtures — are replayed: you'll pick again in the next round.
4. Repeat, with fewer choices
Each gameweek you play, one more team gets crossed off your available list. In the Premier League you start with 20 teams. By round 10, you've used 10 of them. By round 15, you may be scraping the barrel — which is exactly what makes the game exciting. Save your strongest picks for when it counts.
5. Last player standing wins
The game ends when only one player remains. If everyone is eliminated in the same round (a common late-season occurrence), competitions usually roll over — all players are reinstated and the game continues into the next gameweek.
The Team Restriction Rule — the Heart of the Game
The team restriction rule is what separates Last Man Standing from simpler prediction games. You cannot pick the same team more than once per competition cycle. Every time you use a team, they are locked out for the rest of the season (or until a rollover resets your picks).
In the Premier League, this gives you 20 teams across a 38-gameweek season. The maths sounds comfortable — until you factor in that the best teams (City, Arsenal, Liverpool) have the easiest fixtures early in the season, and you'll be tempted to burn them quickly. Experienced players often hold their strongest picks in reserve for the toughest rounds.
Pro tip
Check the fixture schedule before picking. A team with a great home run in rounds 8–12 might be worth saving even if they have a winnable away game this week.
What Happens if the Match is a Draw?
Draws are handled differently in different competitions. There are two common rule variations:
Draw is Safe
A draw counts as survival. Your pick didn't win, but you aren't eliminated. You carry on to the next round. This is the most common rule in casual friendly games.
Draw Eliminates
Only a win keeps you in. A draw is treated the same as a loss. This makes the game harder and tends to produce a faster elimination rate, especially with mid-table teams.
Check your competition's rules tab to see which variant you're playing. If draws eliminate, avoid picking teams known for draws — even if they're technically good enough to win most weeks.
Pick Deadlines
Miss the deadline — lose your pick
Each round has a deadline, usually set to the first kickoff of that gameweek. If you don't submit a pick before the deadline, the competition rules decide what happens — typically you're eliminated for the round, the same as if your pick lost. Don't leave it to the last minute. Fixtures can be moved without much notice.
Postponed and Cancelled Fixtures
VOID picks are replayed — you survive automatically
If your chosen team's match is postponed or cancelled, your pick is voided. You are not eliminated. Importantly, the team is also returned to your available pool — you can use them again in a future round. Your pick was simply unlucky timing, not a mistake.
Multiple Entries
Some competitions allow multiple entries per player. This lets you run different strategies in parallel — for example, playing it safe with one entry and taking risks with another. Each entry has its own pick history and team availability, so you can pick the same team across different entries in the same round.
Multiple entries are especially popular in paid competitions where organisers want to boost the prize pot. Each extra entry adds another buy-in to the pot.
Supported Leagues
Kwick Picks supports competitions based on four English football leagues:
- →Premier League: 20 teams, 38 gameweeks — the classic LMS format.
- →Championship: 24 teams, 46 gameweeks — more teams means more options but also more fixture congestion.
- →League One: 24 teams, 46 gameweeks — less predictable results make this a real test of picking nerve.
- →League Two: 24 teams, 46 gameweeks — the most unpredictable tier. Expect surprises.
Ready to play?
Join a public competition now — no payment required.