Once a contest has started and entries have been submitted, many settings lock automatically to ensure fairness. If you're trying to change a scoring setting mid-contest and can't, here's what you need to know.
Why Are Settings Locked After a Contest Starts?
Scoring settings lock after the first slate or week of picks to prevent changes that could disadvantage entries that were made under the original rules. This is a fairness measure — members pick based on the rules as posted, and retroactive scoring changes would be unfair to them.
What Scoring Settings Lock (and When)
The following settings are locked once the first set of picks are submitted:
Pick'em scoring — points per correct pick
Weighted round scoring — the point multiplier assigned to each round
Best Pick bonus points
Tiebreaker settings
ATS (against the spread) vs. straight-up pick objective
Seed bonus settings (NCAAB Survivor)
Settings that can still be edited after a contest starts (up to 24 hours before the next slate) include things like pick deadlines, double pick day configuration (for some formats), and auto-pick settings. Check the What Can I Edit in My Contest? article for a full breakdown.
Want to Change a Scoring Setting That's Locked?
In most cases, locked scoring settings cannot be changed retroactively — not by you, and not by the support team. This protects the integrity of picks that were already submitted.
There is one exception: if all entries cancel their picks for an upcoming slate before it locks, it may be possible to unlock certain settings. This is rarely practical, but if your contest hasn't started a new round yet, email support@splashsports.com to discuss your options.
Getting It Right Next Season
To avoid this issue in future seasons, review all scoring settings carefully during the contest creation flow before sending out invites. In particular:
Check that round multipliers match what you communicated to your group
Confirm tiebreaker rules are set correctly
Test by previewing the pick sheet before the contest goes live