Rules

1. Who runs this

Predict for the Pathway is a fundraising competition run by Clontarf FC in support of the club youth pathway. Entry is restricted to persons aged 18 or over.

2. Tickets

Predictions are paid for with tickets. 1 ticket costs €2.50. €10 buys 4 tickets, from the club's online shop or at the club bar. Codes are redeemed on this site. A prediction on a single match costs 1 ticket. In rounds of three or more matches you can enter every match as a bundle for 2 tickets: a round of four matches costs 2 tickets instead of 4, and a round of three costs 2 tickets instead of 3. Rounds of two matches have no bundle, each match is entered separately at 1 ticket. The club may reduce or withdraw the bundle discount for future rounds. Any change will be dated on this page and will never apply to entries already placed. Every new account receives one free ticket when its email address is verified. The free ticket is limited to one per person, has no cash value, cannot be transferred, and is not included in any balance refund if you close your account.

3. Entering

You predict the exact final score of a match. One prediction per person per match. Entries close at kickoff: the competition clock is the server clock, and its decision on lateness is final. Once placed, an entry cannot be changed or withdrawn.

4. Scoring

Every settled prediction scores points based on its total error, which is how far the predicted score is from the final score, home and away added together.

• Exact score: 25 points
• Off by 1-5: 12 points
• Off by 6-10: 8 points
• Off by 11-15: 4 points
• Off by 16 or more: 0 points

Calling the correct result (home win, away win or draw) adds 2 points regardless of the error. An exact score always includes the correct result, so the maximum for one prediction is 27 points.

5. Match prizes

Each match has a prize pool equal to the entry fees taken for that match. If at least one entry names the exact final score, a prize is paid: half the pool, rounded down to the cent, but never less than €25 and never more than €150. The club may set higher minimum or maximum amounts for particular rounds. If more than one entry is exact, the winners split the prize as equally as possible. If no entry is exact, the pool is retained for the club youth pathway fund. Prizes are paid as club shop vouchers or as credit to a club member account. Prizes are never added to your ticket balance on this site. Wins appear on your account page. European Rounds have no match prize. Exact scores in a European Round still earn points on the leaderboards.

6. Voided matches

If a match is voided, for example if it is abandoned or not played, there is no prize for that match, and every entry on it is refunded at its cost: 1 ticket for a single entry, or that match's share of the bundle price for a bundle entry.

7. Jersey races

Four signed provincial jerseys are awarded at the end of the season, one for each of Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht. Each province has its own season leaderboard, counting points scored on that province's matches. A match between two of the provinces counts on both boards. A board counts each player's best 12 scores from its matches, including European Round matches: rounds outside your best 12 never hurt your total. At the end of the season the player at the top of each board wins that province's jersey. To win a jersey a player must have entered at least 12 of that province's matches. One jersey per person: a player topping more than one board chooses which jersey to take, and the next placed qualifying player on the other board inherits. A tie at the top of a board is settled first by the most exact scores on that board, and then by a draw.

8. European Rounds

When the league pauses for European weekends, the competition runs European Rounds: one match for each of Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht. Tickets, entry, cutoff and scoring are the same as any other round. European Round matches count on the province boards. A separate European leaderboard ranks players on their top 12 European Round results, with no minimum number of entries. The European leaderboard has a prize pool equal to the entry fees taken for European Round matches, less any refunds for voided matches. When the last European Round of the season is settled, the player at the top of the European leaderboard wins half the pool, rounded down to the cent. If two or more players are tied at the top, they split the prize as equally as possible. The prize is paid as a club shop voucher or as credit to a club member account, and is never added to your ticket balance. The rest of the pool is retained for the club youth pathway fund. The European prize is separate from the jersey races and does not affect who wins a jersey.

9. Round competitions

Some rounds have a separate round leaderboard ranking players on their total points across all of that round's matches. To qualify you must have entered every match in that round that is not voided. A tie on points is settled by the most exact scores in that round, then by the lowest total error across that round's matches. Prizes are paid as a club shop voucher or as credit to a club member account, and are never added to your ticket balance. They are funded by the club, are in addition to the match prizes, and do not affect the jersey races or the European leaderboard. When every match in the round is settled:

• Round 4: the qualifying player at the top of the Round 4 leaderboard wins a €100 club shop voucher. Players still tied split the prize as equally as possible.
• Round 5: the top three qualifying players on the Round 5 leaderboard win club shop vouchers of €50 for first, €20 for second and €10 for third. Players still tied for a place share the prizes for the places they occupy as equally as possible.

10. Leaderboards and names

Your display name appears on public leaderboards and in private leagues you join. Your individual prediction history is private unless you choose to make it public in your account settings.

11. Results, corrections and disputes

Matches are settled from official final scores. If a settlement error is found, the result is corrected and points are recalculated. The decision of the club committee on any dispute is final.

12. Fair play and your account

One account per person. If you wish to stop playing, contact the club and your account will be closed and any remaining ticket balance refunded.

13. Changes to these rules

The prize structure is fixed for the season once Round 1 begins, except for the European Rounds amendment dated 15 October 2026, which added section 8 and removed match prizes from European Rounds, the Round 4 competition amendment dated 23 October 2026, which added section 9, and the Round 5 competition amendment dated 30 October 2026, which added Round 5 to section 9. Any change to the wording of these rules will be dated at the top of this page.