ENTRIES CLOSE FIVE MINUTES BEFORE KICKOFF — TO THE SECOND, FOR EVERYONE

The server enforces the lock, not the app, and it runs on the wall clock — not on the moment the week's board was built. A change shipped today moved the lock from kickoff itself to five minutes before, so the boundary is a rule and not a race between your phone, the round trip and the feed's idea of when the whistle went.

Classic closes five minutes before the first kickoff of its slate:

Showdown closes five minutes before its own game. For the opener, that is 8:15 PM ET on Wednesday.

Before the lock you can swap cards, edit an entry, or withdraw for a full refund in the currency you paid. After it there are no edits, no swaps and no withdrawals — for anyone, including staff. The lobby's countdown and the server's refusal are the same clock: the number you watch is the number that closes the door.