Soccer Any 13 Xtra: The Rules Behind Pool A and Pool B
Our tips page on Soccer 13 Xtra covers how to actually pick your 13 matches and play a board; this page is the rules reference behind it, taken from TAB's own Chapter 6 rulebook (soccer6.co.za/rules, read today), for the mechanics that page does not spell out: the exact split between Pool A and Pool B, why a single-entry Pool A winner is not also paid from Pool B, and when TAB refunds the whole pool outright.
If you want the step-by-step on choosing your 13 from the 30 listed matches, see /tips/soccer-13-xtra/. If you want the latest results, see /results/soccer-13-extra/.
What the rule actually says
TAB's Chapter 6 defines the pool this way: "the purpose of the Soccer Any 13X is to select the results of 13 soccer matches chosen from a list of 30 matches (M1 to M30) in the official Soccer Any fixtures card for each event. There are three possible results for each match viz., 1 - Team A to win; 2 - Draw; 3 - Team B to win" (rule 6.13.1). The unit of betting is R2, with no fractional betting, and both single and permutation entries are allowed (rule 6.13.2).
The 70/30 split: Pool A and Pool B
TAB's rule 6.13.4 divides the net pool into two named pools, not four flat tiers: Pool A, 70% of the net pool, goes to tickets with all 13 of their chosen matches correct. Pool B, 30% of the net pool, goes to tickets with 12 of 13 correct. Neither pool is published as a set of separate percentages per correct-count the way Soccer 13 is; it is a two-way split, with the movement described below handling anything short of 12.
What happens if nobody gets 12 out of 13
If there are no Pool A winners (nobody got all 13), Pool A carries forward to the Pool A section of the next Soccer Any 13X pool, or another net soccer pool TAB nominates, within 12 months (rule 6.13.5.1.1). If there are no Pool B winners at 12 of 13, TAB moves Pool B down to the highest score with a winner: 11 of 13, then 10, then 9, then 8, in that order, before it carries Pool B forward instead (rule 6.13.5.1.2).
The same rule includes a note easy to miss: a single-entry ticket that wins Pool A does not also receive a Pool B consolation payout on that entry. If you want a shot at both pools, you need separate lines that could independently land in each, not one line you expect to be paid twice.
When the whole pool is refunded
Soccer Any 13 Xtra has its own refund threshold, stricter than TAB's other soccer pools. If 18 or more of the 30 listed matches are deemed abandoned under the ordinary Field rule (not completed by 9am the day after the last scheduled match day), the entire pool is refunded to every ticket holder (rule 6.13.8). Soccer 10, Soccer 6 and Soccer 4, by contrast, only refund if every single match in their (much shorter) list is abandoned.
A worked permutation example
At R2 a line, marking all three results ("a triple") on one of your 13 chosen legs, and a second result as well ("a double") on another, with single choices on the remaining 11, gives 3 x 2 = 6 combinations, so R12. Add a second triple and it becomes 3 x 3 x 2 = 18 combinations, R36. Work out the combination count before you commit; it grows fast once more than one or two legs carry extra picks. See our entry guide for the general permutation formula TAB uses across all its soccer pools.
Frequently asked questions
What is the actual split between Pool A and Pool B in Soccer Any 13 Xtra?+
Pool A, for tickets with all 13 chosen matches correct, is 70% of the net pool. Pool B, for tickets with 12 of 13 correct (or the highest score below that with a winner, down to 8 of 13), is the other 30%, per TAB's own Chapter 6 rule 6.13.4.
If my single line wins Pool A, do I also get a Pool B payout?+
No. TAB's rule specifically excludes this: a single-entry Pool A winner does not also collect a Pool B consolation payout on that same ticket. Pool B is a separate prize for tickets that did not reach all 13.
When is a Soccer Any 13 Xtra pool refunded outright?+
When 18 or more of the 30 listed matches are deemed abandoned. That is a much lower bar than TAB's other soccer pools, which generally only refund if every match in their list is abandoned.
Does Soccer Any 13 Xtra use the "drawn by lot" rule like Soccer 13?+
No. That rule is specific to Soccer 13, hosted by Svenska Spel. An unplayed leg in Soccer Any 13 Xtra is simply abandoned and every choice on it counts as correct, the same as Soccer 10, Soccer 6 and Soccer 4.
Reviewed for responsible-gambling compliance by Priya Naidoo.