12 team double elimination bracket: every game in order, where each loser drops into the losers bracket, the 4 byes and the grand final. 22 games, or 23 with a reset.
In a 12 team double elimination bracket a team is out after its second loss. That takes 22 games: 11 in the winners bracket, 10 in the losers bracket and the grand final. If the losers-bracket champion wins the grand final, both finalists have one loss and a reset game makes it 23.
Every game in order
Number the teams by seed (1 = strongest) and play the games in this order. A "Loser of game N" line is where a team plays after its first loss, so the table doubles as the drop-in chart.
Game
Round
Matchup
1
Winners round 1
Seed 8 vs Seed 9
2
Winners round 1
Seed 5 vs Seed 12
3
Winners round 1
Seed 7 vs Seed 10
4
Winners round 1
Seed 6 vs Seed 11
5
Winners round 2
Seed 1 vs Winner of game 1
6
Winners round 2
Seed 4 vs Winner of game 2
7
Winners round 2
Seed 2 vs Winner of game 3
8
Winners round 2
Seed 3 vs Winner of game 4
9
Winners round 3
Winner of game 5 vs Winner of game 6
10
Winners round 3
Winner of game 7 vs Winner of game 8
11
Winners final
Winner of game 9 vs Winner of game 10
12
Losers round 2
Loser of game 1 vs Loser of game 8
13
Losers round 2
Loser of game 2 vs Loser of game 7
14
Losers round 2
Loser of game 3 vs Loser of game 6
15
Losers round 2
Loser of game 4 vs Loser of game 5
16
Losers round 3
Winner of game 12 vs Winner of game 13
17
Losers round 3
Winner of game 14 vs Winner of game 15
18
Losers round 4
Winner of game 16 vs Loser of game 10
19
Losers round 4
Winner of game 17 vs Loser of game 9
20
Losers round 5
Winner of game 18 vs Winner of game 19
21
Losers final
Winner of game 20 vs Loser of game 11
22
Grand final
Winner of game 11 vs Winner of game 21
23
Grand final, reset
Winner of game 11 vs Winner of game 21
Byes with 12 teams
The bracket is filled to 16 lines, so seeds 1–4 get a bye in winners round 1 and only 8 teams play it, in 4 games. The losers bracket has 4 byes as well, where a dropped team has nobody to play yet. Every losers-bracket game knocks one team out, and all but the two finalists go out there: 12 − 2 = 10 games.
Rounds and games in each bracket
Winners bracket, games per round: winners round 1 (4), winners round 2 (4), winners round 3 (2) and winners final (1). Losers bracket: losers round 2 (4), losers round 3 (2), losers round 4 (2), losers round 5 (1) and losers final (1). Then the grand final and, if needed, the reset. The losers bracket has more rounds because each group of teams dropping down from the winners bracket comes in with a round of its own.
Where the losers go
The loser of the winners final, game 11, drops into game 21, the losers final. Bracket Maker crosses the later drop-ins over (reversed, or halves swapped), so two teams that just played don't meet again straight away. Every "Loser of game N" line in the table shows where that team plays next.
Grand final and reset
The winners-bracket champion (winner of game 11) meets the losers-bracket champion (winner of game 21) in game 22. If the losers-bracket champion wins, both teams have one loss and game 23 decides the title. Bracket Maker plays the reset by default; switch off Grand final reset if one final is enough (22 games at most).
Short on time?
Single elimination with 12 teams plays 11 games in 4 rounds, about half as many. A round robin plays 66 games, but every team plays 11 of them.
Open Bracket Maker, pick Double elimination and paste your 12 team names in seed order. It drops every loser into the right losers-bracket game, adds the byes and plays the reset only if it is needed. Free, right here in your browser or offline in the Android app.
Frequently asked questions
How many games are in a 12 team double elimination tournament?
22, or 23 if the grand final is reset: 11 in the winners bracket, 10 in the losers bracket, then the grand final.
How many rounds does a 12 team double elimination bracket have?
4 in the winners bracket and 5 in the losers bracket, then the grand final (and the reset if it is needed).
What is the fewest games a team can play?
Two: two losses and you are out. The champion plays at least 4: 3 in the winners bracket and the grand final.
How many byes are in a 12 team double elimination bracket?
4 in winners round 1, for seeds 1–4, and 4 in the losers bracket. Byes are not games, so the total stays 22 or 23.