16 team double elimination bracket: every game in order, where each loser drops into the losers bracket and the grand final. 30 games, or 31 with a reset.
In a 16 team double elimination bracket a team is out after its second loss. That takes 30 games: 15 in the winners bracket, 14 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 31.
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 1 vs Seed 16
2
Winners round 1
Seed 8 vs Seed 9
3
Winners round 1
Seed 4 vs Seed 13
4
Winners round 1
Seed 5 vs Seed 12
5
Winners round 1
Seed 2 vs Seed 15
6
Winners round 1
Seed 7 vs Seed 10
7
Winners round 1
Seed 3 vs Seed 14
8
Winners round 1
Seed 6 vs Seed 11
9
Winners round 2
Winner of game 1 vs Winner of game 2
10
Winners round 2
Winner of game 3 vs Winner of game 4
11
Winners round 2
Winner of game 5 vs Winner of game 6
12
Winners round 2
Winner of game 7 vs Winner of game 8
13
Winners round 3
Winner of game 9 vs Winner of game 10
14
Winners round 3
Winner of game 11 vs Winner of game 12
15
Winners final
Winner of game 13 vs Winner of game 14
16
Losers round 1
Loser of game 1 vs Loser of game 2
17
Losers round 1
Loser of game 3 vs Loser of game 4
18
Losers round 1
Loser of game 5 vs Loser of game 6
19
Losers round 1
Loser of game 7 vs Loser of game 8
20
Losers round 2
Winner of game 16 vs Loser of game 12
21
Losers round 2
Winner of game 17 vs Loser of game 11
22
Losers round 2
Winner of game 18 vs Loser of game 10
23
Losers round 2
Winner of game 19 vs Loser of game 9
24
Losers round 3
Winner of game 20 vs Winner of game 21
25
Losers round 3
Winner of game 22 vs Winner of game 23
26
Losers round 4
Winner of game 24 vs Loser of game 14
27
Losers round 4
Winner of game 25 vs Loser of game 13
28
Losers round 5
Winner of game 26 vs Winner of game 27
29
Losers final
Winner of game 28 vs Loser of game 15
30
Grand final
Winner of game 15 vs Winner of game 29
31
Grand final, reset
Winner of game 15 vs Winner of game 29
No byes
16 is a power of two, so the bracket is full: winners round 1 has 8 games and their 8 losers start the losers bracket against each other. Every losers-bracket game knocks one team out, and all but the two finalists go out there: 16 − 2 = 14 games.
Rounds and games in each bracket
Winners bracket, games per round: winners round 1 (8), winners round 2 (4), winners round 3 (2) and winners final (1). Losers bracket: losers round 1 (4), 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 15, drops into game 29, 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 15) meets the losers-bracket champion (winner of game 29) in game 30. If the losers-bracket champion wins, both teams have one loss and game 31 decides the title. Bracket Maker plays the reset by default; switch off Grand final reset if one final is enough (30 games at most).
Short on time?
Single elimination with 16 teams plays 15 games in 4 rounds, about half as many. A round robin plays 120 games, but every team plays 15 of them.
Open Bracket Maker, pick Double elimination and paste your 16 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 16 team double elimination tournament?
30, or 31 if the grand final is reset: 15 in the winners bracket, 14 in the losers bracket, then the grand final.
How many rounds does a 16 team double elimination bracket have?
4 in the winners bracket and 6 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 5: 4 in the winners bracket and the grand final.
Where does the loser of the winners final go?
Into game 29, the losers final, against the team that has won its way through the losers bracket.