Single vs. double elimination brackets: byes, seeding and number of games
How elimination brackets work: byes up to the next power of two, standard seeding, n − 1 games for single elimination, 2 × (n − 1) for double elimination, and the grand final reset.
Single elimination
Lose once and you are out. Every game knocks out exactly one team, so n teams play n − 1 games to find a champion: 16 teams play 15 games. An optional third-place game adds one more.
Byes: filling the bracket to a power of two
A bracket halves the field every round, so it needs 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 … lines. With any other number of teams the bracket is the next power of two and the empty lines are byes: byes = bracket size − teams. The byes go to the top seeds, who go straight to round 2. The number of rounds is that power: 8 lines take 3 rounds, 16 take 4, 32 take 5.
Seeding
Bracket Maker uses the standard seed order, so the top two seeds can only meet in the final and the top four not before the semifinals. With 8 teams round 1 is 1 vs 8, 4 vs 5, 2 vs 7 and 3 vs 6: every pair adds up to 9 (bracket size + 1).
Worked example: 6 teams
6 is not a power of two, so the bracket has 8 lines and 8 − 6 = 2 byes, which go to seeds 1 and 2.
Round 1: 1 vs bye, 4 vs 5, 2 vs bye, 3 vs 6 (two real games)
Round 2 (semifinals): 1 vs the winner of 4–5, 2 vs the winner of 3–6
Round 3: the final
That is 3 rounds and 6 − 1 = 5 games.
Double elimination
A team is out after two losses. Teams that lose in the winners bracket drop into a losers bracket, and the winners-bracket champion meets the losers-bracket champion in the grand final. A bracket of 2^k lines has 2 × (k − 1) losers-bracket rounds: 4 rounds for 8 teams.
Every team except the champion loses exactly twice, and every game hands out one loss, so double elimination takes 2 × (n − 1) games, plus one if the grand final is reset. 8 teams play 14 games, or 15 with a reset; 6 teams play 10, or 11.
Teams dropping from later winners rounds come in reversed or half-swapped order, so two teams that just played each other don’t meet again straight away.
The grand final reset
The winners-bracket champion reaches the grand final unbeaten. If the losers-bracket champion wins it, both teams have one loss, so a second final (the reset) decides the title. You can turn the reset off; then the first grand final decides it.
Related guide
Bracket chart: byes and gamesBracket size, byes, rounds and total games for single and double elimination with 3 to 32 teams or players, in one printable chart.
Frequently asked questions
How many byes does a 12-team bracket need?
The next power of two above 12 is 16, so 16 − 12 = 4 byes. They go to seeds 1 to 4, and the bracket has 4 rounds and 11 games.
How many games are in a single elimination tournament?
One fewer than the number of teams, because each game eliminates one team: 8 teams play 7 games, 32 teams play 31. Byes are not games; a third-place game adds one.
How many games are in a double elimination tournament?
2 × (n − 1) games, or 2 × (n − 1) + 1 when the grand final is reset. For 8 teams that is 14 or 15 games, for 16 teams 30 or 31.
Should I pick single or double elimination?
Single elimination is quickest: n − 1 games, and one loss ends a team’s day. Double elimination takes about twice as many games but gives every team at least two, so one bad game doesn’t knock out a strong team.
What is a third-place game?
In single elimination the two semifinal losers can play each other for third place. It is optional; without it they share third place.