Brackets / Double elimination / 3 teams
3-team double elimination bracket
4 games, or 5 if the team from the losers bracket wins the first grand final. Seed 1 skips the first round.
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The shape of a 3-team bracket
3 is one short of 4, so there is a single bye and it goes to seed 1. The other 2 teams play 1 round-1 game (2 v 3), and seed 1 joins the winners in round 2.
If the favourites win
In a favourites-win run seed 2 comes through the losers bracket (1 games) to meet seed 1 in game 4.
| Seed | Opponents if favourites win (game) |
|---|---|
| 1 | bye, then 2 (G2), 2 (G4) |
| 2 | 3 (G1), 1 (G2), 3 (G3), 1 (G4) |
| 3 | 2 (G1), 2 (G3) |
How many games each team plays
The fewest games a team can play is 2: two losses and out. The most is 5, for a team that loses once in the winners bracket, then wins every losers-bracket game and both grand finals.
How long it takes
4 games at 30 minutes is 2 h of court time. No round has more than 1 game, so extra courts beyond that sit idle; the replayed final is not counted.
| Courts | Clock time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 h |
| 2 | 2 h |
| 4 | 2 h |
Every game in order
| Game | Round | Team A | Team B |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Winners round 1 | Seed 2 | Seed 3 |
| G2 | Winners final | Seed 1 | Winner of G1 |
| G3 | Losers final | Loser of G1 | Loser of G2 |
| G4 | Grand final | Winner of G2 | Winner of G3 |
| G5 | Grand final reset (if needed) | Winners-bracket team | Losers-bracket team |
Questions
How many games are in a 3-team double elimination bracket?
4. If the grand final needs a second game, 5.
How many rounds does a 3-team double elimination bracket have?
2 rounds in the winners bracket, plus 1 losers round and the grand final.
Who gets the byes with 3 teams?
Seed 1. It starts in round 2.
Can a team lose twice and still win a 3-team double elimination?
No. A second loss ends a team's run. The only champion who has lost once is the team that came up through the losers bracket.
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