Brackets / Double elimination / 6 teams

6-team double elimination bracket

10 games, or 11 if the team from the losers bracket wins the first grand final. Seed 1 and seed 2 skip the first round.

Winners bracket Losers bracket Winners round 1 Winners round 2 Winners final Losers round 1 Losers round 2 Losers final G1 4 5 G2 3 6 G3 1 bye Winner G1 G4 2 bye Winner G2 G5 Winner G3 Winner G4 G6 Loser G1 Loser G4 G7 Loser G2 Loser G3 G8 Winner G6 Winner G7 G9 Winner G8 Loser G5 G10 Grand final Winner G5 Winner G9 G11 (only if needed) Winners-bracket team Losers-bracket team

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6teams
10games, 11 with a replayed final
3winners-bracket rounds
1 and 2seeds get a bye

The shape of a 6-team bracket

6 teams in an 8-slot bracket leave 2 byes, for seeds 1 and 2. The other 4 teams play 2 round-1 games: 4 v 5 and 3 v 6. After round 1, 4 teams are left and the bracket is full from there.

If the favourites win

In a favourites-win run seed 2 comes through the losers bracket (4 games) to meet seed 1 in game 10.

SeedOpponents if favourites win (game)
1bye, then 4 (G3), 2 (G5), 2 (G10)
2bye, then 3 (G4), 1 (G5), 3 (G9), 1 (G10)
36 (G2), 2 (G4), 5 (G6), 4 (G8), 2 (G9)
45 (G1), 1 (G3), 6 (G7), 3 (G8)

How many games each team plays

The fewest games a team can play is 2: two losses and out. The most is 7, for a team that loses once in the winners bracket, then wins every losers-bracket game and both grand finals.

How long it takes

10 games at 30 minutes is 5 h of court time. No round has more than 2 games, so extra courts beyond that sit idle; the replayed final is not counted.

CourtsClock time
15 h
23 h 30 min
43 h 30 min

Every game in order

GameRoundTeam ATeam B
G1Winners round 1Seed 4Seed 5
G2Winners round 1Seed 3Seed 6
G3Winners round 2Seed 1Winner of G1
G4Winners round 2Seed 2Winner of G2
G5Winners finalWinner of G3Winner of G4
G6Losers round 1Loser of G1Loser of G4
G7Losers round 1Loser of G2Loser of G3
G8Losers round 2Winner of G6Winner of G7
G9Losers finalWinner of G8Loser of G5
G10Grand finalWinner of G5Winner of G9
G11Grand final reset (if needed)Winners-bracket teamLosers-bracket team

Questions

How many games are in a 6-team double elimination bracket?

10. If the grand final needs a second game, 11.

How many rounds does a 6-team double elimination bracket have?

3 rounds in the winners bracket, plus 3 losers rounds and the grand final.

Who gets the byes with 6 teams?

Seed 1 and Seed 2. They start in round 2.

Can a team lose twice and still win a 6-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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