Brackets / Double elimination
Double elimination brackets and schedules by team count
Double elimination knocks a team out after two losses. It takes 2n − 2 games, plus one if the grand final is replayed. Pick your team count for the exact bracket, with the losers-bracket drop order already worked out.
The table shows games, winners-bracket rounds and byes for each size.
| Teams | Games | Rounds | Byes | Bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 (5 with a replay) | 2 | 1 | 3-team double elimination |
| 4 | 6 (7 with a replay) | 2 | none | 4-team double elimination |
| 5 | 8 (9 with a replay) | 3 | 3 | 5-team double elimination |
| 6 | 10 (11 with a replay) | 3 | 2 | 6-team double elimination |
| 7 | 12 (13 with a replay) | 3 | 1 | 7-team double elimination |
| 8 | 14 (15 with a replay) | 3 | none | 8-team double elimination |
| 9 | 16 (17 with a replay) | 4 | 7 | 9-team double elimination |
| 10 | 18 (19 with a replay) | 4 | 6 | 10-team double elimination |
| 11 | 20 (21 with a replay) | 4 | 5 | 11-team double elimination |
| 12 | 22 (23 with a replay) | 4 | 4 | 12-team double elimination |
| 13 | 24 (25 with a replay) | 4 | 3 | 13-team double elimination |
| 14 | 26 (27 with a replay) | 4 | 2 | 14-team double elimination |
| 15 | 28 (29 with a replay) | 4 | 1 | 15-team double elimination |
| 16 | 30 (31 with a replay) | 4 | none | 16-team double elimination |
| 17 | 32 (33 with a replay) | 5 | 15 | 17-team double elimination |
| 18 | 34 (35 with a replay) | 5 | 14 | 18-team double elimination |
| 19 | 36 (37 with a replay) | 5 | 13 | 19-team double elimination |
| 20 | 38 (39 with a replay) | 5 | 12 | 20-team double elimination |
| 21 | 40 (41 with a replay) | 5 | 11 | 21-team double elimination |
| 22 | 42 (43 with a replay) | 5 | 10 | 22-team double elimination |
| 23 | 44 (45 with a replay) | 5 | 9 | 23-team double elimination |
| 24 | 46 (47 with a replay) | 5 | 8 | 24-team double elimination |
| 32 | 62 (63 with a replay) | 5 | none | 32-team double elimination |
When to use it
Choose double elimination when a team should not go home after one loss. Every team plays at least two games unless it loses both.
It takes about twice the games of single elimination, and the final may be played twice, so keep the last slot free for a game that might not happen.
Plan for the losers bracket, which runs behind the winners bracket and often decides the schedule. A 16-team event has seven rounds of losers-bracket games, and teams can play twice in a day. Leave the last slot free for the replayed final.
Each size page below shows the exact drop order, the byes and every game in order, so you can print the sheet and call games by number.
Questions
What is the grand final reset?
The winners-bracket team enters the grand final with no losses and the losers-bracket team with one. If the losers-bracket team wins, both have one loss and a second game decides the title.
How many games is that?
2n − 2 games, or 2n − 1 if the reset is played. A 16-team bracket takes 30 or 31.
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