By sport / Volleyball
Volleyball tournament bracket
Volleyball tournaments run pool play into a bracket, with matches of best of three sets. Plan for matches, not sets, and give teams a rest between them.
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Entered order is the seeding. Up to 64.
Volleyball rules that shape the bracket
- Indoor sets go to 25, win by 2; a deciding third set goes to 15.
- Beach doubles usually plays to 21 and a third set to 15.
- Pool standings use match wins, then set ratio, then point ratio.
Games and time for common sizes
Time per game is set at 45 minutes and 4 courts. Change either one in the games calculator.
| Field | Games | Court time | Clock time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 teams, pool play (4 pools, top 1) | 15 | 11 h 15 min | 3 h 45 min |
| 16 teams, pool play (5 pools, top 1 + 3) | 25 | 18 h 45 min | 6 h 45 min |
| 16 teams, single elimination | 15 | 11 h 15 min | 3 h 45 min |
| 8 teams, double elimination | 14 | 10 h 30 min | 6 h |
Which format to use
Twelve teams are usually three pools of four; the top two and the best two third-place teams make an 8-team bracket.
A pool of three plays only two matches each, which is too few for travelling teams. Pools of four or five are better.
Teams that lose a pool match should ref or score the next one; the schedule has to leave them a game off.
Questions
How long is a volleyball match?
Best of three sets takes 40 to 60 minutes indoors, a little less on the beach. The table uses 45.
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