Enter your teams or players, choose single or double elimination and press Generate bracket. Click a name to send it to the next round; byes, the losers bracket and the grand final are handled for you.
Format
Tournament
Click a name to make it the winner. Click the other name to change the result. Scroll sideways to see later rounds.
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How to use the Tournament Bracket Generator
Type your entrants in the box, one per line, in seed order (best first). You can paste a list from a spreadsheet.
Pick the format: single elimination (one loss and you are out) or double elimination (two losses).
Shuffle the list if you want a random draw instead of seeding, then press Generate bracket.
Click the winner of each match. They move into the next round; click the other name to correct a mistake.
Print the bracket or leave the page open: your bracket and results are saved in this browser.
How many matches, rounds and byes?
Every match eliminates exactly one entrant in single elimination, so crowning a champion from N entrants always takes N − 1 matches. In double elimination everyone except the champion must lose twice and the champion loses at most once, so it takes 2N − 2 matches, plus one more if the grand final is reset. The number of rounds is the power of two that the field is rounded up to: 8 entrants need 3 rounds, 9 to 16 need 4, and so on. Byes fill the gap up to that power of two.
Entrants
Byes
Rounds (single)
Matches (single)
Matches (double)
4
0
2
3
6 or 7
5
3
3
4
8 or 9
6
2
3
5
10 or 11
8
0
3
7
14 or 15
10
6
4
9
18 or 19
12
4
4
11
22 or 23
16
0
4
15
30 or 31
20
12
5
19
38 or 39
24
8
5
23
46 or 47
32
0
5
31
62 or 63
48
16
6
47
94 or 95
64
0
6
63
126 or 127
Standard seeding explained
Seeded brackets pair the strongest entrant with the weakest so that favourites meet as late as possible. Each first-round pair of seeds adds up to the bracket size plus one: in a 16-slot bracket the matches are 1 v 16, 8 v 9, 5 v 12, 4 v 13, 3 v 14, 6 v 11, 7 v 10 and 2 v 15. If every higher seed wins, the semifinals are 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, and the final is 1 v 2. When there are byes, the missing low seeds are simply empty, so the top seeds get a free pass into round two.
If you don't want seeding, press Shuffle order to randomise the list before you generate the bracket. This is a fair way to run a casual draw for a game night, office tournament or school competition.
Tips for running a smooth tournament
Play in match-number order. Matches are numbered M1, M2, … in the order they become available, so you can call them out one after another.
Interleave the brackets in double elimination: losers bracket matches can start as soon as both players have dropped down, which keeps everyone busy.
Print a blank copy for the wall before the first match and fill it in by hand if you have no screen at the venue.
Use Copy results to paste a round-by-round summary into a group chat or email.
Frequently asked questions
How are byes decided?
When the number of entrants is not a power of two (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64), the bracket is filled up to the next power of two with byes. Byes go to the top seeds, so with 6 entrants seeds 1 and 2 skip the first round and advance automatically.
What is the difference between single and double elimination?
In single elimination a player is out after one loss, so a field of N entrants needs N - 1 matches. In double elimination a player must lose twice: first-time losers drop into a losers bracket, and its winner meets the winners bracket champion in the grand final. That takes 2N - 2 matches, or 2N - 1 if the grand final is reset.
What is a grand final reset?
In double elimination the winners bracket champion has not lost yet. If the losers bracket champion wins the first grand final, both players have one loss, so a second deciding match is played. You can turn this off if you prefer a single grand final.
How does seeding work?
Entrants are seeded in the order you type them. The bracket uses standard seeding so the top seeds can only meet late: in an 8-player bracket the first round is 1 vs 8, 4 vs 5, 2 vs 7 and 3 vs 6, and seeds 1 and 2 can only meet in the final.
Can I change a result after clicking the wrong winner?
Yes. Click the other name in that match. Any later matches that depended on the old result are cleared so the bracket stays consistent.
How do I print or save the bracket as a PDF?
Press Print bracket. Only the bracket is printed, and you can choose Save as PDF in your browser's print dialog. Landscape orientation works best for 16 or more entrants.
Is my bracket stored online?
No. Everything runs in your browser and the bracket is saved only in this browser's local storage. Nothing is uploaded.