Bracket format
LiveSingle Elimination
Lose once, you're out.
Free single-elim bracket maker. Lose once, you're out. That's the whole rule, and it's why almost every weekend tournament runs this way. Type teams in, score the games, print the wallchart. Works for 4 teams or 64.
Walkthrough
How this format works
A worked 8-team single elimination bracket. Win and you move right, lose once and your run is over.
Build one step by step
From an empty editor to a finished, printable single elim bracket.
- 1
Add your teams
Type each team or player into the editor, or paste a whole list at once. Single elimination works for 4 up to 64 names.
- 2
Set the seeding
Order matters. Seed 1 should be your strongest team. The editor pairs seed 1 against the bottom seed, 2 against the next, so the top two can only meet in the final.
- 3
Generate the bracket
Hit Generate. If your team count is not a power of two, the top seeds get first-round byes automatically so the bracket still ends with one champion.
- 4
Score the games
Type a score into each match. The winner advances to the next round on its own, all the way to the final.
- 5
Print or share
Pick landscape or portrait, then print to PDF. Or save the bracket and share the link so everyone follows along.
About
About this format
Single elim runs basically every weekend tournament you've ever played in. Pickup pickleball at the rec center. Beer-league hockey playoffs. The cornhole bracket at your friend's wedding. The NCAA Tournament. The US Open. Why so popular? Math. A 16-team field finishes in 15 games across 4 rounds. You can run it in an afternoon. Seeding is the only part that takes any real work, and we handle that. Seed 1 plays the bottom seed, seed 2 plays the second-lowest, top two split apart so they can only meet in the final. If your team count isn't a power of two (5, 6, 12, whatever), the top seeds get first-round byes. A 6-team bracket sits seeds 1 and 2 out in round 1 and pairs the bottom four against each other.
Features
What you get
- Standard seeded matchups (1 vs N, 2 vs N-1, top seeds split apart)
- Smart byes for 5, 6, 7, 9, 10… any non-power-of-two count
- Optional third-place playoff between the two semifinal losers
- Type a score, the winner moves on
- Print to PDF, or save and share a link
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What team counts does it support?
Anywhere from 4 to 64. If you don't have a clean 8, 16, or 32, top seeds get a bye into the next round so the bracket still ends with one champion.
Can I add a third-place playoff?
Yep. Pick 'Third place' under consolation. The two semifinal losers play one extra match to settle 3rd and 4th.
Will it print on one page?
32 teams fits comfortably on letter or A4. For 64-team brackets, print landscape on A3 or split across two sheets.
Related bracket formats
Pre-built brackets you can grab
Ready to build a single elim bracket?
Open the editor, customize teams and seeds, score matches as you play.
Open single-elim bracket maker