Brackets / Double elimination / 18 teams

18-team double elimination bracket

34 games, or 35 if the team from the losers bracket wins the first grand final. Seed 1, seed 2, seed 3, seed 4, seed 5, seed 6, seed 7, seed 8, seed 9, seed 10, seed 11, seed 12, seed 13 and seed 14 skip the first round.

Winners bracket Losers bracket Winners round 1 Winners round 2 Winners round 3 Winners round 4 Winners final Losers round 1 Losers round 2 Losers round 3 Losers round 4 Losers round 5 Losers round 6 Losers final G1 16 17 G2 15 18 G9 1 bye Winner G1 G3 8 bye 9 bye G4 4 bye 13 bye G5 5 bye 12 bye G10 2 bye Winner G2 G6 7 bye 10 bye G7 3 bye 14 bye G8 6 bye 11 bye G15 Winner G9 Winner G3 G11 Winner G4 Winner G5 G16 Winner G10 Winner G6 G12 Winner G7 Winner G8 G21 Winner G15 Winner G11 G22 Winner G16 Winner G12 G27 Winner G21 Winner G22 G13 Loser G1 Loser G8 G14 Loser G2 Loser G5 G17 Winner G13 Loser G7 G18 Loser G6 Loser G10 G19 Winner G14 Loser G4 G20 Loser G3 Loser G9 G23 Winner G17 Loser G11 G24 Winner G18 Loser G15 G25 Winner G19 Loser G12 G26 Winner G20 Loser G16 G28 Winner G23 Winner G24 G29 Winner G25 Winner G26 G30 Winner G28 Loser G22 G31 Winner G29 Loser G21 G32 Winner G30 Winner G31 G33 Winner G32 Loser G27 G34 Grand final Winner G27 Winner G33 G35 (only if needed) Winners-bracket team Losers-bracket team

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18teams
34games, 35 with a replayed final
5winners-bracket rounds
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 and 13 and 14seeds get a bye

The shape of a 18-team bracket

18 teams in a 32-slot bracket leave 14 byes, for seeds 1 to 14. The other 4 teams play 8 round-1 games, from 16 v 17 down to 6 v 11. After round 1, 16 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 (16 games) to meet seed 1 in game 34.

SeedOpponents if favourites win (game)
1bye, then 16 (G9), 8 (G15), 4 (G21), 2 (G27), 2 (G34)
2bye, then 15 (G10), 7 (G16), 3 (G22), 1 (G27), 3 (G33), 1 (G34)
3bye, then 14 (G7), 6 (G12), 2 (G22), 5 (G30), 4 (G32), 2 (G33)
4bye, then 13 (G4), 5 (G11), 1 (G21), 6 (G31), 3 (G32)

How many games each team plays

The fewest games a team can play is 2: two losses and out. The most is 10, for a team that loses once in the winners bracket, then wins every losers-bracket game and both grand finals.

How long it takes

34 games at 30 minutes is 17 h of court time. No round has more than 8 games, so extra courts beyond that sit idle; the replayed final is not counted.

CourtsClock time
117 h
29 h 30 min
47 h

Every game in order

GameRoundTeam ATeam B
G1Winners round 1Seed 16Seed 17
G2Winners round 1Seed 15Seed 18
G3Winners round 2Seed 8Seed 9
G4Winners round 2Seed 4Seed 13
G5Winners round 2Seed 5Seed 12
G6Winners round 2Seed 7Seed 10
G7Winners round 2Seed 3Seed 14
G8Winners round 2Seed 6Seed 11
G9Winners round 2Seed 1Winner of G1
G10Winners round 2Seed 2Winner of G2
G11Winners round 3Winner of G4Winner of G5
G12Winners round 3Winner of G7Winner of G8
G13Losers round 1Loser of G1Loser of G8
G14Losers round 1Loser of G2Loser of G5
G15Winners round 3Winner of G9Winner of G3
G16Winners round 3Winner of G10Winner of G6
G17Losers round 2Winner of G13Loser of G7
G18Losers round 2Loser of G6Loser of G10
G19Losers round 2Winner of G14Loser of G4
G20Losers round 2Loser of G3Loser of G9
G21Winners round 4Winner of G15Winner of G11
G22Winners round 4Winner of G16Winner of G12
G23Losers round 3Winner of G17Loser of G11
G24Losers round 3Winner of G18Loser of G15
G25Losers round 3Winner of G19Loser of G12
G26Losers round 3Winner of G20Loser of G16
G27Winners finalWinner of G21Winner of G22
G28Losers round 4Winner of G23Winner of G24
G29Losers round 4Winner of G25Winner of G26
G30Losers round 5Winner of G28Loser of G22
G31Losers round 5Winner of G29Loser of G21
G32Losers round 6Winner of G30Winner of G31
G33Losers finalWinner of G32Loser of G27
G34Grand finalWinner of G27Winner of G33
G35Grand final reset (if needed)Winners-bracket teamLosers-bracket team

Questions

How many games are in a 18-team double elimination bracket?

34. If the grand final needs a second game, 35.

How many rounds does a 18-team double elimination bracket have?

5 rounds in the winners bracket, plus 7 losers rounds and the grand final.

Who gets the byes with 18 teams?

Seed 1, Seed 2, Seed 3, Seed 4, Seed 5, Seed 6, Seed 7, Seed 8, Seed 9, Seed 10, Seed 11, Seed 12, Seed 13 and Seed 14. They start in round 2.

Can a team lose twice and still win a 18-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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