Brackets / Double elimination / 23 teams

23-team double elimination bracket

44 games, or 45 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 and seed 9 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 13 20 G3 12 21 G4 15 18 G5 10 23 G6 14 19 G7 11 22 G9 1 bye Winner G1 G8 8 bye 9 bye G10 4 bye Winner G2 G11 5 bye Winner G3 G12 2 bye Winner G4 G13 7 bye Winner G5 G14 3 bye Winner G6 G15 6 bye Winner G7 G17 Winner G9 Winner G8 G18 Winner G10 Winner G11 G19 Winner G12 Winner G13 G20 Winner G14 Winner G15 G27 Winner G17 Winner G18 G28 Winner G19 Winner G20 G33 Winner G27 Winner G28 G21 Loser G1 Loser G15 G22 Loser G2 Loser G13 G23 Loser G3 Loser G12 G24 Loser G4 Loser G11 G25 Loser G5 Loser G10 G16 Loser G6 Loser G8 G26 Loser G7 Loser G9 G29 Winner G21 Loser G14 G30 Winner G22 Winner G23 G31 Winner G24 Winner G25 G32 Winner G16 Winner G26 G34 Winner G29 Loser G18 G35 Winner G30 Loser G17 G36 Winner G31 Loser G20 G37 Winner G32 Loser G19 G38 Winner G34 Winner G35 G39 Winner G36 Winner G37 G40 Winner G38 Loser G28 G41 Winner G39 Loser G27 G42 Winner G40 Winner G41 G43 Winner G42 Loser G33 G44 Grand final Winner G33 Winner G43 G45 (only if needed) Winners-bracket team Losers-bracket team

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23teams
44games, 45 with a replayed final
5winners-bracket rounds
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9seeds get a bye

The shape of a 23-team bracket

23 teams in a 32-slot bracket leave 9 byes, for seeds 1 to 9. The other 14 teams play 8 round-1 games, from 16 v 17 down to 8 v 9. 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 (21 games) to meet seed 1 in game 44.

SeedOpponents if favourites win (game)
1bye, then 16 (G9), 8 (G17), 4 (G27), 2 (G33), 2 (G44)
2bye, then 15 (G12), 7 (G19), 3 (G28), 1 (G33), 3 (G43), 1 (G44)
3bye, then 14 (G14), 6 (G20), 2 (G28), 5 (G40), 4 (G42), 2 (G43)
4bye, then 13 (G10), 5 (G18), 1 (G27), 6 (G41), 3 (G42)

How many games each team plays

The fewest games a team can play is 2: two losses and out. The most is 11, for a team that loses once in the winners bracket, then wins every losers-bracket game and both grand finals.

How long it takes

44 games at 30 minutes is 22 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
122 h
212 h 30 min
48 h

Every game in order

GameRoundTeam ATeam B
G1Winners round 1Seed 16Seed 17
G2Winners round 1Seed 13Seed 20
G3Winners round 1Seed 12Seed 21
G4Winners round 1Seed 15Seed 18
G5Winners round 1Seed 10Seed 23
G6Winners round 1Seed 14Seed 19
G7Winners round 1Seed 11Seed 22
G8Winners round 2Seed 8Seed 9
G9Winners round 2Seed 1Winner of G1
G10Winners round 2Seed 4Winner of G2
G11Winners round 2Seed 5Winner of G3
G12Winners round 2Seed 2Winner of G4
G13Winners round 2Seed 7Winner of G5
G14Winners round 2Seed 3Winner of G6
G15Winners round 2Seed 6Winner of G7
G16Losers round 1Loser of G6Loser of G8
G17Winners round 3Winner of G9Winner of G8
G18Winners round 3Winner of G10Winner of G11
G19Winners round 3Winner of G12Winner of G13
G20Winners round 3Winner of G14Winner of G15
G21Losers round 1Loser of G1Loser of G15
G22Losers round 1Loser of G2Loser of G13
G23Losers round 1Loser of G3Loser of G12
G24Losers round 1Loser of G4Loser of G11
G25Losers round 1Loser of G5Loser of G10
G26Losers round 1Loser of G7Loser of G9
G27Winners round 4Winner of G17Winner of G18
G28Winners round 4Winner of G19Winner of G20
G29Losers round 2Winner of G21Loser of G14
G30Losers round 2Winner of G22Winner of G23
G31Losers round 2Winner of G24Winner of G25
G32Losers round 2Winner of G16Winner of G26
G33Winners finalWinner of G27Winner of G28
G34Losers round 3Winner of G29Loser of G18
G35Losers round 3Winner of G30Loser of G17
G36Losers round 3Winner of G31Loser of G20
G37Losers round 3Winner of G32Loser of G19
G38Losers round 4Winner of G34Winner of G35
G39Losers round 4Winner of G36Winner of G37
G40Losers round 5Winner of G38Loser of G28
G41Losers round 5Winner of G39Loser of G27
G42Losers round 6Winner of G40Winner of G41
G43Losers finalWinner of G42Loser of G33
G44Grand finalWinner of G33Winner of G43
G45Grand final reset (if needed)Winners-bracket teamLosers-bracket team

Questions

How many games are in a 23-team double elimination bracket?

44. If the grand final needs a second game, 45.

How many rounds does a 23-team double elimination bracket have?

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

Who gets the byes with 23 teams?

Seed 1, Seed 2, Seed 3, Seed 4, Seed 5, Seed 6, Seed 7, Seed 8 and Seed 9. They start in round 2.

Can a team lose twice and still win a 23-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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