Brackets / Double elimination / 5 teams
5-team double elimination bracket
8 games, or 9 if the team from the losers bracket wins the first grand final. Seed 1, seed 2 and seed 3 skip the first round.
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The shape of a 5-team bracket
5 teams in an 8-slot bracket leave 3 byes, for seeds 1, 2 and 3. The other 2 teams play 2 round-1 games: 4 v 5 and 2 v 3. After round 1, 4 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 (3 games) to meet seed 1 in game 8.
| Seed | Opponents if favourites win (game) |
|---|---|
| 1 | bye, then 4 (G3), 2 (G5), 2 (G8) |
| 2 | bye, then 3 (G2), 1 (G5), 3 (G7), 1 (G8) |
| 3 | bye, then 2 (G2), 5 (G4), 4 (G6), 2 (G7) |
| 4 | 5 (G1), 1 (G3), 3 (G6) |
How many games each team plays
The fewest games a team can play is 2: two losses and out. The most is 6, for a team that loses once in the winners bracket, then wins every losers-bracket game and both grand finals.
How long it takes
8 games at 30 minutes is 4 h of court time. No round has more than 2 games, so extra courts beyond that sit idle; the replayed final is not counted.
| Courts | Clock time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4 h |
| 2 | 3 h 30 min |
| 4 | 3 h 30 min |
Every game in order
| Game | Round | Team A | Team B |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Winners round 1 | Seed 4 | Seed 5 |
| G2 | Winners round 2 | Seed 2 | Seed 3 |
| G3 | Winners round 2 | Seed 1 | Winner of G1 |
| G4 | Losers round 1 | Loser of G1 | Loser of G2 |
| G5 | Winners final | Winner of G3 | Winner of G2 |
| G6 | Losers round 2 | Winner of G4 | Loser of G3 |
| G7 | Losers final | Winner of G6 | Loser of G5 |
| G8 | Grand final | Winner of G5 | Winner of G7 |
| G9 | Grand final reset (if needed) | Winners-bracket team | Losers-bracket team |
Questions
How many games are in a 5-team double elimination bracket?
8. If the grand final needs a second game, 9.
How many rounds does a 5-team double elimination bracket have?
3 rounds in the winners bracket, plus 3 losers rounds and the grand final.
Who gets the byes with 5 teams?
Seed 1, Seed 2 and Seed 3. They start in round 2.
Can a team lose twice and still win a 5-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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