Single elimination brackets and schedules by team count

Single elimination is the fastest format: one loss and a team is out, and every field of n teams plays n − 1 games. Pick your team count to get the exact bracket, with byes already placed.

The table shows how many games and rounds each size needs, and how many byes it creates.

When to use it

Choose single elimination when time is the limit. A 16-team bracket is done in four rounds and 15 games, and every game matters.

The cost is that one bad game ends a run. If that bothers your players, add a consolation game for the first-round losers, or use double elimination.

Plan time by rounds, not games: round 1 of a 32-team bracket is 16 games that can all run at once, while the final is one game on its own. Add 10 minutes between rounds, and give finalists a rest if they played the round before.

Every size page below carries the exact bracket, a round-by-round description and a list of all games in order, ready to print.

Questions