6 Team Bracket: Single and Double Elimination, Printable
A 6 team single elimination bracket has 5 games over 3 rounds. The top two seeds get byes.
Below are both versions, single and double elimination, with every game listed, how to seed them, and printable PDFs.
6 team single elimination bracket
A 6 team single elimination bracket has 5 games over 3 rounds. Seeds 1 and 2 get first-round byes, because 6 is not a power of 2. Seed teams from your standings, strongest first.
| Game | Bracket | Matchup | Winner goes to | Loser goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Main | Seed 3 vs Seed 6 | G4 | Out |
| G2 | Main | Seed 4 vs Seed 5 | G3 | Out |
| G3 | Main | Seed 1 vs Winner G2 | G5 | Out |
| G4 | Main | Seed 2 vs Winner G1 | G5 | Out |
| G5 | Main | Winner G3 vs Winner G4 | Champion | Out |
Download the printable 6 team single elimination bracket (PDF)
Why seeds 1 and 2 get byes
A bracket works in powers of 2 (4, 8, 16). With 6 teams, two first-round games cut the field to 4, and the top two seeds skip that round as a reward for their regular season. Seed 1 then plays the winner of 4 vs 5, and seed 2 plays the winner of 3 vs 6.
6 team double elimination bracket
If you want every team to get at least two games, use double elimination: 10 games, or 11 if the grand final is replayed.
| Game | Bracket | Matchup | Winner goes to | Loser goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Winners | Seed 3 vs Seed 6 | G4 | G5 |
| G2 | Winners | Seed 4 vs Seed 5 | G3 | G5 |
| G3 | Winners | Seed 1 vs Winner G2 | G8 | G7 |
| G4 | Winners | Seed 2 vs Winner G1 | G8 | G6 |
| G5 | Losers | Loser G1 vs Loser G2 | G6 | Out |
| G6 | Losers | Winner G5 vs Loser G4 | G7 | Out |
| G7 | Losers | Winner G6 vs Loser G3 | G9 | Out |
| G8 | Winners | Winner G3 vs Winner G4 | G10 | G9 |
| G9 | Losers | Winner G7 vs Loser G8 | G10 | Out |
| G10 | Final | Winner G8 vs Winner G9 | Champion, or G11 if the losers-bracket team won | Out, or G11 if it was the winners-bracket team |
| G11 (if necessary) | Final | Winner G10 vs Loser G10 | Champion | Out |
Download the printable 6 team double elimination bracket (PDF)
How the winners and losers brackets and the reset game work is explained in the double elimination bracket guide.
Adding a third-place game
The two semifinal losers can play for third. It adds one game, for 6 in total, and gives every semifinalist one more match.
Other formats for 6 teams
For a regular season, a 6 team round robin has every team play the other 5 once (15 games), and the final standings can seed this bracket.
Frequently asked questions
How many games are in a 6 team bracket?
A 6 team single elimination bracket has 5 games. A double elimination bracket has 10, or 11 if the final is replayed.
How many rounds does a 6 team bracket have?
A single elimination bracket for 6 teams has 3 rounds. Seeds 1 and 2 have a bye in the first round.
How do you seed a 6 team bracket?
Seed from the standings and pair the strongest with the weakest: seeds 1 and 2 get byes, 3 plays 6 and 4 plays 5; seed 1 then meets the winner of 4 vs 5.
Should I use single or double elimination?
Single elimination is faster and suits a short playoff. Double elimination guarantees every team two games and suits a tournament day where one loss shouldn’t end a team’s run.