Double Elimination Bracket: How It Works, With Printable Brackets
In a double elimination bracket, a team is out only after two losses. One loss drops a team to the losers bracket, where it can still win the title.
This guide explains how the winners and losers brackets fit together, how many games it takes, how the final works, and gives you printable 4, 6 and 8 team brackets.
How double elimination works
A double elimination bracket has two sides:
- Winners bracket. Every team starts here. Win and you stay; lose once and you drop to the losers bracket.
- Losers bracket. Teams with one loss keep playing. Lose again and you are out.
The last team in the winners bracket meets the last team in the losers bracket in the grand final. The winners-bracket team is still unbeaten, so if it wins, it is champion. If the losers-bracket team wins, both teams now have one loss and they play one more game, the bracket reset, to decide it.
How many games
A double elimination bracket needs 2n − 2 games, where n is the number of teams, plus one more if the grand final is replayed. Every team but the champion has to lose twice, and the champion can lose at most once.
| Teams | Games | With a bracket reset |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 6 | 7 |
| 5 | 8 | 9 |
| 6 | 10 | 11 |
| 7 | 12 | 13 |
| 8 | 14 | 15 |
| 9 | 16 | 17 |
| 10 | 18 | 19 |
| 11 | 20 | 21 |
| 12 | 22 | 23 |
| 13 | 24 | 25 |
| 14 | 26 | 27 |
| 15 | 28 | 29 |
| 16 | 30 | 31 |
Each team plays at least two games. In an 8 team bracket, a team that loses its first game and wins the whole losers bracket plays seven, including a replayed final.
4 team double elimination bracket
| Game | Bracket | Matchup | Winner goes to | Loser goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Winners | Seed 1 vs Seed 4 | G4 | G3 |
| G2 | Winners | Seed 2 vs Seed 3 | G4 | G3 |
| G3 | Losers | Loser G1 vs Loser G2 | G5 | Out |
| G4 | Winners | Winner G1 vs Winner G2 | G6 | G5 |
| G5 | Losers | Winner G3 vs Loser G4 | G6 | Out |
| G6 | Final | Winner G4 vs Winner G5 | Champion, or G7 if the losers-bracket team won | Out, or G7 if it was the winners-bracket team |
| G7 (if necessary) | Final | Winner G6 vs Loser G6 | Champion | Out |
Download the printable 4 team double elimination bracket (PDF)
6 team double elimination bracket
Seeds 1 and 2 get a bye in the first round, because 6 is not a power of 2.
| 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)
8 team double elimination bracket
| Game | Bracket | Matchup | Winner goes to | Loser goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Winners | Seed 1 vs Seed 8 | G5 | G7 |
| G2 | Winners | Seed 4 vs Seed 5 | G5 | G7 |
| G3 | Winners | Seed 3 vs Seed 6 | G6 | G8 |
| G4 | Winners | Seed 2 vs Seed 7 | G6 | G8 |
| G5 | Winners | Winner G1 vs Winner G2 | G11 | G10 |
| G6 | Winners | Winner G3 vs Winner G4 | G11 | G9 |
| G7 | Losers | Loser G1 vs Loser G2 | G9 | Out |
| G8 | Losers | Loser G3 vs Loser G4 | G10 | Out |
| G9 | Losers | Winner G7 vs Loser G6 | G12 | Out |
| G10 | Losers | Winner G8 vs Loser G5 | G12 | Out |
| G11 | Winners | Winner G5 vs Winner G6 | G14 | G13 |
| G12 | Losers | Winner G9 vs Winner G10 | G13 | Out |
| G13 | Losers | Winner G12 vs Loser G11 | G14 | Out |
| G14 | Final | Winner G11 vs Winner G13 | Champion, or G15 if the losers-bracket team won | Out, or G15 if it was the winners-bracket team |
| G15 (if necessary) | Final | Winner G14 vs Loser G14 | Champion | Out |
Download the printable 8 team double elimination bracket (PDF)
Losers from the second winners round cross over into the losers bracket (the loser of G6 plays the winner of G7) so early rematches are less likely.
Seeding and byes
Seed teams from your regular-season standings, strongest first. When the number of teams is not a power of 2 (4, 8, 16), the top seeds get first-round byes: with 6 teams, seeds 1 and 2 skip the first round.
Double elimination vs single elimination and round robin
| Format | Games for 8 teams | Games per team | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single elimination | 7 | 1 to 3 | Short playoffs and one-day finals |
| Double elimination | 14 or 15 | 2 to 7 | Tournaments where one bad game shouldn't end a team's run |
| Round robin | 28 | 7 | Regular seasons and pool play |
Double elimination is popular in softball, baseball, cornhole and many youth tournaments because every team is guaranteed a second game. The cost is time: the losers bracket roughly doubles the number of games. See the single elimination bracket and round robin tournament guides for the other formats.
Tips for running it
- Schedule the losers bracket tightly. It has more rounds than the winners bracket, so it sets the length of the day.
- Give the grand final a buffer. Plan for the possible reset game so the facility isn't double-booked.
- Publish the bracket before play starts so teams know where a loss sends them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a double elimination bracket?
A double elimination bracket is a tournament format where a team is eliminated only after losing two games. Teams that lose once move to a losers bracket and can still win the tournament.
How many games are in a double elimination bracket?
It takes 2n − 2 games for n teams, plus one more if the grand final is replayed. An 8 team bracket has 14 or 15 games.
What happens in a double elimination final?
The unbeaten winners-bracket team plays the losers-bracket champion. If the winners-bracket team wins, it is champion. If it loses, both teams have one loss and they play a deciding game.
How do byes work in a double elimination bracket?
When the number of teams is not 4, 8 or 16, the top seeds skip the first round. With 6 teams, seeds 1 and 2 get byes.
Is double elimination better than single elimination?
Double elimination guarantees every team at least two games, so one bad game does not end a team’s run. Single elimination is quicker and needs about half the games.