8 Team Double Elimination Bracket
Print a blank 8 team double elimination bracket template, or run it right here: enter scores and winners move on while losers drop into the losers bracket.
Bracket setup
If the losers-bracket champion wins the grand final, one more game decides the title.
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Untitled double elimination
Double elimination · 8 teams · 0 byes · Saved in this browserTap a match to enter the score. Winners move on, losers drop to the losers bracket.
Winners Round 1Live
Winners SemifinalsUpcoming
Winners FinalUpcoming
8-team double elimination at a glance
- Winners rounds
- 3
- Losers rounds
- 4
- Games
- 14
- Games with a bracket reset
- 15
Every team plays at least 2 games.
8 team double elimination round by round
An 8 team double elimination bracket has 14 games before any reset: 7 in the winners bracket over 3 rounds, 6 in the losers bracket over 4 rounds, and the grand final. Every team plays at least 2 games; the most any team can play is 7.
| Round | Games | Who plays |
|---|---|---|
| Winners Round 1 | 4 | 8 teams |
| Winners Semifinals | 2 | Unbeaten teams |
| Winners Final | 1 | Unbeaten teams |
| Losers Round 1 | 2 | Teams that lost in Winners Round 1 |
| Losers Round 2 | 2 | Losers-bracket teams meet the teams that lost in Winners Semifinals |
| Losers Round 3 | 1 | Losers-bracket teams play each other |
| Losers Final | 1 | Losers-bracket teams meet the teams that lost in Winners Final |
| Grand Final | 1 | Winners-bracket champion vs losers-bracket champion |
| Grand Final (reset) | 1 | Only if the losers-bracket champion wins the grand final |
How the 8 team bracket is seeded
Teams are seeded in the order you list them (or randomly, if you choose). Winners round 1 uses standard seeding, so seed 1 and seed 2 can’t meet in the winners bracket before the winners final. Losers drop into the losers bracket in an alternating order, which keeps early rematches to a minimum.
Winners round 1
- Seed 1 vs Seed 8
- Seed 4 vs Seed 5
- Seed 2 vs Seed 7
- Seed 3 vs Seed 6
No byes with 8 teams
8 is a power of two, so every team plays in winners round 1 and the losers bracket has all 4 rounds. Every team plays at least 2 games.
8 teams in other formats
The same 8 teams play very different numbers of games depending on the format. Single elimination is the shortest; double elimination gives every team a second chance; a round robin or a Swiss event makes sure everyone plays several games.
| Format | Games | Rounds | Games per team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single elimination | 7 | 3 | 1–3 |
| Double elimination (this page) | 14–15 | 3 + 4 + final | 2–7 |
| Round robin | 28 | 7 | 7 |
| Swiss system | 12 | 3 | 3 |
Double elimination rounds are winners + losers bracket rounds; the range of games includes the grand final reset. Swiss uses this site’s default number of rounds for 8 teams.
8 team double elimination FAQ
How many games are in an 8 team double elimination tournament?
A 8 team double elimination bracket has 14 games, or 15 if the grand final reset is played: 7 in the winners bracket, 6 in the losers bracket, and 1 or 2 in the grand final. Every team plays at least 2 games.
How many rounds does an 8 team double elimination bracket have?
The winners bracket has 3 rounds and the losers bracket 4, followed by the grand final and, if needed, the reset game. With 8 teams there are no byes, so every team plays in winners round 1.
How does an 8 team double elimination bracket work?
Everyone starts in the winners bracket. All 8 teams play in winners round 1: 1 vs 8, 4 vs 5, 2 vs 7 and 3 vs 6. Lose once and you drop into the losers bracket; lose twice and you are out. The winners bracket takes 3 rounds (7 games) and the losers bracket 4 rounds (6 games), with teams dropping in from the winners bracket as it goes. The winners-bracket champion then meets the losers-bracket champion in the grand final, and if the losers-bracket champion wins, a reset game decides the title.
How many games does each team play in an 8 team double elimination bracket?
At least 2, because a team is only out after its second loss. The most is 7: a team that drops into the losers bracket early and then wins every game, including the grand final and the reset. An unbeaten champion plays 4.
How is an 8 team double elimination bracket seeded?
In the order you list the teams, or at random if you choose. Winners round 1 uses standard seeding: 1 vs 8, 4 vs 5, 2 vs 7 and 3 vs 6. Seeds 1 and 2 sit in opposite halves, so they cannot meet in the winners bracket before the winners final. Losers drop into the losers bracket in alternating order, which keeps early rematches to a minimum.
What is the grand final reset in an 8 team double elimination?
The winners-bracket champion reaches the grand final unbeaten and the losers-bracket champion with one loss. If the losers-bracket champion wins, both teams have one loss, so a second game, the reset, decides the title. That is why an 8 team bracket has 14 games, or 15 with the reset. Turn off "Grand final reset" in the setup to make the grand final a single game.
Should 8 teams play double elimination or round robin?
Double elimination takes 14–15 games and every team plays 2 to 7, still giving everyone a second chance. A round robin gives every team the same 7 games and the fairest table, and needs 28 games over 7 rounds. With 8 teams that is a big difference, so double elimination suits a tournament day and a round robin suits a league.
Print it or run it live
Print blank template gives you an empty 8 team bracket with name lines, seed numbers and the “Loser of” spot for every team that drops into the losers bracket. Print or save as PDF on A4 or Letter.
Prefer to run it on a phone? Enter results above and the bracket updates itself. Share a live link so players can follow along, show it on a TV with Big screen, or print the filled-in bracket when you’re done.