Tournament Bracket Generator

How does single-elimination work?

In a single-elimination tournament, each match eliminates the loser. Winners advance to the next round, and the process repeats until only one participant remains as the champion. If the number of participants is not a power of 2 (e.g., 6 participants instead of 8), byes are awarded to some participants in the first round so the bracket stays balanced.

What is the difference between random and seeded ordering?

Random ordering shuffles all participants using the Fisher-Yates algorithm, giving everyone an equal chance at any bracket position. Seeded ordering uses your entry order as rankings - the first name entered is the #1 seed (placed at the top), the second is #2 (placed at the bottom of the opposite half), and so on. This ensures the strongest participants are spread across the bracket.

How are byes handled?

When the participant count is not a power of 2 (e.g., 5, 6, or 7 participants), byes are automatically added to the first round. Byes mean certain participants automatically advance to the second round without playing a match. Bye slots are clearly marked in the bracket and are pre-filled as winners when you start advancing matches.

Can I print the bracket?

Yes. Click the "Print Bracket" button to open the browser's print dialog with a print-optimized version of the bracket. The print view is styled with clean lines, larger text, and minimal decoration to ensure the bracket is easy to read on paper. You can print at any stage - blank, partially filled, or complete with the champion.

How do I advance winners?

Click on any participant name inside a match card to advance them to the next round. The participant name will move up to fill the corresponding slot in the next round, and the match will be marked as completed. Keep clicking winners through each round until the championship match determines the champion.

What happens when the champion is determined?

When you click a winner in the championship (final) match, that participant is crowned the champion. A trophy icon and champion badge appear next to their name, and the bracket shows the final result with all rounds completed. You can still print or reset the bracket after the champion is determined.

What is the maximum number of participants?

The tool supports between 2 and 128 participants. For tournament brackets, powers of 2 (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128) produce perfectly balanced brackets with no byes. Other numbers will have byes added automatically in the first round. For very large brackets, a zoomed-out view is available.

Can I save my bracket and come back later?

Your participant list and match progression are automatically saved to your browser's localStorage. If you close the page and return, your bracket state will be restored. However, clearing your browser data will remove saved brackets. For permanent records, use the print function to save a PDF.

How does ranked seeding place participants in the bracket?

Ranked seeding uses a specific placement algorithm: the #1 seed goes to the top of the bracket, #2 to the bottom, #3 to the top of the bottom half, #4 to the bottom of the top half, and so on. This standard tournament seeding ensures that the top seeds are spread across the bracket and cannot meet until the later rounds.

Can I change the bracket after generating it?

You can reset the bracket at any time by clicking "Reset Bracket," which clears all match results and lets you start fresh with the same participants. To change the participant list or seeding method, click "New Bracket" to start over. Your participant list is preserved in the input area for easy editing.