How to use it
- Type the entrants in Entrants, one per line. Between two and sixty-four are allowed.
- Choose the Seeding: as listed, so the first name is seed 1, or at random.
- Select Draw bracket. When the number of entrants is not a power of two, the top seeds get byes.
- Click a name in a match to move it to the next round. Use Clear the winners to start the results again.
How the bracket is seeded
In a single-elimination tournament one defeat ends a team's run. The bracket has the next power of two in places, and the seeds without an entrant are byes, so the top seeds advance without playing in the first round. Standard seeding pairs the highest and lowest seeds, then the next two, and so on: 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 for eight places (Wikipedia, Single-elimination tournament).
Places = the next power of two: five entrants give eight places and three byes
First round for sixteen places: 1 v 16, 8 v 9, 4 v 13, 5 v 12, 2 v 15, 7 v 10, 3 v 14, 6 v 11- Random seeding shuffles the entrants with a fair random draw, so every order has the same chance.
- The order of the seeds is not a ranking, and the winners are the choices you make.
What the bracket does not do
- It does not play the matches: you choose each winner.
- It has no third-place match, no repechage and no group stage before the bracket.
- It does not re-seed after each round: the first-round order stays as drawn.
Example: five entrants
With five entrants and listed seeding, the bracket has eight places. Seeds 1, 2 and 3 have no opponent in the first round, so they advance directly. Seeds 4 and 5 play each other, and the winner meets seed 1 in the next round, while seeds 2 and 3 meet each other.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bye?
A place with no opponent, so the entrant advances without playing. Byes appear when the number of entrants is not a power of two, and the top seeds receive them.
How many entrants can the bracket hold?
Between two and sixty-four. With 33 to 64 entrants the bracket has 64 places.
Does the bracket save my results?
No. The winners you choose are kept only while the page is open. Take a picture of the bracket or print it if you need the result.
What does random seeding change?
It shuffles the entrants before they are placed, so the first name in your list is not automatically seed 1. Every order has the same chance.
Why can I not pick a winner in a match with a bye?
An entrant who has a bye has already advanced to the next round, so there is no match to decide.
Sources
Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.