In the diagram, Team 1 is the highest seeded team and Team 5 is the lowest seeded team.
The seeding determines the starting position in the bracket.
With 5 teams, Team 1 only plays in the second round. Among the remaining teams, the highest and lowest seeded teams face each other in the first round.
How does a double elimination tournament work?
In a double elimination tournament, teams are only eliminated after losing two matches. After a first loss, teams continue in the losers bracket.
Tournament structure
Depending on the number of teams, the bracket includes additional rounds in the losers bracket to determine all final rankings.
- Winner bracket matches: 4
- Loser bracket matches: 3
- Total matches: 8 (+1)
- Total rounds: 5 (+1)
- Final matches: 1 (+1)
Double elimination with 5 teams
When the number of teams is not a power of two, some teams may receive a bye or be placed differently in the first round.
This ensures that the tournament runs correctly regardless of the number of participating teams.
FAQ
How many matches are played?
The number of matches depends on the number of teams and the progression of the tournament.
In a double elimination tournament, each team plays at least two matches.
In the above bracket, the winner plays at least 4 and at most 6 matches.
How many rounds are needed?
The number of rounds in the tournament depends on the number of teams and the structure of the bracket.
In the above bracket for 5 teams, there are 5 phases (plus possibly an extra final).
Double elimination brackets by number of teams
View a bracket directly for: