Single elimination: rounds = ceil(log2(teams)), matches = teams − 1. Round robin: every team plays every other, matches = teams × (teams − 1) ÷ 2. Double elimination adds a losers bracket. Related: trivia, triathlon pace.
You enter the number of teams, players per team, and tournament format. For single elimination, total games equal teams minus one and rounds equal the ceiling of log-base-2 of team count. Round robin schedules every possible pairing. The tool generates bracket visualizations and match schedules automatically.
Single elimination is faster and simpler but a single bad game can knock out a strong team. Double elimination gives every team a second chance through the losers bracket, making it fairer but roughly doubling the number of games.
Byes are typically given to the highest-seeded teams so they automatically advance to the second round. The number of byes equals the next power of two minus the number of teams.
Round robin works well for small groups because every team plays everyone else. For 8 teams that is 28 games across 7 rounds, which is manageable for a one-day event. If time is tight, single elimination with 8 teams needs only 7 games.
Teams are split into pools and play a round robin within each pool. The top finishers from each pool then advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket. This balances fairness (multiple games) with excitement (knockout rounds).
Estimate only. Results reflect your inputs and standard formulas. Double-check important decisions independently.