12 Team Double Elimination Bracket

Print a blank 12 team sheet with all 22 games numbered, every drop marked and the if game drawn in.

12 Team Double Elimination Bracket

No teams yet. The bracket prints blank, to fill in by hand.

12 teams, double elimination: 22 or 23 games. Seeds 1 to 4 have a bye.

Seed 1: Bye
Loser to Game 9
Winner of Game 1Loser to Game 12
Seed 4: Bye
Loser to Game 10
Winner of Game 2Loser to Game 11
Winner of Game 5Winner of Game 6Loser to Game 17
Seed 3: Bye
Loser to Game 11
Winner of Game 3Loser to Game 10
Seed 2: Bye
Loser to Game 12
Winner of Game 4Loser to Game 9
Winner of Game 7Winner of Game 8Loser to Game 18
Winner of Game 13Winner of Game 14Loser to Game 21
Loser of Game 1Loser of Game 8Loser out: 9th to 12th
Loser of Game 2Loser of Game 7Loser out: 9th to 12th
Winner of Game 9Winner of Game 10Loser out: 7th to 8th
Winner of Game 15Loser of Game 13Loser out: 5th to 6th
Loser of Game 3Loser of Game 6Loser out: 9th to 12th
Loser of Game 4Loser of Game 5Loser out: 9th to 12th
Winner of Game 11Winner of Game 12Loser out: 7th to 8th
Winner of Game 16Loser of Game 14Loser out: 5th to 6th
Winner of Game 17Winner of Game 18Loser out: 4th
Winner of Game 20Loser of Game 19Loser out: 3rd
Winner of Game 19Winner of Game 21
Winner of Game 22Loser of Game 22If the losers bracket team wins Game 22
Champion

Tap a team to send it through; tap it again to take the result back. The bracket scrolls sideways.

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How it works

A 12 team double elimination bracket gives Seeds 5 to 12 four opening games and brings Seeds 1 to 4 in at the quarterfinals. The final is Game 22; Game 23 is played only if the unbeaten side loses it.

Read the full guide

Where each loser drops

Round one losers go to Games 9 to 12, and each meets a quarterfinal loser from the other half of the sheet. The two game numbers add up to nine: the losers of 1 and 8, 2 and 7, 3 and 6, 4 and 5. Later drops: Game 13 to 17, Game 14 to 18, Game 19 to 21.

Four byes and a full losers bracket

A 12 team double elimination tournament bracket sits on a 16-slot frame, and the four empty slots face Seeds 1 to 4. Four round one losers and four quarterfinal losers pair off exactly, so any seed, Seed 1 included, can be out after two games, tied for ninth.

Tips
  • Two courts take 12 slots: pair games in number order through 19 and 20, then run 21 and 22 alone.
  • Four courts take 8 slots, with four games in each of the first four. Three courts take 10.
  • Thirteen teams? Set the Teams box to 13: Seed 4 loses its bye. The game notes here still describe 12.

Questions and answers

How many games are in a 12 team double elimination bracket?

22, or 23 when the final is replayed. The winners bracket has 11 games, the losers bracket 10, and Game 22 is the championship. The same field needs 11 games in a 12 team bracket and 66 in a 12 team round robin.

Who gets a bye in a double elimination bracket for 12 teams?

Seeds 1 to 4. Seed 1 waits for 8 or 9, Seed 4 for 5 or 12, Seed 3 for 6 or 11 and Seed 2 for 7 or 10. A bye seed can win it in four games; the rest need at least five.

Can two teams meet twice?

Not before Game 17, which can repeat Game 1 or Game 2. Game 18 can repeat Game 3 or Game 4. Games 9 to 12, 15 and 16 are never rematches.

Does it work as a 12 person double elimination bracket?

Yes. Type one player on each line, best first, and the lines become Seeds 1 to 12. The longest road to the title is nine games: win in round one, lose a quarterfinal, then win seven in a row, the if game last.

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Every game in the 12-team double-elimination bracket

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12 teams, double elimination: 22 or 23 games. Seeds 1 to 4 have a bye.

Games of the 12-team double-elimination bracket, in playing order
GameRoundTeamsWinner goes toLoser goes toNotes
1Winners round 1Seed 8 vs Seed 9Game 5Game 9The first of the top half's two openers. Seed 1 is idle until it ends, and whoever is beaten goes to Game 9 to wait for Seed 2's quarterfinal to supply an opponent.
2Winners round 1Seed 5 vs Seed 12Game 6Game 10Fifth in the seeding is the first place with no bye, and here it meets the twelfth and last entry. Seed 4 is next for whoever comes through; the other side waits in Game 10.
3Winners round 1Seed 6 vs Seed 11Game 7Game 11Feeds Seed 3's quarterfinal, Game 7. Defeat here leads to Game 11 and an opponent arriving from Game 6, across the sheet.
4Winners round 1Seed 7 vs Seed 10Game 8Game 12Fourth and last of the openers, and Seed 2 is idle until it ends. Defeat leads to Game 12, which is also where Seed 1 would go after an upset in Game 5.
5Winners quarterfinalSeed 1 vs Winner of Game 1Game 13Game 12Seed 1 comes in fresh against a side that already has a win. Beaten here, either of them goes to Game 12, never Game 9, which keeps the Game 1 pair apart for now.
6Winners quarterfinalSeed 4 vs Winner of Game 2Game 13Game 11The end of Seed 4's bye, against Seed 5 or Seed 12. Victory leads to Game 13 and the Game 5 winner; defeat leads to Game 11 and the Game 3 loser.
7Winners quarterfinalSeed 3 vs Winner of Game 3Game 14Game 10Seed 3 enters here. Victory leads to Game 14, the semifinal of the bottom half. Defeat leads to Game 10, where the Game 2 loser has been waiting.
8Winners quarterfinalSeed 2 vs Winner of Game 4Game 14Game 9Seed 2 enters here, in the last game of the first two rounds. Game 9 needs this result before it can begin. Victory leads to Game 14.
9Losers round 1Loser of Game 1 vs Loser of Game 8Game 15Out (9th to 12th)The first game that sends a team home. One side lost an opener, the other a quarterfinal on the opposite half. Going out here means a share of ninth with three others.
10Losers round 1Loser of Game 2 vs Loser of Game 7Game 15Out (9th to 12th)Seed 5 or Seed 12 from the openers against whoever fell in Game 7. Going out here means a share of ninth. Staying in means Game 15 and the Game 9 survivor.
11Losers round 1Loser of Game 3 vs Loser of Game 6Game 16Out (9th to 12th)The side beaten in Game 3 against the side beaten in Game 6. A third share of ninth goes to whoever is beaten again; the survivor moves to Game 16.
12Losers round 1Loser of Game 4 vs Loser of Game 5Game 16Out (9th to 12th)Seed 7 or Seed 10 against whoever fell in Game 5, which is Seed 1 after an upset. A share of ninth for one, Game 16 and the Game 11 survivor for the other.
13Winners semifinalWinner of Game 5 vs Winner of Game 6Game 19Game 17Whoever came out of the 1, 8, 9 corner meets whoever came out of the 4, 5, 12 corner. Game 19 is the prize, and Game 17 is where the beaten side lands.
14Winners semifinalWinner of Game 7 vs Winner of Game 8Game 19Game 18Seed 3, 6 or 11 meets Seed 2, 7 or 10. Whoever wins joins the Game 13 winner in Game 19, and the beaten side drops to Game 18 with its first defeat.
15Losers round 2Winner of Game 9 vs Winner of Game 10Game 17Out (7th to 8th)Both sides come up from Games 9 and 10 and nobody joins from above. Seventh place is shared by whoever goes out here and in Game 16. The survivor gets the side dropping from Game 13.
16Losers round 2Winner of Game 11 vs Winner of Game 12Game 18Out (7th to 8th)The survivors of Games 11 and 12 meet. A share of seventh for one of them, and for the other Game 18 with the side dropping from Game 14.
17Losers round 3Winner of Game 15 vs Loser of Game 13Game 20Out (5th to 6th)No pairing can come up for a second time before this game and Game 18. Here it can be Game 1 or Game 2 over again. Fifth place is shared between the sides that go out in these two games.
18Losers round 3Winner of Game 16 vs Loser of Game 14Game 20Out (5th to 6th)Can turn into Game 3 or Game 4 over again: the side that won the opener reaches Game 14 and is beaten there, while the side it beat comes through Game 11 or 12 and then Game 16.
19Winners finalWinner of Game 13 vs Winner of Game 14Game 22Game 21Two unbeaten sides remain and this decides which stays that way. One goes to Game 22 without a defeat, the other to Game 21 with its first.
20Losers round 4Winner of Game 17 vs Winner of Game 18Game 21Out (4th)A repeat of any opener or quarterfinal is possible here. Whoever is beaten is fourth outright; every place below fourth on this sheet is a tie.
21Losers finalWinner of Game 20 vs Loser of Game 19Game 22Out (3rd)Third place goes to whoever is beaten. The side arriving from Game 19 has one defeat, like its opponent. Victory earns Game 22 and the job of beating an unbeaten side twice.
22ChampionshipWinner of Game 19 vs Winner of Game 21Champion, or Game 23 if the losers bracket team winsRunner-upThe Game 19 winner has not lost and needs one victory, here or in Game 23. Its opponent has lost once and needs both. If the unbeaten side takes this one, the day ends after 22 games.
23If necessaryWinner of Game 22 vs Loser of Game 22ChampionRunner-upDrawn on the sheet and played only if the side from the losers bracket took Game 22. Both then have a single defeat, and this decides first and second place. Other names for it: the if game, the bracket reset.

Each seed's unbeaten path, and where a first loss drops it 12

  • Seed 1: Game 5, Game 13, Game 19 and Game 22 Sits out the openers, then meets whoever comes through Game 1. Its first defeat sends it from Game 5 to Game 12, Game 13 to Game 17 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 2: Game 8, Game 14, Game 19 and Game 22 Sits out the openers, then meets whoever comes through Game 4. Its first defeat sends it from Game 8 to Game 9, Game 14 to Game 18 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 3: Game 7, Game 14, Game 19 and Game 22 Sits out the openers, then meets whoever comes through Game 3. Its first defeat sends it from Game 7 to Game 10, Game 14 to Game 18 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 4: Game 6, Game 13, Game 19 and Game 22 Sits out the openers, then meets whoever comes through Game 2. Its first defeat sends it from Game 6 to Game 11, Game 13 to Game 17 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 5: Game 2, Game 6, Game 13, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 12. Its first defeat sends it from Game 2 to Game 10, Game 6 to Game 11, Game 13 to Game 17 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 6: Game 3, Game 7, Game 14, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 11. Its first defeat sends it from Game 3 to Game 11, Game 7 to Game 10, Game 14 to Game 18 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 7: Game 4, Game 8, Game 14, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 10. Its first defeat sends it from Game 4 to Game 12, Game 8 to Game 9, Game 14 to Game 18 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 8: Game 1, Game 5, Game 13, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 9. Its first defeat sends it from Game 1 to Game 9, Game 5 to Game 12, Game 13 to Game 17 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 9: Game 1, Game 5, Game 13, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 8. Its first defeat sends it from Game 1 to Game 9, Game 5 to Game 12, Game 13 to Game 17 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 10: Game 4, Game 8, Game 14, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 7. Its first defeat sends it from Game 4 to Game 12, Game 8 to Game 9, Game 14 to Game 18 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 11: Game 3, Game 7, Game 14, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 6. Its first defeat sends it from Game 3 to Game 11, Game 7 to Game 10, Game 14 to Game 18 and Game 19 to Game 21.
  • Seed 12: Game 2, Game 6, Game 13, Game 19 and Game 22 Starts against Seed 5. Its first defeat sends it from Game 2 to Game 10, Game 6 to Game 11, Game 13 to Game 17 and Game 19 to Game 21.

How this list was compiled: Bracket layout worked out by Wheel of Teams. We start from the full 16-slot double elimination bracket with standard seeding (1 v 16, 8 v 9, 5 v 12, 4 v 13, 3 v 14, 6 v 11, 7 v 10, 2 v 15 down the sheet), leave the four slots for Seeds 13 to 16 empty, and remove every game that would have an empty slot in it. That gives Seeds 1 to 4 a first-round bye and sends each loser to the place it would have in the full bracket. The script that builds the layout also rebuilds this site's 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 team layouts row for row. A second script then played out all 4,194,304 possible sets of results for the 22 games. It confirmed that every team is out after exactly two losses, that the total is always 22 or 23 games, that no two teams can meet twice before Game 17, that a champion plays between 4 and 9 games, and that the fewest time slots are 22, 12, 10 and 8 on one, two, three and four courts, plus one if Game 23 is played. The seed paths list the games a seed plays while it keeps winning. The game count (2n - 2, or 2n - 1 when the winner is not undefeated), the two-game final and the names 'if game' and 'bracket reset' were checked on 2026-10-01 against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-elimination_tournament. Licence: own work