8 Team Bracket: Single and Double Elimination, Printable
An 8 team single elimination bracket has 7 games over 3 rounds.
Below are both versions, single and double elimination, with every game listed, how to seed them, and printable PDFs.
8 team single elimination bracket
An 8 team single elimination bracket has 7 games over 3 rounds. Seed teams from your standings, strongest first.
| Game | Bracket | Matchup | Winner goes to | Loser goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Main | Seed 1 vs Seed 8 | G5 | Out |
| G2 | Main | Seed 4 vs Seed 5 | G5 | Out |
| G3 | Main | Seed 3 vs Seed 6 | G6 | Out |
| G4 | Main | Seed 2 vs Seed 7 | G6 | Out |
| G5 | Main | Winner G1 vs Winner G2 | G7 | Out |
| G6 | Main | Winner G3 vs Winner G4 | G7 | Out |
| G7 | Main | Winner G5 vs Winner G6 | Champion | Out |
Download the printable 8 team single elimination bracket (PDF)
8 team double elimination bracket
If you want every team to get at least two games, use double elimination: 14 games, or 15 if the grand final is replayed.
| Game | Bracket | Matchup | Winner goes to | Loser goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | Winners | Seed 1 vs Seed 8 | G5 | G7 |
| G2 | Winners | Seed 4 vs Seed 5 | G5 | G7 |
| G3 | Winners | Seed 3 vs Seed 6 | G6 | G8 |
| G4 | Winners | Seed 2 vs Seed 7 | G6 | G8 |
| G5 | Winners | Winner G1 vs Winner G2 | G11 | G10 |
| G6 | Winners | Winner G3 vs Winner G4 | G11 | G9 |
| G7 | Losers | Loser G1 vs Loser G2 | G9 | Out |
| G8 | Losers | Loser G3 vs Loser G4 | G10 | Out |
| G9 | Losers | Winner G7 vs Loser G6 | G12 | Out |
| G10 | Losers | Winner G8 vs Loser G5 | G12 | Out |
| G11 | Winners | Winner G5 vs Winner G6 | G14 | G13 |
| G12 | Losers | Winner G9 vs Winner G10 | G13 | Out |
| G13 | Losers | Winner G12 vs Loser G11 | G14 | Out |
| G14 | Final | Winner G11 vs Winner G13 | Champion, or G15 if the losers-bracket team won | Out, or G15 if it was the winners-bracket team |
| G15 (if necessary) | Final | Winner G14 vs Loser G14 | Champion | Out |
Download the printable 8 team double elimination bracket (PDF)
How the winners and losers brackets and the reset game work is explained in the double elimination bracket guide.
Adding a third-place game
The two semifinal losers can play for third. It adds one game, for 8 in total, and gives every semifinalist one more match.
Other formats for 8 teams
For a regular season, an 8 team round robin has every team play the other 7 once (28 games), and the final standings can seed this bracket.
Frequently asked questions
How many games are in an 8 team bracket?
An 8 team single elimination bracket has 7 games. A double elimination bracket has 14, or 15 if the final is replayed.
How many rounds does an 8 team bracket have?
A single elimination bracket for 8 teams has 3 rounds.
How do you seed an 8 team bracket?
Seed from the standings and pair the strongest with the weakest: 1 vs 8, 4 vs 5, 3 vs 6, 2 vs 7.
Should I use single or double elimination?
Single elimination is faster and suits a short playoff. Double elimination guarantees every team two games and suits a tournament day where one loss shouldn’t end a team’s run.