Printable brackets › Guides
Consolation brackets: how to make sure everyone plays more than one game
In a plain single elimination bracket, half the teams play exactly one game. If that is not what you promised the players, here are the four common fixes and when to use each.
Run this one live
Skip the pencil: type the names, tap who won, and the bracket updates live on every TV, laptop and phone in the room with a link or a 5-letter code. Free, no sign-up, no ads.
The four ways to guarantee more games
| Format | Fewest games a team plays (8 teams) | Total games (8 teams) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single elimination | 1 | 7 | Fast events, a lot of teams, little time |
| Single elimination with a consolation bracket | 2 | 11 | Rec leagues and school events: first-round losers play on |
| Double elimination | 2 | 14, or 15 with a deciding final | Tournaments where the best team should rarely go out on one bad game |
| Round robin | 7 | 28 | Small groups: everyone plays everyone |
What a consolation bracket is
A consolation bracket is a second, smaller bracket for teams that lose their first game. Their prize is not the championship, it is a consolation title and, more importantly, another game or two. With 8 teams, the 4 first-round losers play a 4 team bracket of their own: two semifinals and a final, so everyone plays at least 2 games.
It is not the same as double elimination. In double elimination, a loser keeps a path to the real championship; in a consolation bracket they cannot win the title, so the extra games count for pride and play time only.
How to run one on paper
- Print the normal 8 team single elimination bracket.
- Print a second 4 team single elimination bracket and write "Consolation" across the top.
- When a first-round game ends, write the loser's name into the consolation sheet. The four losers play the consolation semifinals and final alongside the main bracket.
With 16 teams, run the same idea with a 8 team consolation sheet for the first-round losers.
The easier fixes
- Double elimination. Every team plays at least 2 games and the championship stays open to everyone with one loss. Sheets for 4 teams, 8 teams, 16 teams, 32 teams, and every size from 3 to 32 on the printable brackets index.
- Round robin pools, then a playoff. Split into pools of 4 (each team plays 3 games), then the top teams play a single elimination bracket. Use 4 team round robin sheets for the pools and a bracket for the playoff.
- A guaranteed games format. Decide how many games each team must play, then pick the format with that minimum. Round robin gives the most, single elimination the fewest.
BracketKeepers can run double elimination and pools-then-playoff today, scored live on a TV or phone with no account. A built-in consolation option is on our list but is not in the app yet, so the paper method above is the way for now.
Questions
What is a consolation bracket?
A second bracket for teams that lose early. The champion of the main bracket wins the title; the consolation bracket just gives the other teams more games and a small prize.
How many games does each team play in a consolation bracket?
At least 2 for teams that lose their first game, if the consolation bracket is run on all first-round losers. Winning teams play more as they advance.
Is a consolation bracket the same as double elimination?
No. In double elimination a team with one loss can still win the championship. In a consolation bracket, losing the first game rules you out of the title.