Step-by-step instructions
Confirm the entrants
List one player or team per line. Verify the roster before assigning bracket positions.
Generate the opening round
Select Build bracket. The tool draws random positions and inserts byes when the field does not fill a power-of-two bracket.
Save and track the competition
Copy the bracket and record winners in your own event sheet. The later-round entries are progression placeholders, not live scores.
Worked example
Eleven teams need a 16-place bracket. Five empty places become first-round byes.
One valid result is shown below. Your generated outcome will vary.
Example input
Team A Team B Team C Team D Team E Team F Team G Team H Team I Team J Team K
Example result
Round 1 1. Team G — BYE (advances) 2. Team K — BYE (advances) 3. Team F — BYE (advances) 4. Team B — BYE (advances) 5. Team H — BYE (advances) 6. Team D vs Team C 7. Team A vs Team I 8. Team E vs Team J Round 2 1. Winner of match 1 vs winner of match 2 2. Winner of match 3 vs winner of match 4 3. Winner of match 5 vs winner of match 6 4. Winner of match 7 vs winner of match 8 Round 3 1. Winner of previous-round match 1 vs winner of previous-round match 2 2. Winner of previous-round match 3 vs winner of previous-round match 4 Final 1. Winner of previous-round match 1 vs winner of previous-round match 2
The opening round includes five automatic advances and three played matches. The event still requires ten played eliminations to produce one winner.
Count byes from capacity, not oddness alone
An odd total often needs byes, but some even totals do too. Six teams also need an eight-place bracket. Subtract the entrant count from the next power of two to find the byes. The tool does not use rankings to award them, and a bye is an advance rather than a match against another real entrant.
Settings and limits to check
The example has 11 retained entries. The generator supports 2–128 entrants and creates a single-elimination layout. Bracket capacity is the next power of two, and empty places become first-round byes. Later rounds show winner placeholders. It does not seed by ranking, protect top teams, manage round-robin play, or update results automatically.
Settings used in this example
Remove duplicate entries: On
Keep a usable copy of the result
Use Copy to place the current result in your own notes, or Download to keep a text file. Keep the eligible input list with the result when you need to explain which entries took part. A new generation replaces the displayed result rather than adding to a saved history.
The tool runs in your browser and does not upload your input. Save the result before refreshing or leaving the page. If other people need to use the same outcome, share your saved copy rather than asking them to generate another independent result.
Frequently asked questions
How many byes are needed for 11 teams?
Five, because the next complete bracket capacity is 16 and 16 minus 11 equals 5.
Is random seeding the same as ranking players?
No. Random seeding assigns positions by chance. Skill-based seeding needs a separate ranking process.
Does the bracket update when someone wins?
No. Save the output and track match results yourself. Later rounds are placeholders showing progression.
What should I check in the worked example?
The opening round includes five automatic advances and three played matches. The event still requires ten played eliminations to produce one winner.