Double-Elimination Brackets Explained (With Byes and the "True Double" Final)
Most pool tournaments use a double-elimination bracket: you are out only after your second loss. It is the fairest common format for a one-day event, because one bad roll does not send anyone home.
The two sides
Everyone starts on the winners side. Lose a match and you drop to the losers side (also called the "one-loss side"). Lose again on the losers side and you are out. The last player on each side meets in the final.
Need one to print? Grab a free printable double-elimination bracket for 8, 16, 32 or 64 players.
Byes
Brackets work in powers of two: 8, 16, 32, 64, 128. If 21 players sign up, the director uses a 32-player bracket and gives 11 first-round "byes" — those players advance without playing. Byes should be spread through the bracket, not bunched at the top.
How many matches?
For a field of N players, a double-elimination bracket needs 2N − 2 matches, plus one more if the final goes to a second set. A 32-player event is about 62–63 matches. Divide by the number of tables to estimate how many "rounds" of play you need.
The final: "true double" or single set?
The winners-side champion has not lost yet. In a true double final, if the losers-side player wins the first set, both players now have one loss and they play a second set to decide it. Some directors play a single, longer race instead to save time. Either is fine — just announce it before play starts.
Seeding and redraws
Most weekly events draw names randomly. Bigger events sometimes seed the top players so they do not meet early. When players drop to the losers side, a good bracket crosses them over so the same two players do not meet twice in a row.
Running an event? See our director's guide and payout chart.