3-game guarantee bracket generator
A seeded knockout for the title, and nobody goes home after one or two games.
How it works
The main bracket is a normal seeded single elimination. Any team knocked out before its third game is paired with another knocked-out team as soon as both are free, avoiding rematches, until everyone has played at least three. A champion who had a first-round bye gets a guarantee game too.
Why not double elimination?
Double elimination guarantees two games and takes about twice as long as a knockout. The 3-game guarantee gives every team three games with far fewer total games than a round robin — popular for youth baseball, softball and basketball.
FAQ
How many games in total?
About n − 1 for the bracket plus enough guarantee games to bring everyone to three: for 8 teams that’s 7 + 6 = 13 games.
Who plays the guarantee games?
Knocked-out teams with fewer than three games, paired in the order they were eliminated, avoiding rematches.