How to Run 17 Team Double Elimination Tournament
Using our free tournament bracket maker, you can create a double-elimination tournament for 17 teams in seconds!
The app lets you follow scores, automatically advances players to the next games or rounds, and handles the grand final matches!
How Does 17 Team Double Elimination Tournament Work?
A 17 team double-elimination tournament consists of three primary brackets:
Winner’s Bracket
It’s identical to the single-elimination bracket for 17 teams, and with multiple rounds and matchups determining which teams advance.
The difference is that when they lose in this bracket, they drop off to the loser’s bracket.
Loser’s Bracket
Here, the participants have a second chance: if they win all games in this bracket, they will get a chance to play in the finals!
Finals
In a 17 team tournament, the finals begin with a matchup between the last team standing in the losers bracket and the team that most recently fell from the winners bracket. The loser of this game finishes in 3rd place, while the winner advances to the Grand Final.
If the winners’ bracket team is beaten in the Grand Final, its first loss of the tournament, a deciding Grand Final Reset match is played to crown the champion.
Our tournament app handles all of the above automatically, updating brackets and results so you don’t need to track anything manually.
Seeding
You can select between seeded, blind draw, or manual pairing for the initial round:
- seeded: Top-ranked players will meet later in the tournament.
- blind draw: The teamswill get shuffled and paired randomly.
- manual seeding: Players will be paired in entered order, with the last ones assigned byes (if necessary).
Compared to other Tournament Formats
A 17 team double-elimination tournament offers a balanced approach between single elimination and a full round robin. It lasts longer, but finishes faster, while giving each team a better chance by letting them stay in the competition even after one loss.
| Format | Total games | Games per team | Rounds | Fairness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Robin | 136 | 16 | 17 | Everyone plays everyone | Best for leagues |
| Single Elimination | 16 | 1–4 | 4 | Harsh cutoff | Best for quick events |
| Double Elimination | 32–33 | 2–8 | 8 | More forgiving | Popular in esports |
| Swiss System | 32 | 4 | 4 | Balanced, flexible | Chess, card games |
Printable 17 Team Double Elimination Bracket
If you need, you can also print your generated bracket, making it easy to share with participants.
