How to make a BJJ bracket
- Paste your competitors in seed order, one per line. Add a team after a comma, like "Alex Rivera, North Side BJJ".
- Pick single elimination, double elimination, or round robin.
- Leave Keep teammates apart on and the first round is rearranged so people from the same team do not meet.
- Tap Shuffle for a random draw when nobody is seeded.
- As matches finish, tap the winner. They move into the next round, and the podium or standings fill in.
- Print the bracket for the wall, or tap Share to send a link with the names and results so far.
Tournament bracket formats explained
Single elimination
The most common format for BJJ and grappling tournaments. Each competitor is out after one loss, so the bracket finishes in a few rounds. Top seeds get byes when the entry count is not a power of two, so the draw stays even.
Double elimination
A first loss drops you into the losers bracket instead of out of the tournament, and you are only eliminated after a second loss. The winners and losers brackets meet in a grand final. It is fairer, but it runs about twice as many matches.
Round robin
Everyone faces everyone else once, and final placement comes down to overall record. Common for small divisions of three to five and for in-house events. With an odd number of competitors, one person sits out each round.
How many matches are in a bracket
Use this to plan mat time. Multiply the match count by your match length plus a minute or two for resets.
| Competitors | Single elimination | Double elimination | Round robin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| 12 | 11 | 22 | 66 |
| 16 | 15 | 30 | 120 |
| 24 | 23 | 46 | 276 |
| 32 | 31 | 62 | 496 |
Single elimination always runs one fewer match than the number of competitors. Double elimination counts assume the grand final is not reset. With a reset, add one match.
How byes work
A knockout bracket needs 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 slots. When the entry count falls between those, the empty slots become byes, and the top seeds get them. With 12 competitors, seeds 1 through 4 skip the first round and wait for the winners of the other matches.
How third place works at IBJJF
IBJJF tournaments do not run a third-place match. Both competitors who lose in the semifinals are awarded third, so two bronze medals are handed out in each division. The podium on this page follows the same rule.
Keeping teammates apart
Most tournaments, IBJJF included, try to keep people from the same academy from meeting early. Add a team after each name and the generator swaps first-round pairings so teammates face someone else. Top seeds and their byes stay where they are.
Running an in-house tournament
Split competitors by belt and weight first, then make one bracket per division. Round robin works well for divisions of three to five, and single elimination for anything larger. Print each bracket for the wall, run matches on the BJJ timer or the scoreboard, and tap winners in as you go so everyone can follow along from a shared link.
Frequently asked questions
How many matches are in a 16-person bracket?
A 16-person single elimination bracket has 15 matches, one fewer than the number of competitors. Double elimination runs 30 (31 if the grand final is reset), and a 16-person round robin runs 120.
Who gets a bye in a BJJ bracket?
The top seeds. When the number of competitors is not a power of two, the bracket is filled to the next size with byes, and they go to the highest seeds so the strongest entrants skip the first round.
Is there a third-place match in BJJ?
Not at IBJJF events. Both semifinal losers take bronze, so each division has one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
Can I keep teammates from facing each other?
Yes. Add a team after each name, separated by a comma, and leave Keep teammates apart on. The first round is rearranged so teammates do not meet, where the numbers allow it.
Can I print or share the bracket?
Yes. Print gives you a clean page with just the bracket. Share makes a link with the names, format, and results so far. The bracket data sits after the # in the link, so it never reaches our server.
Is the bracket generator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit. It runs in your browser, and your bracket is saved on your device so a refresh does not lose it.