Printable Tournament Bracket Templates (Excel / Word)

tournament bracket spreadsheet

Using a tournament bracket template is the easiest way to organize different tournaments. The process of hosting tournaments can be both stressful and fun. But, with the help of this template, you can keep track of player info, schedules of games, and the outcomes of matches.

What is a tournament bracket?

A tournament bracket is a structure that displays player information, schedules of games, and the outcomes of matches. A visual format is used to display this crucial information. When the information is visual, people will easily follow to its logic end. Also, it makes you able to collaborate on the specific tournaments.

Types of tournaments that may need a tournament bracket template:

Let us discuss below the different types of tournaments which may require a tournament bracket template;

Single elimination tournament

Single elimination tournament is the easiest type to plan among all the types of tournaments. In this type, a team who loses a game is out of the tournament. When you have a lot of teams but only a precise time to complete the whole tournament, then this is the best time to organize this type. However, this type of tournaments aren’t ideal for matches that occur in a matter of seconds.

Double elimination tournament

This type is the most popular format used in tournaments. A player or a team must lose in two games or matches for a team to get eliminated from a double elimination tournament. There are two types of brackets for this type. The first one is for losers and second one for winners. But, all the competitors start in the winner’s bracket.

Triple elimination tournament

Unlike the single and double elimination tournaments, this type isn’t popular. If you want to add a couple of extra matches for the competitors, then it is essential to learn about it. A team or player, in this type of tournament, has to lose three times to get eliminated. You may also like bowling score sheets.

All the competitors start in the winner’s bracket as with the double-elimination tournament. The team moves to the first loser’s bracket when it loses. Again, the team moves to the second loser’s bracket when it loses. After that, if it loses again then it is eliminated from the tournament.

Round robin

Round robin is another type of tournament that’s quite popular. Each team, in this type, has to compete with every team participating in the tournament at least once. This way, the teams compete with different opponents. That’s why, they can identify how well they match up with all the other teams.

Moreover, on the basis of how many teams or players participate in the tournament, you can break this format up into “pools.” A pool refers to a group of players or teams who will compete with each other. Then, for the championship title, the winners of each pool will face off in another tournament.

3-game guarantee tournament

In the world of Softball, this in another popular type. The teams are allowed to compete in different games and with different competitors. In at least three games, each of the teams will compete. As that of a double elimination tournament, you would use the same tournament bracket template. When a team loses two games consecutively, while in the loser’s bracket it would still get the opportunity to compete in an extra game. This will make sure that all teams play a minimum of three games.

Consolation tournament

In the world of wrestling, this type of tournament is popular. You can use different formats for a consolation bracket challenge template. But, all have same basic idea behind them.

The team remains in the winner’s bracket throughout the entire tournament when they win its first game. Also, they will compete in the championship game. But, a team moves to a consolation bracket when it loses its first game. Once they lose, they don’t get a chance to win the championship anymore. However, for the consolation championship, they can still compete.

Compass draw tournament

This type of tournament is generally used in Pickle ball and Tennis tournaments. But, you can use its format for different types of sports. On each sheet, they have different brackets that have compass markings. A team moves to a different bracket when it loses while the winners move forward in the bracket they’re in. In this type, competitors are allowed to play different games with different teams in the tournament.

The purpose of a tournament bracket template:

When you play spots, you can spend quality time with each other. In case, you are enjoying planning tournaments, then you have to organize a way to keep track of all the important information relevant to the progress of those tournaments. Using a tournament bracket template is the best way to do this. There are different types of templates that you can make like a blank march madness bracket or download one from any website.

Thus, the primary purpose of a tournament bracket template is to keep record of all the participants, the winners, the losers, and the overall progression of the tournament. In fact, if you want to keep your games organized, you require such a template so that you can identify the overall champion at the end of the tournament.

Using bracket templates might be quite confusing for you in case you’re new to planning tournaments. However, to understand the template, you should use it more. After that, keep track of all the participants until the end will become easier each time you host a tournament. You can download the tournament bracket template online or create one from scratch. Either way, you have to understand how the bracket works.

Even, if you aren’t hosting a tournament, you can still use these templates. For example, when you watch your favorite sports or you have a friendly sports competition with your friends, you can keep a couple of sheets on-hand to use. These documents are highly versatile that indicates you can use them in various ways and for different purposes. You should also check baseball lineup templates.

How to create a tournament bracket template in MS Word?

Let us discuss step-by-step on how to make a tournament bracket template by using MS Word;

  • The color schemes is used to determine the bracket’s individual tiers.
  • Select the Organization Chart by opening the Hierarchy section. The Horizontal Organization Chart can also be selected in order to make a horizontal bracket.
  • Now, you have to make your bracket as per your requirements after deleting the boxes. But keep in mind that don’t delete the box which is on the top.
  • On the Design Tab, go to the Add Shape drop-down menu in order to add brackets you need. Select the shape that you desire and then keep on adding the brackets until you get the number require for your tournament bracket template.
  • In case, you are creating the template from scratch then take some time to align the brackets and connect them with lines.
  • Start typing the names of the teams in the brackets you have created. The text that you are typing will automatically to fit in the brackets.
  • If you want to change colors then on the Design Tab go to the Change Colors menu and select the colors you desire.

How to start a tournament?

Consider the following tips while planning and starting a tournament;

  • In case, you don’t know how many teams are participating in the tournament then to accommodate all of them you should make several sheets.
  • Before the tournament starts, you should enter all the details in the sheet. By having this sheet, you can keep track of those who win and lose at each competition.
  • Print the sheet on a large plotter so that everyone see the results. If you want that everyone can see the progression of the tournament then make use of a laptop with a projector and present the bracket on a blank wall.
  • You should have sufficient time to plan and organize everything so that whole tournament would be completed before the tournament ends as well as everyone get a chance to play.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, a tournament bracket template is an important document used to plan, organize, and run tournaments. With the help of this template, hosting such tournaments become easier. We have discussed above different types of tournaments that may require this template.

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