3 Team Single Elimination Bracket

A blank 3 team single elimination bracket with 2 numbered games over 2 rounds and a bye for seed 1. Every open slot says which game its team comes from. Print it, or fill it in online.

3 teams
2 games
2 rounds
1 first-round bye

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Click the bracket to open it full size.

How a 3 team single elimination bracket works

A single elimination bracket only pairs up evenly at a power of two (4, 8, 16, 32, 64), so 3 teams go into a 4-slot bracket. The 1 empty slot becomes a bye for seed 1, who starts in round 2. Round 1 has 1 game, played by seeds 2 and 3.

There are 2 games in total. Each game knocks out one team and every team except the champion is knocked out once, so a single elimination bracket always has one game fewer than it has teams. The games are played over 2 rounds, and the champion plays 2 games, or 1 if it is seed 1, which has the bye.

For the rules that apply at every size, see how a single elimination bracket works.

Order of play

Every game in the bracket, numbered as on the printable sheet. Games in the same round can run at the same time.

Round	Game	Matchup
Semifinals	G1	Seed 2 v Seed 3
Final	G2	Seed 1 v Winner of G1

3 teams in other formats

3 teams in each format. Time slots: rounds that must be played one after another, with enough courts for every ready game.
Format	Games	Games per team	Time slots
3 team single elimination bracket	2	1 to 2	2
3 team double elimination bracket	4 or 5	2 to 5	4 or 5
3 team round robin schedule	3	2	3
Swiss system	2	1 or 2	2

Fill it in online

Open this bracket in Easy Bracket Maker to type in real team names, keep this seeding or shuffle it, and enter scores as games finish. Winners move on automatically. Export it as SVG, PNG, CSV or a printable sheet, or send players a link. It runs in your browser and saves on your device; there is no account.

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Other sizes

For a different number of teams, see the 4 team single elimination bracket, or pick any size below.

Questions

How many games are in a 3 team single elimination bracket?

2. Each game knocks out one team, and every team except the champion is knocked out once.

Who gets a bye in a 3 team bracket?

Seed 1. 3 teams go into a 4-slot bracket, which leaves 1 empty slot. The bye goes to the top seed, who starts in round 2, so a higher seed earns an easier path.

How long does a 3 team single elimination tournament take?

With one court and 30-minute games, the 2 games take 1 hour back to back. With enough courts to play every ready game at once, it takes 2 rounds, about 1 hour, because each game waits for the games that feed it.