Single vs Double Elimination: Which Format Is Right for Your Tournament?

What Is Single Elimination?

Single elimination is the simplest bracket format: lose once and you're out. Players are paired up, winners advance, and losers are immediately eliminated. The last player standing wins the tournament.

For a bracket with N participants, you need exactly N - 1 matches. So a 16-player bracket requires just 15 matches — making it the fastest format to complete.

Pros

• Fast: Fewest matches of any format. A 32-player bracket finishes in 31 matches.
• Simple to understand: Everyone knows how it works. Win and advance, lose and go home.
• Easy to schedule: Clear round-by-round progression makes court planning straightforward.
• High stakes: Every match matters, which creates exciting moments from the very first round.

Cons

• One-and-done: Half the players are eliminated after just one match. A player might travel hours for a single game.
• Seeding matters a lot: Poor seeding can cause top players to meet early, making the bracket feel unfair.
• Upsets can dominate: A single bad match can knock out the best player, which may not reflect true skill accurately.

What Is Double Elimination?

Double elimination gives every player a second chance. The bracket is split into two: a winners bracket and a losers bracket. When you lose in the winners bracket, you drop to the losers bracket instead of being eliminated. You're only out when you lose twice.

The tournament ends with a grand final between the winners bracket champion and the losers bracket champion. If the losers bracket champion wins, a reset match is played (since the winners bracket champion hasn't lost yet).

For N participants, double elimination needs roughly 2N - 1 matches (including a potential reset). A 16-player bracket requires about 31 matches.

Pros

• Fairest results: The best player almost always wins because they get a second chance after a bad match.
• More matches per player: Everyone gets at least two matches, which feels more worthwhile for participants.
• Exciting losers bracket runs: Players who drop down can fight their way back to the grand finals, creating great storylines.
• Better seeding validation: Upsets in the winners bracket are corrected by the losers bracket structure.

Cons

• Takes longer: Nearly double the matches compared to single elimination. Plan for a longer tournament day.
• More complex to manage: Tracking two brackets, loser drops, and the grand final reset requires careful management.
• Requires power-of-2 participants: 4, 8, 16, or 32 players. Uneven numbers need byes, which can complicate the bracket.
• Grand final reset can confuse: The bracket reset concept is harder for casual spectators to follow.

Quick Comparison

When to Use Each Format

Use single elimination when:

• You have limited time or courts
• The participant count is large (32+ players per category)
• It's a casual or community event where speed matters more than precision
• You're already running group stages (group knockout format) and the elimination phase is just the finals

Use double elimination when:

• The event is competitively focused and accuracy matters
• You have enough time and courts to run nearly double the matches
• Participant count fits a power of 2 (8, 16, 32)
• Players expect fairness and value getting at least two matches

What About Group Knockout?

There's a third popular option: group knockout (also called round robin + elimination). Players are divided into groups, play everyone in their group, and the top finishers advance to a single elimination bracket.

This combines the best of both worlds — everyone gets multiple group matches, and the elimination bracket provides a dramatic finish. It's the most popular format for local badminton and racket sports tournaments.

Learn more in our guide: How to Organize a Badminton Tournament