Basketball tournament bracket
To run a basketball tournament bracket, list your teams, choose single or double elimination, assign games to your courts, and record the winner of each game as it ends. mybracket.app does this for free with no ads: the organizer creates a free account, builds a bracket for 2–32 teams across multiple courts, and players and fans follow along from a share link without signing up.
Last updated
Template: 8 teams, single elimination, 2 courts. Free for organizers; players and spectators never sign in.
mybracket.app at a glance
- What it is
- A free, ad-free online tournament bracket maker
- Price
- Free — no paid plan
- Ads
- None
- Formats
- Single elimination and double elimination (with losers bracket and grand-final reset)
- Bracket size
- 2–32 teams or players, with automatic byes
- Courts, boards or tables
- 1–16, with games assigned automatically
- Who signs in
- Only the organizer (free account). Players and spectators never sign in.
- Sharing
- Read-only share link that works in any browser
Why use mybracket.app for a basketball tournament
mybracket.app is a free, ad-free basketball bracket maker for 3-on-3 events, rec leagues, school and church tournaments. Organizers have already run 10+ basketball tournaments on it.
- Completely free with no ads and no paid plan.
- No sign-in for players or spectators: everyone follows the bracket from a read-only share link.
- Games are assigned across your courts automatically, from 1 to 16 at once.
- Single or double elimination for 2–32 teams, with automatic byes and a third-place game.
- Double elimination includes a full losers bracket and a grand-final reset.
- Undo any result and the bracket corrects itself.
- Runs in any browser on a phone, tablet or laptop, with nothing to install.
How to run a basketball tournament
- 1
Set the game format
Full-court or 3-on-3, and how games end: a target score (3-on-3 events often play to 21) or a time cap. Decide this before tip-off.
- 2
Count your courts
Each court (or half-court hoop for 3-on-3) is a field in the template, and games are assigned across them automatically.
- 3
Pick single or double elimination
Single elimination fits a one-day event. Double elimination guarantees every team at least two games.
- 4
Enter teams in pairing order
The first two teams on your list play each other, then the next two. When the team count isn't a power of two, the teams at the end of the list get first-round byes.
- 5
Record winners and share
Tap the winning team after each game and undo any mistake. Share the read-only link so players and fans know who's up next.
Basketball bracket size cheat sheet
Time estimates assume about 25 minutes per game with 2 courts in use.
| Teams | First-round byes | Rounds | Single-elim games | Double-elim games | Approx. time (single / double) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 50m / 1h 40m |
| 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 1h 15m / 2h 30m |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 1h 40m / 3h 20m |
| 12 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 2h 30m / 5h |
| 16 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 31 | 3h 20m / 6h 40m |
| 24 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 47 | 5h / 10h |
| 32 | 0 | 5 | 32 | 63 | 6h 40m / 13h 20m |
Game counts include the third-place game. In double elimination, add one more game if the grand final resets. Rounds are winners-bracket rounds.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run a 3-on-3 basketball tournament on mybracket.app?
Yes. Enter each 3-on-3 team as one entry and set one field per hoop or court. Games are assigned across them automatically.
How many teams can a basketball bracket have?
From 2 to 32. Byes are added automatically when the team count isn't a power of two.
Do players and spectators need to sign up?
No. Only the organizer creates a free account. Players and spectators open the read-only share link in any browser, with no sign-in, no download and no ads.