The simplest real bracket — two semifinals and a final. Use it for a four-team playoff, a four-player backyard tournament, or the knockout stage of a group. 2 rounds, 3 matches.
Hit Print and fill in names by hand. Every match slot has a faint baseline so your handwriting stays level. If you want results to update live — multiple people filling in winners on their phones from the same bracket — create an interactive version using the button above.
A 4-team single elimination bracket has 2 rounds and 3 total matches. Every team except the champion loses exactly once — that's the single-elimination invariant.
Round 1 is the semifinals. The final pits the two survivors.
If your field isn't exactly 4 teams, fill some slots with "BYE" — whichever team is matched against a BYE automatically advances.
Standard seeding pairs the highest seed with the lowest, working inward. For four teams: 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3. Seeds 1 and 2 end up on opposite halves, meeting only in the final if both advance.