Competitive Super Smash Bros tournaments — Genesis, Smash Summit, Evo — run on double elimination. Local weeklies, house tournaments, and community events do too. This bracket maker produces a clean double-elim bracket for any Smash title (Melee, Ultimate, Smash 4) for 2–64 players.
Why Double Elimination
The Smash scene settled on double elim decades ago because single-set variance is high. Matches are best-of-three or best-of-five, stocks are counted down individually, and a bad matchup or stage can decide a set. Double elim gives every player a second chance through the losers bracket.
Every major Smash tournament — Genesis, Big House, Smash Summit, Evo, Super Smash Con — runs DE. Local weeklies at bars and game stores run DE. If you're setting up a community event, DE is the expectation.
Set Format
Standard match formats by event tier:
- Locals and mid-size events: Bo3 throughout, winners/losers finals Bo5.
- Majors and supermajors: Bo3 through top 16, Bo5 from top 8 or earlier.
- Grand Final: Bo5 typically, with a bracket reset if the LB winner takes the first set.
This bracket tool tracks winners, not set scores. Use a separate scoring sheet or stream overlay for detailed match data.
Seeding
Smash tournaments seed based on PR (Power Rankings), prior results, or SSBWiki-tracked rankings. Common approaches:
- Top 8 seeded, rest random: fair and fast for locals.
- Full PR-based seed: required for majors.
- Round-robin pools into DE bracket: used at supermajors with 512+ entrants.
Enter your roster in seeded order (strongest first) and the bracket respects it. For strict cross-seeded placement, use standard bracket order.
Running the Event
- TO needs to be on top of set calls — with a 64-entrant DE bracket you've got ~125 sets to run. Get setups going in parallel.
- Stream schedule: reserve the stream setup for top 8 at minimum, grand final always.
- Ruleset: agree ahead of time on legal stages, items off (universal), DSR (Dave's Stupid Rule — no repeating your opponent's last winning stage), and other format details.
- For large events with API integrations, stream overlays, or payout calculations, Start.gg is the community standard. This tool is lighter weight and better for local weeklies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this integrate with Start.gg or smash.gg?
No API integration — this is a pure bracket maker. For large events, Start.gg is the community standard. For local weeklies, this tool is lighter weight.
Can I track set scores (2–1, 3–2)?
Not currently — only match winners. Use a side sheet for detailed set data.
How many players is the cap?
64 per bracket.
Is there a bracket reset option for Grand Final?
Not as a distinct slot — if the LB player wins the first match, replay and update the winner.