A 64 team single elimination bracket has 63 games over 6 rounds: 32 in round 1, 16 in round 2, 8 in round 3, 4 quarterfinals, 2 semifinals and the final. Lose once and you're out; the last team left is the champion.
The first round pairs the seeds that add up to 65: 1 v 64, 2 v 63, 3 v 62, 4 v 61, 5 v 60, 6 v 59, 7 v 58, 8 v 57, 9 v 56, 10 v 55, 11 v 54, 12 v 53, 13 v 52, 14 v 51, 15 v 50, 16 v 49, 17 v 48, 18 v 47, 19 v 46, 20 v 45, 21 v 44, 22 v 43, 23 v 42, 24 v 41, 25 v 40, 26 v 39, 27 v 38, 28 v 37, 29 v 36, 30 v 35, 31 v 34 and 32 v 33. The top two seeds can meet only in the final.
Every game has a number on the sheet, in an order it can be played, so a schedule can say “game 3 at 2:00 on court 1.” Write each winner on the line the game leads to.
Running the tournament
One sheet from the first game to the champion.
Seed the teamsBest first: seed 1 on the top line. Type them beside the sheet to print them, or shuffle the list for a random draw.
Print and post itOne copy on the wall for everyone, or one each for a bracket pool. The PDF is always blank.
Play the games in orderThe numbers are an order that works: each game's teams are known before it starts.
Write in each winnerOn the line the game leads to.
Good to know
How many games are in a 64 team bracket?
63. Every game puts one team out, and every team but the champion goes out once.
Who gets a bye?
No one: 64 teams fill the bracket exactly. With 63, seed 1 would get a bye, and with fewer the next seeds too: the other sizes are below.
How do you seed a bracket?
Best team first, by last season, a ranking or pool play: seed 1 on the top line, then down the list. Seed 1 and seed 2 are placed so they can meet only in the final. No ranking? Shuffle the list for a random draw.
Is there a third-place game?
Not on the sheet, but it's easy to add: the two semifinal losers play once more. Write it in on the back, or play a double elimination bracket (up to 16 teams) instead, where every team plays at least twice.
Can I fill it in on screen?
Type the teams beside the sheet and they print on it, shrunk to fit their lines; the tournament's name goes on the sheet too. They stay on this device for next time. “Print blank” prints it without them, and the PDF is always blank.