Billiards tournaments, brackets & leaguesFrom the break to the final pot
Run 8-ball and 9-ball tournaments, knockouts and league nights — from the break to the final pot.
Free printable brackets · Free offline events up to 8 players · No credit card to start
How do you run a billiards tournament?
Choose a knockout, a group stage into a final or a league season, then split entries into singles, doubles and team divisions for 8-ball or 9-ball. Brakto handles registration, table scheduling, QR check-in, live results and standings, and prints brackets free for up to 64 players.
- Draw formats
- Knockouts, pools & leagues
- Bracket sizes
- 4–64 players
- Scoring
- Race to your points target
- Free brackets
- Up to 64 players
Last updated:
Start in the right place
Four common entry points — pick the one that matches what you need today.
Create an event
Online registration, payments, check-in, courts and live scores in one place.
Create an eventMake a free bracket
Printable PDF in about 60 seconds. No signup, up to 64 players.
Free bracket generatorBrowse tournaments
Find open events, see the schedule, and follow live results.
Browse eventsRun a club or league
Membership, seasons, standings and a recurring event calendar.
Find a clubBuilt for club knockouts and pool leagues
Divisions, tables and results are one workflow, so a one-night knockout and a season league can share the same entry list.
Set the points target and an optional winning margin per division, then enter each match result. The winner advances and the table updates.
- Points target per division
- Optional winning margin
Create singles, doubles or team divisions, each with its own entries, eligibility and grade band.
- Multiple draw types
- Grade bands per division
Run single elimination, double elimination for 4/8/16/32-player fields, round robin, pool play into playoffs or a league season.
- Knockout, pools or a table
- Per-division format choice
Seed the draw so the strongest players are separated, and place byes where the field does not fill the bracket.
- Seeds spread across the draw
- Byes handled without manual edits
Assign matches to named tables, order the night, and give players a schedule they can follow on their phone.
- Table-by-table order of play
- Players see their next match and table
Enter results at the table, update standings instantly, and project the draw or league table to a club screen.
- Live results and standings
- TV-ready draw display
Formats
Billiards formats you can run
An 8-ball knockout and a 9-ball league use the same entry list. Formats are chosen per division, so the two can run side by side.
Single elimination
Straight knockout draw for 4–64 players, with an optional third-place playoff.
Best for: One-night club knockouts and bar tournaments.
Double elimination
Winners and losers brackets with a grand final and reset, for 4, 8, 16 or 32-player fields.
Best for: Events where one loss should not end the night.
Pool play → playoffs
Group stage first, then the top players advance into a seeded knockout bracket.
Best for: Opens with several tables and guaranteed matches.
Round robin
Every player plays every other player, with configurable points and tiebreakers.
Best for: Small divisions and club nights.
League season
Weekly fixtures with a table, configurable points and seeded playoffs.
Best for: Team leagues running through a season.
Swiss system
Fixed rounds with strength-based pairing and Buchholz / Sonneborn-Berger tiebreakers.
Best for: Large fields that need a fair ranking without a knockout.
Workflow
From the break to the final pot in three steps
The draw, the table order and the results stay in sync, so you are not re-writing the table sheet between matches.
- 1
Create the event
Pick billiards, set the date and venue, then open online registration or import an entry list by CSV/Excel.
- 2
Build the divisions
Add singles, doubles or team divisions for 8-ball or 9-ball, choose a format, set the points target and seed the draw.
- 3
Run the night
Check players in with a QR code, publish the table order, enter each result, and let draws and tables update live.
Rules
Billiards rules and scoring in Brakto
Brakto records match results and manages the draw; racks, pots and safeties stay with your referee or table judge.
8-ball and 9-ball
In 8-ball a player must clear their group before potting the eight; in 9-ball the lowest ball is always the target and the nine wins the rack. Brakto does not score rack by rack.
One result per match
A match is commonly a race to a set number of racks. In Brakto, record it as a race to the points target you set per division, with an optional required winning margin.
League fixtures and points
For a league season, set the points awarded for a win or loss and the fixture schedule. Standings and playoff seeds follow those values.
Double elimination field sizes
Double elimination is supported for 4, 8, 16 and 32-player fields; other sizes are rejected with a clear message.
Seeding, byes and grades
Seed the draw so the strongest players are separated, place byes where the field does not fill the bracket, and keep grade bands in separate divisions.
Templates
Start from a billiards template
Templates prefill the divisions and draw for a familiar event type. Use one as-is, or save your own setup for next season.
Club 8-Ball Night
A one-night singles knockout.
- Single elimination
- 8-ball rules
- Four tables
9-Ball Open
A group stage into a final.
- Pool play
- Knockout final
- Open grade
League Season
Team fixtures with a season table.
- Round robin
- Weekly fixtures
- Season standings
Want to reuse a setup every week? See how event templates work.
Free Billiards brackets — printable PDF, no signup
Single elimination, round robin and King of Court brackets in about 60 seconds — up to 64 players.
Play
Events & clubs
Find a public billiards event, or a club that runs billiards events near you.
Billiards tournaments open now
Public events on Brakto. Spectators can follow results without an account.
No public billiards events are listed yet. Browse the full events directory, or create your own event and it will appear there.
Billiards clubs on Brakto
Clubs that run billiards events. Join a club or host your own.
No billiards clubs are listed yet. Browse the club directory, or create a club and add your events.
Pricing
Pricing for billiards events
Start free. Pay only when you open online registration or need a full club season.
Free
Printable brackets
Generate and download a PDF bracket for up to 64 players. No account required.
Make a bracketEvent
$25 one-time setup
Online registration, payments, check-in, courts and live scores — players pay $2 each on top of their entry fee.
See Event pricingClub
Club $999/year
Unlimited events for one club location, no per-player fee, membership and season standings.
See Club pricingOrganizers keep 100% of entry fees. Standard payment processing fees apply when players pay online.
Billiards questions, answered
- What billiards formats can I run?
- Brakto supports single elimination, double elimination, pool play into playoffs, round robin, Swiss and league seasons. Formats are chosen per division, so an 8-ball knockout and a 9-ball league can share an event.
- Does Brakto score rack by rack?
- No. Brakto records the result of each match rather than each rack, pot or safety. Your table judge keeps the match record, and the organizer enters the result against the points target for the division.
- Can I run 8-ball and 9-ball in one event?
- Yes. Each discipline is a separate division with its own entries, seeding and eligibility rules, and both can share one event page and one table schedule.
- How much does it cost to run a billiards event?
- Free covers up to 8 players offline (CSV/manual import). Online registration costs a one-time $25 setup, and each player pays a flat $2 service fee added to their entry fee — the organizer keeps 100% of every entry fee. Club is $999/yr (or $99/mo) for unlimited events, with no per-player service fee. Standard payment processing fees apply when players pay you online.
- Can I run a pool league through the season?
- Yes. A league is an event with a season schedule, configurable points for a win or loss, standings and seeded playoffs once the regular season ends.
- Can I import entries and check players in?
- Yes. Import players by CSV/Excel when entries were collected on paper, then use QR check-in at the venue. Printed brackets are free for up to 64 players.
Keep going
Deeper guides and the pages organizers ask for next.
Free bracket maker
Printable brackets for a one-night knockout.
Double elimination brackets
Generate a winners, losers and grand final bracket.
Round robin tournaments
Fixtures and tables when every player plays every other player.
Leagues
Season schedule, standings and playoff seeding.
Tournament management software
The full platform: registration, payments and live results.
Need registration, payments, check-in and live scoring for every division?
See the tournament management softwareRun your next billiards event on Brakto
Create the event, add your divisions and share the registration link. Start free, and upgrade only when you open online registration.
Brakto runs every sport
Same platform, same bracket engine — pick your sport.