Does Brakto support multi-stage pool play into playoffs?

Yes. Pool Play runs a group stage, then top finishers advance into a seeded single-elimination playoff. Flighted and consolation brackets are also supported.

What Swiss tiebreakers does Brakto use?

Swiss standings use wins, then Buchholz, then Sonneborn-Berger — not only point differential.

Can I embed Brakto brackets on my club website?

Yes. Brakto provides native iframe embeds for live brackets and voting widgets so clubs can keep traffic on their own domain.

Does Brakto only support single elimination and round robin?

No. Brakto supports Single Elimination, Double Elimination, Round Robin, Pool Play to playoffs, Swiss, King of Court, MLP, Rotation League, Voting Contests, championship divisions, and more.

Complete Feature Overview

Create Tournaments in Minutes, Not HoursComplete Features for Professional Events

Brakto covers free printable brackets through full live events: pool play to playoffs, Swiss Buchholz/SB, embeds, online registration, live scoring, QR check-in, and TV display — Free offline ≤8 players, Event from $25 setup, Club from $99/mo or $999/yr.

Try Free Bracket Generator Create Live Tournament

Search every feature on this page

Every feature, by the role you play

The same platform looks different depending on where you stand. Jump to yours.

Tournament organizers & admins

You run the event — entries, draw, schedule, courts and results.

Guided setup: divisions, formats and automatic bracket generation
Pool play → playoffs, Swiss (Buchholz/SB), flighted playoffs and consolation brackets
Automatic seeding with manual override; byes go to the top seeds
Multi-division events, each with its own format and entry fee
Manual entry, Excel/CSV roster import and waitlist automation
Online registration, Stripe payments, promo codes and member pricing
Automated scheduling with court assignment and conflict detection
Multi-admin collaboration with role-based permissions

Create a tournament Organizer help centre Setup guide

Club managers

You manage a club, its members and its season — not just one weekend.

Club profile with branding, logos and member management
Seasonal leagues with standings, schedules and season statistics
Member pricing and club-exclusive events
Career player statistics across every club event
One place to see every tournament the club is running

Explore clubs Club tournament software Setup guide

Players & teams

You want to enter, check in, play, and follow your own results.

Online self-registration with custom fields and secure Stripe checkout
QR code check-in when you arrive at the venue
My Registrations, My Teams and My Matches dashboards
Submit your availability so the scheduler works around you
Live brackets, schedules and standings on any device
Career stats: events played, win/loss record, streaks and rating
Singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team events

Browse players My registrations Setup guide

Scorers, referees & volunteers

You are on court or on the score grid keeping matches moving.

Mobile live scoring from any phone or tablet
A score grid for entering a whole round quickly
PIN-protected score entry so players can enter their own scores
Per-match referee, scorekeeper and court-monitor assignment with email notification
Public volunteer sign-up with role selection and availability
Scores validate and winners advance the bracket automatically

Live scoring features Help centre Setup guide

Audience & fans

You are watching or voting — and would rather not create an account.

Public live brackets, schedules and standings — no account needed
TV display mode with per-division URLs for multi-screen venues
Embeddable live brackets and voting widgets on your own website
Voting contests with live vote leaderboards
Court assignments and results update as they happen
One-click sharing to social platforms

See the TV display Create a voting contest Setup guide

Bracket & contest creators

You just need a bracket or a photo contest — no account, no setup.

Free bracket generator that needs no account
Single Elimination, Round Robin, King of Court and MLP Team Format
Excel/CSV player import with sample templates
Printable PDF brackets with no watermarks
Photo voting contests with an embeddable leaderboard

Create a bracket Create a voting contest Setup guide

Open the full guide for each role

See it in action

Every screen below is a live Brakto event — click one to open it.

Championship playoff bracket with scores and podium results

See the whole draw at a glance

Bracket, live scores and the podium on one page

Tournament divisions with winners, formats, and View Bracket links

Every division in one place

Winners, format, and a link into each bracket

Pool play standings with live win-loss records

Standings update as you score

Promote teams to playoffs when the pools are done

Voting contest categories with photo entries feeding a Best in Show finale

Audience voting, no account

Category polls that feed a Best in Show finale

Explore each feature

A detailed page for every tournament format and capability, each with a step-by-step setup guide in the help centre.

Pool Play into Playoffs

Group stage that carries through to flighted playoff brackets, consolation and championships.

Swiss System

Fixed rounds with real Buchholz and Sonneborn-Berger tiebreakers.

King of the Court

Multi-court rotation where winners move up and challengers move in.

MLP Team Format

Major League Pickleball team events, including DreamBreaker.

Mixer (Rotating Partners)

Doubles events where players change partners every round.

Rotation League

A whole season with rotating partners, availability and automatic substitutions.

Club vs Club (Lines)

Interclub fixtures decided by named lines, with automatic fixture winners.

Live Scoring & Spectator View

Scores, standings and courts update live for players and spectators.

TV Display & Scoreboard

Put live courts, matches and standings on a screen at the venue.

Embeddable Brackets & Widgets

Drop a live bracket, voting widget or club event list into any website with an iframe.

Court Scheduling & Assignment

Schedules and court assignments generated from your match list.

QR Check-In

Players check themselves in on arrival; staff see a live roster.

Offline & CSV Mode

Import a roster, run a small event with no online registration at all.

Voting Contests

Photo and entry contests with live leaderboards and bracket-style voting.

Unbadged features work on Free — offline events up to 8 players. Event & Club marks features included once you’ve paid for an Event setup or a Club plan; Club marks subscription features; Voting plans have their own pricing. Compare plans

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Free Bracket Generator

No account required. No credit card needed. Generate unlimited professional tournament brackets instantly.

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Multiple Bracket Formats

Single Elimination, Round Robin, King of Court, and MLP Team Format bracket types

Single Elimination (4-64 players)
Round Robin (2-64 players)
King of Court format
MLP Team Format (4 players: 2M + 2F)
Printable PDF brackets
Custom tournament names

Player Import

Upload Excel or CSV files with player names for instant bracket creation

Excel (.xlsx, .xls) support
CSV file import
Automatic player seeding
Blank bracket templates
Sample files provided

Instant PDF Download

Generate and download professional brackets in under 2 minutes

Professional PDF format
Print-optimized layout
Color and B&W friendly
No watermarks
Unlimited downloads

Share Brackets

Send brackets to friends and colleagues via email

Email sharing
Direct link sharing
No login required
Help others discover tool
Instant delivery

Easy Live Upgrade

Event & Club

Upgrade any free bracket to live tournament management instantly

One-click upgrade from free bracket
Preserve all tournament data
Add real-time scoring
Enable QR check-in
Unlock all advanced features

Tournament Planning

Track tournament dates and get helpful reminders

Tournament date tracking
Day countdown
Tournament day checklist
Preparation tips
No account needed

FULL EVENT MANAGEMENT

Live Tournament Management

Take your tournaments to the next level with automatic bracket generation and scheduling, real-time scoring, CSV/Excel import, QR code check-in, automated emails, waitlist management, and professional management tools.

Free covers ≤8 players offline (CSV import). Event adds online registration — one-time $25 setup plus $2/player paid by players. Club is $999/year or $99/month for unlimited events.View full pricing →

Online self-registration & payment processing included

Run the event

Core tournament features

The draw, the courts and the score — the parts that have to work on the day.

Tournament Day Dashboard

Real-time control panel for live tournament management

Live check-in tracking
Active match monitoring
Tournament progress stats
Quick action buttons
Refreshes automatically

Live Bracket Updates

Real-time bracket updates as matches are scored

Auto-advancing winners
Real-time synchronization
Mobile app support
Spectator view
No manual updates needed

Mobile Live Scoring

Score matches from any device in real-time

Mobile-optimized interface
Touch-friendly controls
Score validation
Instant bracket updates

Advanced Bracket Types

Professional tournament formats for all competition types

Pool Play → Playoffs (multi-stage)
Swiss with Buchholz & Sonneborn-Berger
Flighted playoffs & consolation
Championship divisions (regions → finals)
King of Court & MLP Team Format
Custom bracket configurations

Multi-Division Support

Run multiple divisions in a single tournament

Unlimited divisions
Different formats per division
Age/skill-based divisions
Gender divisions
Division-specific fees

Pool Play System

Round robin pool play with automatic playoff seeding

Automatic pool creation
1-game or fixed 2-game pools
Configurable advancement
Playoff bracket seeding
Pool standings & tiebreakers

Embeddable Brackets

Event & Club

Drop live brackets and voting widgets on your club site

Native iframe embeds
Live-updating public views
Bracket & voting widgets
Share links for social
Keep traffic on your domain

Match Scheduling

Automated match scheduling with court assignments

Automated scheduling
Court assignment across divisions
Time slot management
Conflict detection
Rest period handling
Day-of court and time edits

Take entries

Player management & payments

Registration, fees and check-in — from the first signup to the desk on the day.

Player Management

Add players via Excel/CSV upload or manual entry

Import via Excel/CSV files
Manual player addition
Multi-division assignments
Team & individual formats
Player data validation

Payment Tracking

Track tournament payments and entry fees

Manual payment tracking
Payment status per player
Fee structure per division
Payment reports
Refund tracking

QR Code Check-In

Event & Club

Contactless check-in system for tournament day

Unique QR codes per player
Mobile check-in app
Real-time attendance
Check-in reports

Online Self-Registration

Event & Club

Let players register themselves online with custom forms

Public registration forms
Custom registration fields
Multi-division sign-ups
Automated confirmations
Registration waitlist

Online Payment Processing

Event & Club

Accept payments via Stripe with automatic processing

Secure credit card payments
Automatic receipts
Refund management
Early bird pricing
Discount codes

CSV & Excel Import

Bulk import players from spreadsheets instantly

Excel (.xlsx, .xls) import
CSV file import
Bulk player/team creation
Sample templates provided
Automatic validation

Waitlist Management

Event & Club

Automatic waitlist handling when divisions fill up

Automatic waitlist creation
Email notifications
Priority ordering
Auto-promotion to roster
Waitlist analytics

Flexible Fee Structures

Multiple pricing models for tournament entry

Flat fee per division
Tiered pricing (first + additional)
Free tournaments
Per-division custom fees
Platform fee handling

Promo & Discount Codes

Event & Club

Create discount codes for special promotions

Percentage or flat discounts
Usage limits per code
Expiration dates
Track redemption counts
Multiple active codes

Member Pricing

Club

Offer special rates for club members

Member-only discounts
Club member verification
Tiered member pricing
Non-member pricing
Member ID validation

Keep people informed

Communication & notifications

Player notifications are opt-in — nothing sends until you switch it on.

Automated Email Notifications

Automated emails for every tournament event

Registration confirmations
Waitlist notifications
Match start alerts
Court assignment emails
Score update notifications

Bulk Email System

Send emails to all players or specific divisions

Branded email templates
Send to all participants
Division-specific emails
Email history tracking
Delivery analytics

SMS Notifications

Event & Club

Text message alerts for time-sensitive updates

Match start alerts
Court assignment changes
Urgent announcements
Opt-in system
Delivery tracking

Public Tournament Pages

Beautiful public-facing tournament websites

Custom tournament URLs
Mobile-responsive design
Live bracket viewing
Tournament information
Social sharing

Social Media Integration

Share tournament updates on social platforms

One-click share links
Share links for any platform
Open Graph link previews
Copy link for chat apps

Player Portal

Dedicated portal for player information access

Personal dashboards
Match history
Upcoming matches
Registration management
Score tracking

Automate the setup

Automation

Bracket generation, seeding and scheduling run on deterministic rules — the same draw every time.

Tournament Setup Wizard

Guided setup that builds your divisions and bracket

Step-by-step event creation
Format and division setup
Automatic bracket generation
Duplicate tournament cloning
Editable at any time

Automatic Seeding

Automatic player seeding for balanced brackets

Rating-based seeding
Manual seed order override
Seeded bracket placement
Pool assignment
Byes assigned to top seeds

King of Court Format

Unique rotating court format for continuous play

Multi-court rotation system
Winner stays mechanics
Continuous gameplay
Real-time leaderboards
Configurable court count

MLP Team Format

Major League Pickleball team format for competitive events

4-player teams (2 males + 2 females)
2 pools of 4 teams → playoffs
Women's, Men's & Mixed Doubles
Dreambreaker tiebreaker option
Rally scoring (21 points)

Audience Voting & Contests

Voting plans

Engage fans with interactive voting and live leaderboards

Fan voting on matches & players
Real-time vote leaderboards
Embeddable voting widgets
Social media integration
Contest management

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Voting Contests

Run bracket-style photo contests where your audience votes to decide the winner. Perfect for pet contests, talent shows, brand campaigns, and community events.

Create Voting Contest Learn More

Photo Contest Creation

Voting plans

Set up bracket-style elimination contests with photos in under 5 minutes

Single elimination voting bracket
4 to 64 competitors per contest
Upload photos or paste image URLs
Custom contest name & description
Brand color customization

Live Leaderboard

Voting plans

Real-time vote tracking with rankings, match results, and analytics

Updates as votes come in
Team rankings by total votes
Match vote distribution bars
Top voters leaderboard
Engagement analytics & charts

Embeddable Voting Widget

Voting plans

Embed an interactive leaderboard directly on your own website

Copy-paste iframe embed code
Matches your brand color
Shows rankings & match results
Voters interact without leaving your site
Powered by Brakto badge

Admin Panel & Controls

Voting plans

Full control over matchups, voting windows, and contest results

Real-time dashboard with stats
Set voting windows per round
Finalize matchups & advance winners
Break ties with one click
Bulk close & auto-finalize

Voting Rules & Anti-Spam

Voting plans

Configurable voting restrictions to keep contests fair

Open voting (no login required)
Registered-users-only mode
IP-based duplicate prevention
Max votes per user limit
Auto-finalize on deadline

Social Sharing

Voting plans

Drive voter turnout by sharing across all social platforms

One-click share to X (Twitter)
Facebook & LinkedIn sharing
Copy link button
Contest OG image previews
Increase reach & engagement

Understand the event

Analytics & reporting

Registration, revenue, attendance and career stats — exportable, not locked in.

Tournament Analytics

Club

Comprehensive tournament performance metrics

Registration analytics
Revenue tracking
Attendance metrics
Match completion rates
Division performance

Career Player Statistics

Persistent profiles with cross-event career stats

Tournaments played & won
Career win/loss records
Streaks & ratings
Club & season standings
Player profile pages

Custom Reports

Event & Club

Generate detailed tournament reports

Financial reports
Player participation reports
Match results export
Attendance summaries
PDF report generation

Leaderboards & Rankings

Real-time standings and player rankings

Live leaderboards
Division standings
Point systems
Tiebreaker handling
Historical rankings

Performance Insights

Club

Reporting on registration, revenue, and engagement

Registration and revenue reporting
Attendance and check-in metrics
Match completion rates
Division participation trends
Exportable reports

Data Export & Reports

Export tournament data in multiple formats

Excel/CSV export
PDF bracket generation
Match results export
Standings reports
Financial reports

Operate it

Admin & management

Permissions, staff, billing and the controls you need when several people run the event.

Tournament Dashboard

Centralized control panel for tournament management

Real-time overview
Quick actions
Status monitoring
Key metrics display
Mobile-optimized

Billing Dashboard

Complete payment history and plan management

Tournament payment history
Subscription status
Receipt downloads
Plan upgrade options
Usage tracking

Multi-Admin Support

Event & Club

Collaborate with multiple tournament organizers

Role-based permissions
Admin invitations
Activity logs
Secure access control
Team collaboration

Staff, Referees & Volunteers

Event & Club

Assign scorekeepers, volunteers, and per-match officials

Scorekeeper assignments
Per-match referee assignment
Court monitor roles
Public volunteer sign-up
Email notifications

Security & Privacy

Enterprise-grade security for tournament data

Encrypted in transit and at rest
Stripe PCI-DSS card handling
Role-based access control
We never store your card details

Print Management

Professional printouts for tournament day

Printable brackets
Match schedules
Player rosters
Court assignments
Score sheets

Tournament Checklist

Step-by-step guidance for tournament setup

Pre-tournament tasks
Day-of checklist
Post-tournament actions
Progress tracking
Best practice tips

Every sport

Multi-sport support & more

50+ sports, seasonal leagues, TV displays and club management.

50+ Sports Supported

Optimized for all major sports and custom formats

Pickleball tournaments
Tennis competitions
Basketball leagues
Badminton events
Table Tennis tournaments
Custom sport support

League Management

Event & Club

Run seasonal leagues with standings and schedules

Seasonal leagues
League standings tracking
Schedule generation
Multiple divisions
Season statistics

TV Display Mode

Event & Club

Professional displays for venue screens

Full-screen scoreboard
Live bracket display
Court assignments
Auto-refresh updates
Customizable layouts
Per-division URLs for multi-TV setups

Try live TV demo

Singles & Doubles

Support for individual and team competitions

Singles divisions
Doubles/pairs tournaments
Mixed doubles
Team management
Partner selection

Rating System

Player skill ratings and division placement

Skill level tracking
Rating-based divisions
Performance history
Rating adjustments
Seeding by rating

Mobile-First Design

Perfect experience on any device

Responsive design
Mobile scoring
Touch-optimized
Works offline
Fast loading

Club Management

Club

Manage your club's tournaments under one brand

Club branding & logos
Member management
Club-exclusive events
Centralized tournament list
Club analytics dashboard

Volunteer Sign-Up

Event & Club

Let volunteers sign up for tournament roles

Public volunteer forms
Role selection
Availability scheduling
Volunteer notifications
Easy promotion to staff

Features FAQ

Quick answers about formats, embeds, and Swiss tiebreakers — same facts as our schema markup.

Does Brakto support multi-stage pool play into playoffs?: Yes. Pool Play runs a group stage, then top finishers advance into a seeded single-elimination playoff. Flighted and consolation brackets are also supported.
What Swiss tiebreakers does Brakto use?: Swiss standings use wins, then Buchholz, then Sonneborn-Berger — not only point differential.
Can I embed Brakto brackets on my club website?: Yes. Brakto provides native iframe embeds for live brackets and voting widgets so clubs can keep traffic on their own domain.
Does Brakto only support single elimination and round robin?: No. Brakto supports Single Elimination, Double Elimination, Round Robin, Pool Play to playoffs, Swiss, King of Court, MLP, Rotation League, Voting Contests, championship divisions, and more.

Ready to Get Started?

Start with our free bracket generator, create a live tournament with real-time scoring, or launch a voting contest with audience engagement—all free to start.

Create Free Brackets Start Live Tournament Create Voting Contest

Have questions? Contact our team or check out our help center

Prefer a walkthrough? Book a 20-min walkthrough or explore the self-serve demos.