Create fair and exciting brackets with proper seeding
Seeding is the process of ranking players or teams before a tournament and strategically placing them in the bracket to prevent the best competitors from meeting too early.
#1 and #2 seeds meet in the final. Top 4 seeds in semifinals. Upsets are meaningful.
Best players might meet in Round 1. Unpredictable results. Less exciting later rounds.
Use official ratings (USTA, DUPR, ATP, WTA, etc.) to rank players objectively.
Best for: Sanctioned tournaments, competitive leagues, skill-restricted divisions
Players indicate their own skill level during registration (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
Best for: Recreational tournaments, club events, casual competitions
Seed based on previous tournament results or head-to-head records.
Best for: Recurring events, league playoffs, championship tournaments
No seeding - completely random bracket placement for maximum unpredictability.
Best for: Fun/social events, office tournaments, when skill levels are unknown
Seeds must be placed in specific bracket positions to ensure fair matchups throughout the tournament.
vs 16 or BYE
vs 15 or BYE
vs 14
vs 13
vs 12
vs 11
vs 10
vs 9
This placement ensures: #1 vs #2 can only meet in Finals, #1/#2 vs #3/#4 only in Semis
💡 The Logic Behind Seed Placement
Seeds are placed so the sum of potential matchups equals the bracket size + 1. In a 16-player bracket: 1+16=17, 2+15=17, 3+14=17, etc. This creates balanced quarters.
When you don't have a perfect power of 2 (8, 16, 32), some players get "byes" - automatic advancement to Round 2.
Formula: Byes = Next power of 2 - Number of players
Example: 12 players → Next power of 2 is 16 → 16 - 12 = 4 byes
Fix: #1 and #2 should only be able to meet in the Final
Fix: Each quarter should have one top-4 seed
Fix: Stick to objective criteria (ratings, random) for fairness
Fix: For doubles, consider combined ratings or team history
Fix: Once bracket is set, seeds don't change (except for losers bracket)
Brakto's AI automatically analyzes player skill levels, ratings, and past performance to create perfectly balanced brackets. No more manual seed placement.
Create fair and exciting brackets with proper seeding
Seeding is the process of ranking players or teams before a tournament and strategically placing them in the bracket to prevent the best competitors from meeting too early.
#1 and #2 seeds meet in the final. Top 4 seeds in semifinals. Upsets are meaningful.
Best players might meet in Round 1. Unpredictable results. Less exciting later rounds.
Use official ratings (USTA, DUPR, ATP, WTA, etc.) to rank players objectively.
Best for: Sanctioned tournaments, competitive leagues, skill-restricted divisions
Players indicate their own skill level during registration (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
Best for: Recreational tournaments, club events, casual competitions
Seed based on previous tournament results or head-to-head records.
Best for: Recurring events, league playoffs, championship tournaments
No seeding - completely random bracket placement for maximum unpredictability.
Best for: Fun/social events, office tournaments, when skill levels are unknown
Seeds must be placed in specific bracket positions to ensure fair matchups throughout the tournament.
vs 16 or BYE
vs 15 or BYE
vs 14
vs 13
vs 12
vs 11
vs 10
vs 9
This placement ensures: #1 vs #2 can only meet in Finals, #1/#2 vs #3/#4 only in Semis
💡 The Logic Behind Seed Placement
Seeds are placed so the sum of potential matchups equals the bracket size + 1. In a 16-player bracket: 1+16=17, 2+15=17, 3+14=17, etc. This creates balanced quarters.
When you don't have a perfect power of 2 (8, 16, 32), some players get "byes" - automatic advancement to Round 2.
Formula: Byes = Next power of 2 - Number of players
Example: 12 players → Next power of 2 is 16 → 16 - 12 = 4 byes
Fix: #1 and #2 should only be able to meet in the Final
Fix: Each quarter should have one top-4 seed
Fix: Stick to objective criteria (ratings, random) for fairness
Fix: For doubles, consider combined ratings or team history
Fix: Once bracket is set, seeds don't change (except for losers bracket)
Brakto's AI automatically analyzes player skill levels, ratings, and past performance to create perfectly balanced brackets. No more manual seed placement.