TheOwlBay
Tournament bracket generator
Single-elimination bracket from your team list — free, no sign-up
Build a single-elimination tournament bracket with byes when the field is not a power of two. Paste Names, press Generate, then Print for the table. Seeding shuffles use crypto.getRandomValues in this browser. The roster sits in localStorage on your device. This is not live scoring, not March Madness TV, and not a raffle of one winner who stops the event.
Why a bracket is not a raffle
A bracket places every competitor in a single-elimination tree: winners advance, losers are out, and byes fill empty slots when the count is not a power of two. A raffle picks one prize winner. A team generator makes groups that still all play. This page exists so a game night, a campus club, or a casual sports day can paste Names, generate the tree, and print it. We do not lock results on a server, sell tickets, or affiliate with a league. Optional paste of many names still lives here — we will not ship a second slug only for 64 teams. If you need a speaking order, shuffle. If you need pairs for one round only, use the pair generator.
How to use the tournament bracket
Single-elimination bracket with byes. Print for game night.
Results use your browser's cryptographically secure random number generator. Lists and form data stay in localStorage on your device.
How seeds and byes work
Names are shuffled with crypto.getRandomValues into bracket slots. When the field size is not a power of two, byes advance the unpaired player automatically — that is standard single-elimination math, not a bonus prize. The shuffle is cryptographically strong, not true random, and not a TV seed ranking. We do not store the bracket on a TheOwlBay account. localStorage holds the names on this device. The page will not invent ESPN odds. Ads stay off. If you needed weighted lottery balls for pick order rather than a tree, use draft order. If you needed groups that all keep playing, use teams.
Who this bracket is for
Game-night hosts, intramural captains, and classroom tournament days will use a printable single-elimination tree more than a coin toss. Byes are for odd field sizes, not a bug. It is not a sportsbook, not live scoring, and not a 10×10 football squares board. Print the bracket and write winners by hand. TheOwlBay does not host your league or process buy-ins. If you need steal order for gifts, use white elephant. If you need seating rows, use the seating chart. No sign-up. Ads stay off.
FAQ
What is a bye?
When the field is not a power of two, some players skip a round. Generate still places everyone. Print the tree to see byes.
Does this record match scores?
No. It shuffles Names into a single-elimination layout. You mark winners on paper or in your own notes.
How are seeds chosen?
A shuffle with crypto.getRandomValues, not a ranking. It is not true random and not a TV bracket challenge.
Where is the field stored?
In localStorage on this device. No TheOwlBay account. Press Generate again to re-seed.
Bracket versus raffle?
A raffle picks one winner and can stop. A bracket is a full elimination tree. Teams split groups without eliminating.