When you think of a double-elimination tournament, you usually picture a perfect grid of 8, 16, or 32 teams. But what happens when you have an awkward number like 5 teams ?

Have you run a 5-team bracket before? Let me know how you handled the bye in the comments

(Winner of Winners Final vs Winner of Losers Final) Pro Tip: Manage the "Dead Match" The oddity of the 5-team bracket is Match D (Team 5 vs. Loser of Match C). To a casual player, this looks like a losers bracket match happening inside the winners bracket.

If you have strict time limits (the bracket can run 6-7 matches total) or if your group hates complicated flowcharts.

M5: L1 vs L2 → W5 M6: W5 vs Loser of M4 → W6 Losers Final: Loser of Winners Final vs W6

However, there is a catch: Because 5 is not a power of 2, some teams will get a free pass in the first round.

Local bar trivia, small esports nights, office cornhole tournaments, or any time you have 5 friends who refuse to let one loss end their day.

Don't call it "Losers Bracket." Call it the "Second Chance Match." Frame it as: "Team 5, you waited. Now you play the team that just lost its perfect record. Winner stays alive." Final Verdict A 5-team double-elimination bracket isn't pretty, but it is practical . It solves the "odd number" problem better than a round-robin (which can end in ties) and gives you a definitive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.