The format you pick determines how long your event takes, how many games each team plays, and how forgiving it is. Here's what each one looks like in practice.
Single Elimination
Lose once. Go home. The fastest bracket format. A 16-team single elim tournament takes 15 games total. With 4 courts, you're done in about 2 hours.
Best for: Large fields (16–64 teams), time-limited events, or when you want a clear, dramatic bracket.
Downside: Half your teams play one game and leave. If you're charging an entry fee, that can sting.
Double Elimination
Lose once and you drop to the losers bracket. Lose twice and you're out. The losers bracket winner faces the winners bracket champion in the finals.
A 16-team double elim bracket runs 30 games — nearly double single elim. Budget about 3–4 hours with 4 courts.
Best for: Competitive events where one bad game shouldn't end your run. 8–32 teams.
Downside: Takes longer. The losers bracket can feel like a grind. Finals can require two sets if the losers bracket winner takes game one.
Rounders
Rounders is BagTrax's configurable round-robin style format. Set the number of rounds, play rotating matchups, and let standings decide the winner.
Best for: Small fields (4–8 teams), league nights, or events where everyone wants a full day of play.
Downside: A true everyone-plays-everyone round robin needs at least N-1 rounds, where N is the team count. Big fields still need time.
Swaps
Players sign up solo. BagTrax creates random doubles teams each round, tracks individual wins, points, PPR, and standings, then crowns the top individual.
Best for: League nights, blind-draw style events, and groups where people want new partners every round.
Downside: It is less bracket-dramatic than elimination. The drama is in the standings.
Which Format Should You Pick?
Short on time? Single elimination.
Competitive field that wants a fair shot? Double elimination.
Small group, all day? Rounders.
Want individual signups and rotating partners? Swaps.
BagTrax supports all four above: Single Elimination, Double Elimination, Rounders, and Swaps. Set up your tournament and pick the format that fits.