About the Brackets for 50 Sports and Games
Every sport keeps score its own way, so the bracket maker comes with presets for 50 sports and games, from cornhole and pickleball to chess, darts and video games. Pick one and the scoring, the points for a win or a draw, the tiebreakers and the usual tournament format are set for you. Change anything you like. Below, the presets are grouped by how each family of sports is scored, so you can see what to expect before you start.
How it works
- Find your sportSearch or scroll the list. The sports people most often run their own tournaments for come first.
- Tap “Make a bracket”The builder opens with that sport’s scoring and its usual format already chosen.
- Adjust and playChange the sets, points or tiebreakers in the advanced options if your league does it differently, add the names, and start.
Sports scored in sets or games
Racket and net sports are entered set by set, and a match goes to whoever wins more sets. The presets follow the standard rules for amateur play:
- Volleyball: best of 3 sets to 25, win by 2, deciding set to 15. Beach volleyball: sets to 21, third set to 15.
- Tennis: sets to 6 games with a tiebreak at 6–6, and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a third set. Padel scores the same way.
- Pickleball: one game to 11, win by 2. Table tennis: best of 3 games to 11. Badminton: best of 3 games to 21, capped at 30.
- Racquetball: two games to 15 and a tiebreaker to 11, no need to win by 2. Squash: best of 5 games to 11.
In round robin standings, ties between set sports are broken by head-to-head, then set difference, then point difference.
First to a target score
Backyard, bar and card games usually play to a number. Enter the final score; the target is shown as a guide.
- Cornhole: 21, reach or pass it at the end of an inning, cancellation scoring. Washers: 21, cancellation scoring.
- Horseshoes: 21 in the backyard, 40 in sanctioned play. Bocce: 12 by default; 13 or 16 are common too.
- Ladder toss: exactly 21. Table shuffleboard: 15 for singles, 21 for doubles.
- Spades: 500. Euchre: 10. Cribbage: 121. Dominoes: 200 in partner play.
- 3-on-3 basketball: 21 or 10 minutes. Ultimate: 15, win by 2, capped at 17.
Races: racks, legs, games and pulls
Some matches are a race to win a number of short games. The score is how many each side won:
- Pool: race to 3 racks; shorter on weeknights, longer for 9-ball.
- Darts: best of 3 legs of 501, double out.
- Video games and fighting games: best of 3 games, best of 5 in the late rounds.
- Foosball and air hockey: best of 3 games, to 5 and 7 goals.
- Tug of war: best of 3 pulls. Rock paper scissors: first to 2 throws.
- Backgammon: a match to 7 points.
Sports with draws
Draws only happen in round robins and pool play. A knockout game always needs a winner, decided by penalty kicks, overtime, a shootout, extra holes or a playoff game. Where draws are allowed, the presets use the familiar points:
- Soccer and soccer video games: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw.
- Ice hockey, ball hockey, lacrosse, flag football, kickball, dodgeball, and softball and baseball pool games: 2 for a win, 1 for a tie.
- Chess and checkers: 1 for a win, half a point for a draw.
- Cricket: 2 for a win, 1 for a tie or no result. Golf match play: a halved match splits the points.
Everywhere else, the standings count wins. You can change the points for a win, draw and loss for any event.
Sports where you just pick the winner
For chess, checkers, golf match play, wrestling and arm wrestling, the result matters more than a number. Tap the winner, or the draw where it’s allowed, and add a score only if you want it on record, like “3 & 2” in match play or a decision in wrestling. Wrestling runs one bracket per weight class, with a third-place bout; arm wrestling usually runs separate brackets for left and right arm.
The usual format for each kind of event
- Double elimination: cornhole, pool, darts, foosball, horseshoes, washers, softball, baseball, fighting games and arm wrestling. Two losses to go out is the bar and backyard standard.
- Pools, then playoffs: volleyball, beach volleyball, soccer, 3-on-3 basketball, roundnet, ultimate, flag football, hockey, lacrosse and cricket. Pool play guarantees games, then the top teams play a single elimination playoff.
- Single elimination: basketball, tennis, badminton, racquetball, squash, bowling brackets, golf match play, wrestling, tug of war and rock paper scissors.
- Round robin: chess, checkers, cribbage, kickball and ball hockey leagues.
- Rotating partners: pickleball socials, padel Americanos and progressive euchre.
These are starting points. A ping pong event at the office might suit double elimination, while a ping pong club runs groups and then a knockout.
Don’t see your sport?
Choose Any game. It keeps a simple score, allows draws in round robins with 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw, and starts as a single elimination bracket. Set the points, sets and tiebreakers to match your rules, and it works for anything played head to head, from a family board-game night to a backyard skills contest. If you think a sport belongs on the list, tell us through the contact form, along with the rules your group plays by.
Questions people ask
What sports can I make a bracket for?
Fifty sports and games have their own presets, including cornhole, pickleball, basketball, volleyball, softball, pool, darts, ping pong, soccer, bowling, tennis, chess, video games and card games like spades and euchre. Anything else works with the Any game preset.
What if my sport isn’t on the list?
Pick Any game and set the scoring yourself: a simple score or sets, whether draws are allowed, the points for a win, draw and loss, and the tiebreaker order.
Can I change the scoring rules for a sport?
Yes. The preset is only a starting point. You can change the number of sets, the points per set, the points for a win or draw, and the order of the tiebreakers.
Which sports allow draws in the standings?
Soccer, hockey, lacrosse, flag football, kickball, dodgeball, chess, checkers, cricket and golf match play, plus softball and baseball pool games that hit the time limit. Draws only count in round robins and pools; knockout games always need a winner.
What tournament format do bar games use?
Double elimination is the standard for pool, darts, cornhole, foosball and shuffleboard: nobody is out until their second loss, and the final is reset if the losers-bracket player wins it.
How do set scores count in the standings?
Wins come first. Ties are broken by head-to-head, then sets won minus sets lost, then points won minus points lost, unless you reorder the tiebreakers.
Can I make a bracket for video games or card games?
Yes. There are presets for video games, fighting games, soccer and football video games, spades, euchre, cribbage, dominoes, chess, checkers and backgammon, each with the usual match length and format.
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