Badminton Tournament Formats for 8 Players
Here's how different formats work with 8 players:
Single Elimination
Rounds
3
Total Matches
7
Byes
0
Est. Time (2 courts)
~2 hours
Double Elimination
Total Matches
14-15
Est. Time (2 courts)
~4 hours
Min Games per player
2
Pool Play + Knockout
Groups
2 groups of 4
Pool Matches
12
Bracket Matches
3
Total Matches
15
Assuming single game to 21 points, ~20-30 minutes per match.
How Many Byes for 8 Players?
With exactly 8 players, no byes are needed — every position in the bracket is filled. This is a perfect bracket size (8-slot draw), so every player plays in the first round.
Recommended Format for 8 Players
Group stage with 2 groups of 4 into semifinals. This is the BWF Olympic format.
Other Badminton Bracket Sizes
8-Players Brackets in Other Sports
Prefer a Round Robin?
If you want everyone to play multiple matches instead of elimination, try a round robin format:
Badminton Round Robin for 8 Players →Manage Tournaments Automatically
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