Pickleball Tournament Formats for 8 Teams
Here's how different formats work with 8 teams:
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)
~3 hours
Min Games per team
2
Pool Play + Knockout
Groups
2 groups of 4
Pool Matches
12
Bracket Matches
3
Total Matches
15
Assuming games to 11 (rally scoring), ~20-25 minutes per match.
How Many Byes for 8 Teams?
With exactly 8 teams, no byes are needed — every position in the bracket is filled. This is a perfect bracket size (8-slot draw), so every team plays in the first round.
Recommended Format for 8 Teams
Double elimination is the sweet spot — forgiving but still competitive. Or pool play with 2 groups of 4.
Other Pickleball Bracket Sizes
8-Teams Brackets in Other Sports
Prefer a Round Robin?
If you want everyone to play multiple matches instead of elimination, try a round robin format:
Pickleball Round Robin for 8 Players →Manage Tournaments Automatically
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