Groups to knockout

31 matches

Group A takes the first names on the list, then group B. Groups differ by at most one team.

16 teams · 4 groups · 8 through · 31 matches

Remove a team with the × on its row, or add one under any group. To move a team, change its place in the list.

Group A

A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4

Group B

B-1
B-2
B-3
B-4

Group C

C-1
C-2
C-3
C-4

Group D

D-1
D-2
D-3
D-4
Teams
16
Most per group
4
Through per group
2

Groups then knockout

Type a team count or paste a list, pick the teams per group and how many go through. The groups and the knockout bracket appear at once, drawn exactly as SportX draws a real tournament.

What is groups then knockout?

Teams are split into groups and play a round robin within their own group. After the group stage the top teams of each group go into a knockout bracket, where one loss ends a run.

Many big football tournaments use it: the group stage gives every team several matches, and the knockout finds a champion cleanly.

In the bracket, a group winner meets the runner-up of another group, and two teams from one group are put in opposite halves so they cannot meet again too early.

Count the matches

  • Group stage: a group of n teams plays n × (n − 1) ÷ 2 matches. For example 4 groups of 4: 4 × 6 = 24 matches.
  • Knockout: the teams through minus 1. For example 8 through: 7 matches.
  • When the teams through are not 2, 4, 8, 16..., the bracket rounds up and group winners get first-round byes.
  • A third-place match adds 1 match.

Frequently asked questions

How many matches do 16 teams in 4 groups play?

24 in the group stage (6 per group). With 2 through from each group, 8 teams reach the quarter-finals for 7 more knockout matches. 31 in all, 32 with a third-place match.

Who does a group winner meet in the knockout?

The runner-up of another group. With 4 groups and 2 through: A1 v C2, B1 v D2, C1 v A2, D1 v B2. Two teams from one group can only meet again in the final.

What if an odd number go through, say 6?

The bracket rounds up to 8 places. The two empty places are byes and go to group winners: two winners go straight to the next round.

What if the teams do not split evenly?

The tool makes as few groups as it can, groups differ by at most one team and the larger groups come first. For example 10 teams with at most 4 per group: 3 groups of 4, 3 and 3.

How do I keep the strongest teams in different groups?

Teams are dealt in list order: group A takes the first ones, then group B. Reorder the list before pasting it, or drag a team to another group right on the page.