How to Make Free Tournament Charts

You can track your favorite tournament, from March Madness to local Little League tournaments, with a simple bracket. You can create a blank bracket with a pen and paper by simply drawing the brackets and filling in the winners, or you can use software to create your brackets and populate the winners through the completion of the tournament. Being able to track the results can enhance the experience for a fan, and make managing a tournament easier if you are in charge of it.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer with Internet Access
  • Team Information
  • Printer
  • Bracket Creation Software
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Instructions

    • 1

      Add your tournament information to an online bracket-making program. Many of these allow you to manage the tournament information free of charge. You can use a program like Bracket-Maker or Joseph's World's Bracket Creator, or you can search for one online using key words like "bracket maker" or "bracket creator." You may be required to establish a password for future access to your bracket.

    • 2

      Enter the logistical information regarding the tournament into the software. This information includes the name of the tournament, team names, dates, locations and any other requested information. You can also add your organization's web address. With most programs, a link will be provided to the URL.

    • 3

      Seed the teams prior to entering them into the bracket. A seed is the ranking for that team. The team with the best record during the regular season will usually have the first seed in a tournament. This will allow the software to set the tournament match-ups by ranking. For example, in a 16 team tournament, the first place team will play the team ranked 16th, while the eighth place team plays number nine. This allows an advantage to the team that has earned the higher seeding. You may also be able to enter notes regarding each bracket.

    • 4

      Enter the scores of each contest as it is completed. You can do this online, and many bracket-making programs will automatically advance the appropriate teams for you. You can also print the brackets and track the results in writing if you prefer.

    Making Your Own

    • 5

      Make your own bracket with a sheet of paper, a pencil and a ruler--if neatness counts. Start by drawing a rectangle with the left end open. The rectangle needs to be long enough that you can write the name of a team on the top and bottom lines of the rectangle.

    • 6

      Make as many rectangles as are need to represent all of your teams. The first and last seeded teams should occupy the top two lines. The two middle seeded teams (8 and 9 in a 16 team tournament) should occupy the next rectangle.

    • 7

      Draw a line out from the right side of each rectangle, long enough to hold the winner's name, then connect each line with the one below it, and draw another line in the middle of them to write the winner of that game. Keep doing this until you have a winner.