Verliezersbracket

Verliezersbracket is the Dutch term for the losers bracket in a double-elimination tournament. It is a secondary competition path in which participants who have lost a match in the main winners bracket drop down to continue competing for a place in the final rounds. The losers bracket allows a player or team to remain in contention after a single defeat, with elimination occurring after a second loss.

Structure and progression: The losers bracket runs parallel to the winners bracket. After each round in the winners bracket, teams that lose move to corresponding rounds of the losers bracket, often entering at different rounds depending on seeding. The losers bracket progresses until a champion emerges, who then faces the winners bracket champion in the grand final. In some formats, the grand final may involve a bracket reset or additional matches if the losers bracket champion defeats the winners bracket champion.

Terminology and usage: The term is common in Dutch-language discussions of tournaments and is often equated with "lower bracket" or "losers bracket" in English. The structure is widely used in esports—especially in fighting games and team-based titles—and in traditional sports tournaments.

Origins and notes: The concept originated from early multi-bracket formats designed to maximize matches and fairness by allowing a single loss not to immediately eliminate a participant. Exact rules for match length, number of rounds, and the final format vary by event, leading to several common variants of the verliezersbracket.