This is a Divisional Style Bracket Tournament is when you have a number of players that are not divided by 4 equally. You could have a tournament with only 12, 18, 22, or 30 players, for example, therefore allowing for players to have a first-round bye in order to get to get the desired amount players that can be divided by 4 equally for the second round. Even if you just had something like 10 players, for example, that means two people would get the first round bye.
A good example of this is the NFL playoffs where there are two division winners that have a first-round bye in each conference, a total of 4 first round Byes which would make the second round of the playoffs have 8 teams that could make the round divided by 4 equally or give you an even number when divided by 4. But we have a simple solution in determining who would get the first round bye. In the first round of the tournament you would play a game that would give you the maximum amount of points for your performance. The top four players, one in each section of the bracket would get the first round bye and automatically qualify for the next round.
The perfect example of a game that can do this is the Home Run Derby in a baseball game. The top four players with the most home runs would end up with a first-round bye. Or perhaps you choose a racing game where are the best times around the track what help determine the two or four best players that would get the first round bye. No matter how many players you have, you have to allow for so many people to get a first round bye so that the second round has a number of players that can be divided by 4 equally or into an even number.
This kind of tournament can be single or double elimination each round or just some of the rounds except the championship round. Brackets can be chosen by the players drawing numbers to determine their place in the brackets or if this a regional tournament where the players are determined by winners of local tournaments and a point system that would place the participants in certain spots within the brackets.
