In this activity, students explore how tournament brackets are structured in sports and how math is used to create fair and balanced competitions. Students examine examples of single-elimination brackets, identify how powers of two shape tournament design, and analyze how the number of teams affects each round. Using the MLS playoff format as a real-world model, students consider how wild card games and uneven team counts influence bracket construction.

This is activity 8 of 8 in the MSL STEM Goals Collection from Learn Fresh. To view all activities and Quality Instructional Practices for planning and facilitation, visit the MLS STEM Goals Collection page.