What is a consolation bracket in wrestling?
By Smart Wrestler · Updated 2026-09-14
The back side of the bracket, where a loss is not the end. Also called wrestlebacks, or the consy.
Quick answer
A consolation bracket in wrestling is the second half of a double elimination or consolation format bracket. Wrestlers who lose on the championship side drop into it at a point determined by the round they lost in, and keep wrestling; a second loss eliminates them. The consolation final decides third and fourth place, with further matches for fifth through eighth where awarded. Consolation draws are arranged so wrestlers who met on the championship side do not meet again until as late as possible. Smart Wrestler generates the consolation side automatically and drops losers into the correct slot as matches complete.
How do wrestlers enter the consolation bracket?
By losing on the championship side. First round losers enter the first consolation round; quarterfinal losers enter later, after first round consolation winners have wrestled; semifinal losers enter the consolation semifinals. Each consolation slot is labelled with the championship bout it is fed by (loser of bout 12), which is how you trace where a wrestler goes next.
Why does the draw cross over?
So that a wrestler does not immediately face the opponent who just beat them, or someone they already wrestled. Championship losers are dropped into the opposite half of the consolation bracket from the wrestlers they met. The crossing lines on a printed bracket that confuse new parents are exactly this rule.
What is true second?
A rule some events use where the consolation champion, if they have not lost to the tournament champion, wrestles the championship runner up for second place. It corrects for the case where the second best wrestler was drawn against the best in an early round. Most youth events skip it; some qualifiers use it to decide who advances. Smart Wrestler offers true second as a pool ranking option and hosts can add a placement match where their rules require it.
How do consolation results affect placement and team points?
Consolation wins earn advancement points (commonly 1 per win, versus 2 on the championship side) plus the same bonus points for pins, techs, and majors. Placement points are awarded for the final place: third and fourth from the consolation final, fifth and sixth from the next match down, and so on. A wrestler eliminated in consolation places according to the round they reached where the event awards deeper places.
Frequently asked questions
Is a consolation bracket the same as double elimination?
Double elimination is the format; the consolation bracket is its second side. Some single elimination events add a partial consolation for third through fifth only.
Can you win the tournament from the consolation bracket?
No. First place is decided on the championship side; consolation decides third and below, or second under true second rules.
How many matches can a wrestler have in consolation?
In a 16 man bracket, a first round loser who wins out wrestles four or five consolation matches to reach third.
Keep exploring
Wrestlebacks that draw themselves
Smart Wrestler drops every championship loser into the correct consolation slot the moment the match completes.