diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/BracketRepository.server.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/BracketRepository.server.ts
index 2c49c1454..7c0abd1f9 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/BracketRepository.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/BracketRepository.server.ts
@@ -103,9 +103,7 @@ export async function findByTournamentId(
 						"TournamentMatch.number",
 						"TournamentMatch.startedAt",
 						"TournamentMatch.winnerSide",
-						// totalKos is re-aggregated fresh from the game results; the
-						// totalKos/totalPoints that old write paths persisted into the
-						// opponent JSON is stale residue and gets stripped/overwritten
+						// totalKos is never persisted, it is aggregated fresh from the game results
 						serializedOpponentWithKos("opponentOne").as("opponent1"),
 						serializedOpponentWithKos("opponentTwo").as("opponent2"),
 					])
@@ -121,15 +119,15 @@ export async function findByTournamentId(
 }
 
 /**
- * Builds the opponent JSON with the freshly aggregated KO count: strips the
- * legacy `totalPoints` and overwrites `totalKos` with the SQL sum over the
- * match's game results. Resolves to `null` for BYEs (the column is `null`).
+ * Builds the opponent JSON with the freshly aggregated KO count: sets
+ * `totalKos` to the SQL sum over the match's game results. Resolves to `null`
+ * for BYEs (the column is `null`).
  */
 function serializedOpponentWithKos(
 	column: "opponentOne" | "opponentTwo",
 ): RawBuilder<ParticipantResult | null> {
 	return kyselySql<ParticipantResult | null>`json_set(
-		json_remove(${kyselySql.ref(`TournamentMatch.${column}`)}, '$.totalPoints'),
+		${kyselySql.ref(`TournamentMatch.${column}`)},
 		'$.totalKos',
 		sum(
 			case
@@ -376,9 +374,6 @@ export function resetBracket(tournamentStageId: number) {
 function serializeOpponent(opponent: ParticipantResult | null): string | null {
 	if (!opponent) return null;
 
-	const { totalKos, totalPoints, ...persisted } =
-		opponent as ParticipantResult & {
-			totalPoints?: number;
-		};
+	const { totalKos, ...persisted } = opponent;
 	return JSON.stringify(persisted);
 }
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/components/Bracket/PlacementsTable.tsx b/app/features/tournament-bracket/components/Bracket/PlacementsTable.tsx
index 012d46627..02e420336 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/components/Bracket/PlacementsTable.tsx
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/components/Bracket/PlacementsTable.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
 	tournamentTeamPage,
 } from "../../../../utils/urls";
 import { useUser } from "../../../auth/core/user";
-import { TOURNAMENT } from "../../../tournament/tournament-constants";
 import type { Bracket, Standing } from "../../core/Bracket";
 import * as Swiss from "../../core/engine/swiss/team-status";
 import * as Progression from "../../core/Progression";
@@ -87,8 +86,7 @@ export function PlacementsTable({
 				advanceThreshold: bracket.settings.advanceThreshold,
 				losses: stats.setLosses,
 				wins: stats.setWins,
-				roundCount:
-					bracket.settings.roundCount ?? TOURNAMENT.SWISS_DEFAULT_ROUND_COUNT,
+				roundCount: bracket.swissRoundCount,
 			}) === "advanced"
 				? bracket.tournament.brackets.find((otherBracket) =>
 						otherBracket.sources?.some(
@@ -288,9 +286,7 @@ function StandingsTable({
 							advanceThreshold: bracket.settings.advanceThreshold,
 							losses: s.stats.setLosses,
 							wins: s.stats.setWins,
-							roundCount:
-								bracket.settings.roundCount ??
-								TOURNAMENT.SWISS_DEFAULT_ROUND_COUNT,
+							roundCount: bracket.swissRoundCount,
 						}) === "eliminated";
 
 					if (renderQualifiedRow) qualifiedRowRendered = true;
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/Bracket.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/Bracket.ts
index 1027c2d29..7a72dd25f 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/Bracket.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/Bracket.ts
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ export abstract class Bracket {
 			return;
 
 		try {
-			let data = this.data as Engine.BracketData;
+			let data = this.data;
 
 			const teamOrder = this.teamOrderForSimulation();
 
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ export abstract class Bracket {
 				loopCount++;
 
 				for (const match of data.match) {
-					if (!match) continue;
 					// we have a result already
 					if (match.winnerSide) {
 						continue;
@@ -225,9 +224,7 @@ export abstract class Bracket {
 	simulatedMatch(matchId: number) {
 		if (!this.simulatedData) return;
 
-		return this.simulatedData.match
-			.filter(Boolean)
-			.find((match) => match.id === matchId);
+		return this.simulatedData.match.find((match) => match.id === matchId);
 	}
 
 	/** Whether reporting a game in this bracket also records if the game was a KO win. */
@@ -235,12 +232,17 @@ export abstract class Bracket {
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	get type(): Tables["TournamentStage"]["type"] {
-		throw new Error("not implemented");
-	}
+	abstract get type(): Tables["TournamentStage"]["type"];
 
-	get standings(): Standing[] {
-		throw new Error("not implemented");
+	abstract get standings(): Standing[];
+
+	/**
+	 * How many rounds a swiss bracket has. Comes from the bracket's own stage
+	 * settings rather than `settings` (the progression's, editable at any time),
+	 * so it can't drift from the bracket that actually exists.
+	 */
+	get swissRoundCount() {
+		return Engine.swissRoundCount(this.data);
 	}
 
 	get participantTournamentTeamIds() {
@@ -397,16 +399,14 @@ export abstract class Bracket {
 		return this.teamsPendingCheckIn.includes(team.id);
 	}
 
-	source(_options: {
+	abstract source(options: {
 		placements: number[];
 		advanceThreshold?: number;
 		rest?: boolean;
 	}): {
 		relevantMatchesFinished: boolean;
 		teams: number[];
-	} {
-		throw new Error("not implemented");
-	}
+	};
 
 	teamsWithNames(teams: { id: number }[]) {
 		return teams.map((team) => {
@@ -474,7 +474,5 @@ export abstract class Bracket {
 		return ongoingMatchIds;
 	}
 
-	defaultRoundBestOfs(_data: BracketData): BracketMapCounts {
-		throw new Error("not implemented");
-	}
+	abstract defaultRoundBestOfs(data: BracketData): BracketMapCounts;
 }
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SingleEliminationBracket.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SingleEliminationBracket.ts
index 07b3f51ab..59ecd622f 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SingleEliminationBracket.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SingleEliminationBracket.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ export class SingleEliminationBracket extends Bracket {
 		return "single_elimination";
 	}
 
+	/** Unreachable: bracket progression validation rejects single elimination as a source. */
+	source(): never {
+		throw new Error("Single elimination bracket can't be a source");
+	}
+
 	defaultRoundBestOfs(data: BracketData) {
 		const result: BracketMapCounts = new Map();
 
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SwissBracket.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SwissBracket.ts
index 2a1fa5f74..0d2d25083 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SwissBracket.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Bracket/SwissBracket.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import * as R from "remeda";
 import type { Tables } from "~/db/tables";
 import * as Standings from "~/features/tournament/core/Standings";
-import { TOURNAMENT } from "~/features/tournament/tournament-constants";
 import type { BracketData } from "~/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/types";
 import invariant from "~/utils/invariant";
 import { logger } from "~/utils/logger";
@@ -59,9 +58,7 @@ export class SwissBracket extends Bracket {
 							advanceThreshold,
 							wins: standing.stats?.setWins ?? 0,
 							losses: standing.stats?.setLosses ?? 0,
-							roundCount:
-								this.settings?.roundCount ??
-								TOURNAMENT.SWISS_DEFAULT_ROUND_COUNT,
+							roundCount: this.swissRoundCount,
 						}),
 					}))
 					.filter((t) => t.status === "advanced")
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Tournament.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Tournament.ts
index 78d992509..566ab0201 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Tournament.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/Tournament.ts
@@ -1088,8 +1088,7 @@ export class Tournament {
 					match.opponent1?.id === team.id || match.opponent2?.id === team.id,
 			).length;
 			const notAllRoundsGenerated =
-				bracket.settings?.roundCount &&
-				setsGeneratedCount !== bracket.settings.roundCount;
+				setsGeneratedCount !== bracket.swissRoundCount;
 
 			if (isParticipant && notAllRoundsGenerated) {
 				return { type: "WAITING_FOR_ROUND" } as const;
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/builder.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/builder.ts
index d8f9f8160..09ef4aa60 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/builder.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/builder.ts
@@ -329,13 +329,6 @@ export class StageCreator {
 		});
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Returns the ordering method for the first round of the upper bracket of an elimination stage.
-	 */
-	getStandardBracketFirstRoundOrdering(): SeedOrdering {
-		return "space_between";
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * The only major ordering for the lower bracket.
 	 */
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/double-elimination.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/double-elimination.ts
index 51dc7adc4..f55b6b752 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/double-elimination.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/double-elimination.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { Duel, ParticipantSlot } from "../types";
 import type { StageCreator } from "./builder";
 import * as helpers from "./helpers";
-import { ordering } from "./seeding";
+import { ordering, STANDARD_BRACKET_FIRST_ROUND_ORDERING } from "./seeding";
 
 /**
  * Creates a double elimination stage.
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ import { ordering } from "./seeding";
 export function createDoubleElimination(creator: StageCreator): void {
 	const slots = creator.getSlots();
 	const stage = creator.createStage();
-	const method = creator.getStandardBracketFirstRoundOrdering();
-	const ordered = ordering[method](slots);
+	const ordered = ordering[STANDARD_BRACKET_FIRST_ROUND_ORDERING](slots);
 
 	const { losers: losersWb, winner: winnerWb } = creator.createStandardBracket(
 		stage.id,
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/seeding.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/seeding.ts
index 658f5418e..ebc38eb04 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/seeding.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/seeding.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ export const ordering: OrderingMap = {
 	},
 };
 
+/** The ordering method for the first round of the upper bracket of an elimination stage. */
+export const STANDARD_BRACKET_FIRST_ROUND_ORDERING: SeedOrdering =
+	"space_between";
+
 export const defaultMinorOrdering: { [key: number]: SeedOrdering[] } = {
 	// 1 or 2: Not possible.
 	4: ["natural", "reverse"],
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/settings.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/settings.ts
index 827b8a3b8..cdbf66f00 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/settings.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/settings.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 import type { TournamentStageSettings } from "~/db/tables";
 import { TOURNAMENT } from "~/features/tournament/tournament-constants";
 import { assertUnreachable } from "~/utils/types";
-import type { CreateBracketInput, StageSettings, StageType } from "../types";
+import type {
+	BracketData,
+	CreateBracketInput,
+	StageSettings,
+	StageType,
+} from "../types";
 
 /**
  * Resolves the user-selected settings into the engine's internal stage
@@ -44,6 +49,18 @@ export function resolveStageSettings(input: CreateBracketInput): StageSettings {
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * How many rounds a swiss bracket was created with. Read off the stage's own
+ * settings (resolved and persisted when the bracket was created) so that later
+ * edits to the tournament's bracket progression can't change the advance and
+ * elimination math of a bracket that already exists.
+ */
+export function swissRoundCount(data: BracketData): number {
+	return (
+		data.stage[0]?.settings.roundCount ?? TOURNAMENT.SWISS_DEFAULT_ROUND_COUNT
+	);
+}
+
 /** Whether the bracket will include a third place match. Only possible for single elimination with at least 4 participants. */
 export function hasThirdPlaceMatch(args: {
 	type: StageType;
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/single-elimination.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/single-elimination.ts
index 03f171e9b..c002ad054 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/single-elimination.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/create/single-elimination.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { Duel, ParticipantSlot } from "../types";
 import type { StageCreator } from "./builder";
-import { ordering } from "./seeding";
+import { ordering, STANDARD_BRACKET_FIRST_ROUND_ORDERING } from "./seeding";
 
 /**
  * Creates a single elimination stage.
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ import { ordering } from "./seeding";
 export function createSingleElimination(creator: StageCreator): void {
 	const slots = creator.getSlots();
 	const stage = creator.createStage();
-	const method = creator.getStandardBracketFirstRoundOrdering();
-	const ordered = ordering[method](slots);
+	const ordered = ordering[STANDARD_BRACKET_FIRST_ROUND_ORDERING](slots);
 
 	const { losers } = creator.createStandardBracket(stage.id, 1, ordered);
 	createConsolationFinal(creator, stage.id, losers);
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/index.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/index.ts
index a36987134..16a3e79c1 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/index.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/index.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
  */
 
 export { create } from "./create";
-export { hasThirdPlaceMatch, roundRobinGroupCount } from "./create/settings";
+export {
+	hasThirdPlaceMatch,
+	roundRobinGroupCount,
+	swissRoundCount,
+} from "./create/settings";
 export { endDroppedTeamMatches } from "./propagation/dropped-teams";
 export { reportResult } from "./propagation/report-result";
 export { resetMatchResults } from "./propagation/reset-result";
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/swiss/pairing.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/swiss/pairing.ts
index a5814faab..0749b9049 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/swiss/pairing.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/core/engine/swiss/pairing.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import blossom from "edmonds-blossom-fixed";
 import { err, ok, type Result } from "neverthrow";
 import * as R from "remeda";
-import { TOURNAMENT } from "~/features/tournament/tournament-constants";
 import invariant from "~/utils/invariant";
+import { swissRoundCount } from "../create/settings";
 import type {
 	BracketData,
 	GeneratedRound,
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export function generateRound(
 	args: {
 		groupId: number;
 		standings: SwissStanding[];
-		settings: { advanceThreshold?: number; roundCount?: number } | null;
+		settings: { advanceThreshold?: number } | null;
 	},
 ): Result<GeneratedRound, string> {
 	// lets consider only this groups matches
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ export function generateRound(
 
 	// filter out teams that have advanced or been eliminated if early advance/elimination is enabled
 	if (typeof args.settings?.advanceThreshold === "number") {
-		const roundCount =
-			args.settings.roundCount ?? TOURNAMENT.SWISS_DEFAULT_ROUND_COUNT;
+		const roundCount = swissRoundCount(data);
 		const advanceThreshold = args.settings.advanceThreshold;
 
 		standingsWithoutDropouts = standingsWithoutDropouts.filter((standing) => {
diff --git a/migrations/159-tournament-match-nullable-opponents.js b/migrations/159-tournament-match-nullable-opponents.js
index 7a0cef59f..204b3e7ba 100644
--- a/migrations/159-tournament-match-nullable-opponents.js
+++ b/migrations/159-tournament-match-nullable-opponents.js
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ export function up(db) {
 					"stageId",
 					"groupId",
 					"number",
-					case when "opponentOne" = 'null' then null else json_remove("opponentOne", '$.result', '$.forfeit') end,
-					case when "opponentTwo" = 'null' then null else json_remove("opponentTwo", '$.result', '$.forfeit') end,
+					case when "opponentOne" = 'null' then null else json_remove("opponentOne", '$.result', '$.forfeit', '$.totalPoints', '$.totalKos') end,
+					case when "opponentTwo" = 'null' then null else json_remove("opponentTwo", '$.result', '$.forfeit', '$.totalPoints', '$.totalKos') end,
 					case
 						when "opponentOne" ->> '$.result' = 'win' then 'opponent1'
 						when "opponentTwo" ->> '$.result' = 'win' then 'opponent2'