How to make random teams
- Paste your names into the box, one per line.
- Choose Number of teams if you know how many groups you need, or People per team if group size matters more, such as pairs or trios.
- Optionally name the teams and add any keep-apart pairs.
- Press Make teams. Not happy with the mix? Press Regenerate for a completely new split.
Even teams, every time
Teams never differ by more than one person. Split 25 students into 4 teams and you get one team of 7 and three of 6; which team gets the extra person is random too. When you choose people per team, that number is treated as a maximum, so 10 players in groups of 3 become two groups of 3 and two of 2 rather than leaving one person on their own.
How the split stays fair
The generator shuffles your list with crypto.getRandomValues, the cryptographic random number source built into every modern browser, and deals people into teams from that shuffle. It doesn't look at the order you typed names in, so the first name on the list is no more likely to land on Team 1 than anyone else. With keep-apart pairs, any shuffle that breaks a rule is thrown away and a new one is made, so every arrangement that follows your rules has the same chance.
Tips for teachers
- Add keep-apart pairs for students who distract each other, or who were partners last time.
- Press Full screen to project the teams so the class can find their group quickly.
- Use the captain wheel to choose who reports back for each group; the spin keeps it light-hearted.
- Your class list is remembered in this browser, so next lesson you only need to press the button.
Tips for coaches
For practice games, random teams stop the same friends always playing together. If you want to spread your strongest players, add them as keep-apart pairs so they land on different sides. For drills in pairs or small groups, switch to people per team and set it to 2 or 3.
Frequently asked questions
Can I balance teams by skill?
The generator doesn't rate players, but keep-apart pairs give you a simple way to spread your strongest or most experienced people across different teams.
Why can't it keep everyone apart?
Too many pairs for too few teams can make it impossible. For example, three people who must all be separated need at least three teams. The message tells you which people are causing it.
Is my class list stored anywhere?
Only in your own browser, so it's there next time. Nothing is uploaded, and you can clear it by deleting the names.
How is a captain picked?
Press Pick captain on a team and spin its wheel. The captain is chosen at random when you press spin; the wheel then shows the result.