Random team generator: fair groups in one tap
Splitting people into teams by hand takes time and can feel unfair. Friends end up together, and someone is always picked last. This random team generator does it for you. Paste the names, choose how many teams you want, and get balanced random groups in a second. It is a random group generator for teachers, coaches, office managers and game night hosts. It is free, there is no account, and it works in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
How to make random teams
- Type the names. Enter everyone in the box, one name per line. You can paste a list from a spreadsheet or a document. The list is saved in your browser for next time.
- Choose the split. The sentence reads “Make 2 teams”. Tap it to change to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 teams, or to teams of 2, 3, 4 or 5 people.
- Make the teams. Press the button or the Space bar. The names are shuffled, then dealt out like cards, one to each team in turn, so the teams are balanced.
- Read the result. Teams appear as cards named Team 1, Team 2, and so on.
- Copy. The Copy button copies all the teams as text, ready to paste into a chat, an email or a slide.
- Reshuffle. Not happy with the mix? Press Make teams again to get brand new teams from the same list.
The full screen button in the header shows the teams in big type for a gym wall or a projector, and the round button at the bottom right changes the page color.
Balanced teams: how the sizes work
Because the names are dealt one at a time, team sizes never differ by more than one person. When the group divides evenly, every team is the same size. When it does not, a few teams get one extra person. Here is what happens with 24 people:
| 24 people into | Team sizes |
|---|---|
| 2 teams | 12 and 12 |
| 3 teams | 8, 8 and 8 |
| 4 teams | 6, 6, 6 and 6 |
| 5 teams | 5, 5, 5, 5 and 4 |
Who lands on which team is random. The shuffle uses your browser's cryptographic random generator, the same kind of source used for security, so every arrangement of the list is equally likely. Nobody can predict, or quietly arrange, who ends up together.
Ideas for using random groups
PE class and recess
Random teams skip the old ritual of two captains picking players one by one, where the same kids always wait until the end. Put the class list in once, and use it all year.
Group projects
Random groups mix students who would not usually work together. Choose teams of 3 or 4 people for a project, copy the result, and post it for the class.
Office games and team building
Mix departments for a quiz, a scavenger hunt or a lunch rotation. Copy the teams into your team chat so everyone knows where to go.
Trivia nights
Random tables keep the regulars from stacking one team with all the trivia buffs. Press Make teams again each round if you want new teams every time.
Pickup games
Soccer, basketball, volleyball, kickball. Type the names of whoever showed up, make 2 teams, and start playing.
Tips for fair teams
- Check the list first. Make sure everyone is on it once. A name typed twice would land on two teams.
- Pick team size or team count. Use a number of teams when you have fixed spaces, like four tables or two courts. Use people per team for pairs or small project groups.
- Keep the first result. Agree before you press the button that the first result stands. Shuffling again until the teams look “right” defeats the point.
- Mix up skills. Random teams are fair on average, but any one draw can be lopsided. For a serious match, you can always swap a player or two after.
Related tools
Just need one or two people instead of whole teams? The random name picker chooses names from the same kind of list. To decide which team goes first, spin the wheel or flip a coin.
Your list stays private. It is saved only in your own browser, nothing is sent to a server, and the team generator keeps working offline once the page has loaded.