Random Team Generator
Split a list of names into balanced random teams.
Random Team Generator: the tool
Names and teams
0 names.
Saved lists
They are kept in this browser only. Nothing is sent to a server.
No saved list yet.
Teams
Add your names, choose how to split them and press Make teams.
Paste your names, choose how many teams or how many people per team, and press Make teams. Every team ends up the same size, or one person apart when the numbers do not divide evenly. Press again to reshuffle, and copy the result to share it.
How it works
The generator shuffles the whole list, then deals the names out like cards, one to each team in turn. Dealing in turn is what keeps the sizes even: with eleven people in three teams, the teams get four, four and three, and no team can ever differ from another by more than one person. Which people land together is as random as the shuffle, and the shuffle gives every possible arrangement the same chance.
You can ask for a number of teams or for a team size. With a team size, the number of teams is the number of people divided by that size, rounded up, so twelve people in teams of four make three teams, and eleven make three teams of four, four and three, because dividing eleven by four rounds up to three. The page shows how many teams that will make before you press anything.
The tool does not know who is strong, who is friends with whom or who must be kept apart. It is random on purpose. If you need balanced skill levels, split the list by level first, make teams from each level, and combine them yourself. Press Shuffle the teams again for a new arrangement as often as you like.
How to use it
- Paste the names, one per line, or press Use an example.
- Choose Number of teams or People per team, and enter the number.
- Press Make teams. Each team is shown with its members and its size.
- Press Shuffle the teams again for another arrangement, or copy the teams as text to send them.
Example
Eleven names split into three teams with a fixed sequence. The sizes are four, four and three, and every name appears in exactly one team.
What was set
- Names
- Ana, Ben, Cleo, Dan, Eva, Finn, Gus, Hana, Ines, Jules, Kim
- Split by
- 3 teams
What came out
- Team 1 (4)
- Ben, Ines, Eva, Hana
- Team 2 (4)
- Finn, Gus, Dan, Ana
- Team 3 (3)
- Jules, Kim, Cleo
Good to know
- You need at least two names and at least two teams, and you cannot make more teams than there are people.
- Teams are random. The tool cannot balance skill, keep friends apart or respect other conditions.
- The list can hold up to 500 names. Names written twice are treated as two people, so remove accidental duplicates first.
Questions people ask
Will the teams always be the same size?
As close as the numbers allow. Sizes never differ by more than one person. With thirteen people in four teams you get four, three, three and three.
Can I choose the number of people in each team instead?
Yes. Change Split by to People per team and enter the size you want. The number of teams is then worked out for you, and the last teams may be one person smaller.
How do I reshuffle if I do not like the result?
Press Shuffle the teams again. Each press starts from the original list, so earlier arrangements have no influence on the new one. It is fair to repeat the draw, but be clear with your group in advance about whether you will.
Can I keep certain people on the same team or apart?
Not in this tool, which splits purely at random. One way to keep two people together is to write them as a single entry, such as Ana and Ben. To keep people apart, make the teams and swap them by hand afterwards.
Are the names uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser. You can save a list under a name to reuse it, and then it is kept in your browser's local storage and nowhere else.