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What is a Random Team Generator?

A random team generator splits a list of names into teams for you, without anyone having to choose. It is useful whenever picking teams by hand would lead to arguments or hurt feelings: a game in the playground, a class activity, a cricket or football match among friends, a quiz night or a team-building event at work.

This tool shuffles your names at random and divides them into teams that are as equal in size as possible. You can choose either how many teams you want or how many players each team should have.

How to Make Random Teams

1. Add the names. Type them one by one and click Add, or paste a whole list separated by commas or new lines.
2. Check the list. Delete a name that does not belong and remove accidental duplicates.
3. Choose how to split: set the Number of teams, or set the Players per team.
4. Tick Assign a Captain to each team if you want a random captain in every team.
5. Click Generate Teams. The teams appear as cards, each with its own color and label.
6. Click Copy Teams to paste the result into a chat. Click Redistribute to shuffle the same names into new teams.

What You See on the Page

Item	Meaning
Name box and Add	Where you enter names one at a time, or paste a list
Names list	Shows all the names that you added, with a way to delete each one
Number of teams or Players per team	How the names are divided. You choose one of the two
Assign a Captain to each team	Picks one random member of every team as the captain
Generate Teams	Shuffles the names and makes the teams
Team cards	One card for each team, with a color, a label and its members
Copy Teams	Copies the teams as text that you can paste into a chat
Redistribute	Shuffles the same names again into new teams

Number of Teams or Players per Team

You can decide the split in two ways.

Option	You say	The tool works out
Number of teams	"I want 3 teams"	How many players go into each team
Players per team	"I want 4 players in a team"	How many teams are needed

With Players per team, the tool first works out the number of teams by dividing the number of names by the team size and rounding up, and then spreads the names evenly across those teams. This keeps the teams as equal as possible.

When the Names Do Not Divide Evenly

If the number of names does not divide evenly by the number of teams, some teams get one extra player. Team sizes never differ by more than one, and which teams get the extra player is decided at random.

players in each team = names divided by teams, rounded down
teams with one extra player = the remainder

Names	Teams	Team sizes
10	2	5 and 5
7	2	4 and 3
10	3	4, 3 and 3
12	5	3, 3, 2, 2 and 2
15	4	4, 4, 4 and 3
11	4	3, 3, 3 and 2

Players per team

Names	Players per team asked for	Teams made	Team sizes
9	3	3	3, 3 and 3
10	4	3	4, 3 and 3
11	4	3	4, 4 and 3
13	5	3	5, 4 and 4

If you need a team of exactly one size, such as a full side of 11, count your names first and use a number of names that divides evenly.

Captains

• Tick Assign a Captain to each team and every team gets one captain, marked on its card.
• Each captain is picked at random from the members of that team, so every member has the same chance.
• Captains are picked after the teams are made, so a captain is also a regular member of the team.
• Redistribute picks new teams and, if the option is ticked, new captains.
• If you do not tick the option, no captain is marked.

Is It Fair?

Fair here means two things. Every name has the same chance of landing in any team, and the team sizes are as equal as possible. The tool does this by shuffling the whole list at random and then dealing the names out one after another, like cards.

• It does not balance skill. The tool knows only names. It cannot tell a beginner from an expert, so a random split can give you one strong team and one weaker team.
• Re-shuffling until you like it removes the fairness. If you click Redistribute again and again until the teams look right to you, you are choosing the teams and not the tool.
• Friends together are normal. Two particular players often land on the same team, and it is not a sign that something is wrong.
• Not an audited draw. The shuffle uses your browser's random number generator, which is fine for games and activities. It is not meant for contests with prizes that must be certified.

How often will two friends be on the same team?

For two particular players, the chance of being on the same team is the number of other places in their team divided by the number of other players.

Names	Teams	Team size	Chance two particular players share a team
10	2	5	4 in 9, about 44%
12	2	6	5 in 11, about 45%
12	3	4	3 in 11, about 27%
12	4	3	2 in 11, about 18%

The numbers are for teams of equal size. With uneven teams, they change a little.

If You Want to Spread Out Strong Players

If you want every team to get a mix of stronger and newer players, you can do it in a simple way with this tool. Make one list of the stronger players and another list of everyone else. Run the tool for each list, with the same number of teams, and then combine Team A from the first run with Team A from the second run, Team B with Team B, and so on. Each list is still shuffled at random, and the mix is spread across the teams.

This works best when each list divides evenly by the number of teams. For labels and lists about people, especially children, be careful and respectful. Use groups that you can explain to everyone, and do not display them in a way that makes someone feel judged.

Adding Names

• One by one: Type a name and click Add, or press Enter.
• Paste a list: Names can be separated by commas or by new lines. You can paste a column from a spreadsheet, a class list or a chat.
• Extra spaces and empty entries are ignored.
• Delete or clear: Remove one name, or clear the whole list.
• Two people with the same name: Add a last initial or a nickname, such as Asha K and Asha M, so that you can tell them apart in the teams.
• Duplicates: A name that is added twice counts as two players. Remove accidental duplicates before you click Generate Teams.

Copy Teams

Copy Teams copies the result as plain text, so that you can paste it into a chat app such as WhatsApp or Messenger, into an email or into a document. Each team has its name, its captain if you used that option and its members. For example:

Team A (Captain: Asha)
Asha
Ravi
Meera

Team B (Captain: Kabir)
Kabir
Sana
Dev

These names are made-up examples. Chat apps can show the pasted text a little differently, for example with other spacing, so check it after you paste.

What Can You Use It For?

Use	Tip
Classroom activities and group projects	Paste the class list, choose the number of groups and generate
Sports among friends: cricket, football, kabaddi, volleyball	Choose 2 teams, or the players per side. Add captains
Quiz nights and board game evenings	Choose the number of teams and let the tool deal the players out
Office team-building and workshops	Use first names, and generate again between sessions to mix people differently
Party games and icebreakers	Quick teams without anybody feeling picked last
Study groups and lab groups	Choose players per group
Hackathons and competitions	Random groups, and check the rules of your event first

To pick one winner from a list of names, use the Random Picker Wheel. To pick numbers, use the Random Number Generator.

Tips

• Count your names first so that you know the team sizes that you will get.
• Check the list for typos and duplicates before you generate.
• Use first names or nicknames to keep the cards short and easy to read.
• Agree on the rules before you click. For example, decide whether a Redistribute is allowed and who is allowed to ask for it.
• Show the cards to everyone. Project the page or share your screen, so that everyone can see the teams being made.
• Copy before you generate again. A new split replaces the old one on the screen.
• For an odd number of players, decide in advance what to do with the extra person, such as a referee, a substitute or a scorer, or accept a team with one more player.
• Accept the first result. Re-shuffling until you like it is not a random split.

Common Mistakes

• Expecting teams of equal strength: The tool is random and does not know skill.
• Forgetting that sizes can differ by one: With 10 names in 3 teams, you get 4, 3 and 3.
• Asking for more teams than names: Each team needs at least one player.
• Adding a name twice: It counts as two players.
• Two people with the same name: Add an initial to tell them apart.
• Re-shuffling until you get the teams you want: That removes the fairness.
• Clearing the list or reloading the page by mistake: The names and the teams are not saved when the page reloads.

Good to Know

• The tool splits names only. It does not know about skill, age, position or friendships.
• It cannot keep certain people together or apart.
• Team sizes differ by at most one.
• There is a limit on the number of names and teams, and the tool tells you when you go over it.
• Team colors are only a help for the eye. Every team also has a text label, so the cards are readable in print and for people who cannot tell the colors apart.

Privacy

• The teams are made in your browser, and the names you add are not sent to our server.
• We do not save your names or your teams. They disappear when you close or reload the page, so copy what you need.
• If you add the names of children or other people, use first names or nicknames, and keep in mind that anyone who can see your screen can see them.
• No signup, no account and no app install are needed.

WhatsApp and Messenger are trademarks of their owners. WebToolsKit is not connected with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. Their names are used only to say where you can paste the text.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make random teams?

Add the names of your players, one by one or pasted as a list. Choose how many teams you want, or how many players should be in each team, and click Generate Teams. The names are shuffled at random and shown in separate team cards.

Is the split really random and fair?

Every name has the same chance of landing in any team, and the team sizes are as equal as possible. That is the kind of fairness the tool offers. It does not know anything about skill, age or experience, so it does not make teams of equal strength. The shuffle uses your browser's random number generator, which is fine for games, classes and team activities but is not an audited or certified draw.

What happens if the names do not divide evenly?

Some teams get one more player than the others, so team sizes differ by at most one. For example, 10 players in 3 teams make teams of 4, 3 and 3, and 11 players in 4 teams make teams of 3, 3, 3 and 2. Which teams are larger is also decided at random.

What is the difference between choosing the number of teams and the players per team?

If you choose the number of teams, the tool splits all the names into that many teams. If you choose the players per team, the tool works out how many teams are needed for that size, and then spreads the names evenly across them. For 10 players with 4 per team, it makes 3 teams of 4, 3 and 3, because 4 and 4 and 2 would not be even.

How does the captain option work?

When you tick Assign a Captain to each team, the tool picks one member of every team at random and marks that person as the captain. Every member of a team has the same chance to be chosen. The captains are picked after the teams are made, so a captain is also a normal member of the team.

What does Redistribute do?

Redistribute shuffles the same names again and makes a new set of teams, with new captains if that option is ticked. You do not need to type the names again. Because it is random, a new split can look partly like the last one, and there is a small chance that it is the same.

How do I add many names quickly?

Paste a list into the box. Names can be separated by commas or by new lines, so you can copy a column from a spreadsheet or a class list. Extra spaces and empty entries are ignored.

What if the same name appears twice?

Each entry is counted as one player, so a name that is added twice is treated as two players. If two people have the same name, add a last initial to tell them apart, for example Asha K and Asha M. Remove accidental duplicates before you generate.

Can I make teams of equal skill?

Not directly. The tool shuffles names at random and does not know how strong anyone is. One way to spread strong players across teams is to run the tool separately for each group of players with the same number of teams, and then combine Team A with Team A, Team B with Team B and so on. If you re-shuffle until the teams look the way you like, the split is no longer random.

Why are two friends on the same team again?

That happens more often than people expect. With 10 players in 2 teams of 5, two particular players land on the same team about 44 percent of the time. With 12 players in 3 teams of 4, it is about 27 percent. This is normal for a random split and does not mean that the tool is broken.

How do I share the teams in WhatsApp or another chat?

Click Copy Teams and paste into the chat. The teams are copied as plain text, with each team's name, its captain if you used the option, and its members. WhatsApp, Messenger and other apps may display the text slightly differently.

Is there a limit on the number of names or teams?

Yes. There is a maximum number of names and teams so that the page stays fast and readable. The tool tells you when you go over it. You also cannot ask for more teams than there are names.

Are my names sent to a server?

No. The teams are made in your browser using JavaScript, and the names you add are not sent to our server. If you use real names of children or other people, use first names or nicknames, and remember that anyone looking at your screen can see them.

Is this random team generator free, and does it work on mobile?

Yes. The tool is free and needs no signup. It is designed for phone screens as well as desktop.