Paste names, choose the number of teams or the number of people per team, and this shuffles everyone into fair random groups. It suits classrooms, five-a-side football, workshops and board games.
How to use it
- Enter the names, one per line.
- Choose between a set number of teams or a team size.
- Enter the amount.
- Press Make teams.
When it helps
- Picking sides for a game.
- Splitting a class into groups.
- Making discussion groups at an event.
- Assigning people to projects.
Good to know
- If the numbers don't divide evenly, some teams get one extra person.
- Press the button again for a new split.
- Enter each person once.
How teams are formed
The names are shuffled using an unbiased shuffle, so every ordering is equally likely. The tool then deals them out like cards, one to each team in turn. If you ask for 3 teams with 10 people, the groups come out as 4, 3 and 3.
If you choose a team size instead, the number of teams is worked out for you: 10 people in teams of 4 gives 3 teams, with the last one smaller.
Worked example: a class project
A teacher has 26 students and wants groups of about 5. Enter the names, choose the people-per-team option, and set the amount to 5. The tool makes 6 teams, the first few with 5 members and the rest with 4, which keeps groups as even as possible.
If a team turns out to contain two students who don't work well together, press the button again for a fresh shuffle, and stop when the arrangement works.
Fair play and tips
Random teams are fair in the sense that nobody picks, but they can be unbalanced in skill. If balance matters, split strong players into separate lists first, run each list separately and combine them.
For repeat sessions, such as weekly games, new random teams each time give everybody a chance to play with different people, which many groups prefer.
Making groups work
Random teams spread people around, which helps classes and workplaces mix. They don't guarantee a good balance of skills or personalities, so a quick glance after the shuffle is sensible. If a team is lopsided, reshuffle.
For ongoing activities, keep a record of past groups so you can avoid repeating the same pairings. A simple note on a shared document is enough.
Handling odd numbers
With an uneven number of people, one team will be smaller. If that matters, give the smaller team a slight advantage, or let a person act as a floating member who helps whichever side needs it.
Rotating roles
Within each team, you can run a second draw to pick a captain, a note taker or a presenter. Paste just the team's names into the Random Name Picker and choose one.
Questions
Are teams balanced by skill?
No, they're random.
What if someone's absent?
Remove their name and press the button again.