Random Team Generator
Paste a list of names and split them into fair, randomly shuffled teams by team count or team size.
0 names
Shuffles use your browser’s cryptographic random number generator. Nothing is uploaded.
How it works
- Paste or type your names into the box, one name per line — duplicates and extra blank lines are handled automatically.
- Choose whether to set the number of teams or the size of each team, then adjust the number with the field next to it.
- Review the live team lists, rename any team by clicking its title, and use Re-shuffle for a new draw or Copy all teams to share the result.
Frequently asked questions
- How random is the team shuffle?
- Names are shuffled with a Fisher–Yates algorithm driven by your browser’s cryptographic random number generator, the same source used for encryption keys. Every ordering of your list is equally likely, so no name is favored by position, alphabet, or the time you click. Pressing Re-shuffle produces a completely independent new draw.
- What happens when the names don’t divide evenly?
- The generator keeps team sizes as balanced as possible: with 10 names and 3 teams you get sizes 4, 3 and 3, never one team of 8 and two teams of 1. Which teams receive the extra member is part of the random draw, and each team header shows its member count so the split is always visible.
- How does the captains option work?
- When the captains toggle is on, the first lines of your list — one per team — become captains and are pinned to the top of each team, marked with a captain label. Only the remaining names are shuffled and dealt out beneath them. Put your pre-chosen leaders at the top of the list before enabling it.
- Is my name list uploaded or stored anywhere?
- No. The entire tool runs as JavaScript in your browser tab; the list is never sent to a server and disappears when you close the page. That makes it safe for class rosters, employee names, or any list you would rather not paste into an online service that logs input.
- What can I use a random team generator for?
- Common uses include splitting a class into project groups, drawing balanced sides for five-a-side football or padel, forming breakout groups in workshops, pairing people for Secret Santa-style activities, and dividing a pub quiz crowd. Because the draw is provably random, nobody can claim the teams were stacked.
About this tool
This random team generator takes a plain list of names and divides it into balanced groups in one step. Paste names one per line, then choose between two modes: set the number of teams you want, or set how many people each team should hold and let the tool work out how many teams that makes. The result appears instantly and updates live as you edit the list, change the numbers, or toggle options — there is no generate button to hunt for, only a Re-shuffle button when you want a fresh draw.
Everything happens locally in your browser. The shuffle uses the Web Crypto API’s random number generator with a Fisher–Yates pass, which guarantees every possible ordering of your list is equally probable — a meaningful upgrade over generators that rely on weaker pseudo-random sources. Because no data leaves your device, the tool is appropriate for school rosters, company team-building lists, and other names you would rather keep private.
Uneven lists are handled fairly rather than hidden. If 11 people are split into 3 teams, the generator produces teams of 4, 4 and 3, and prints the member count next to every team name so the imbalance is obvious at a glance. The captains option pins your pre-selected leaders — the first lines of the list, one per team — to the top of each group while the rest of the names are dealt randomly beneath them.
A few practical tips: rename teams by clicking their titles before copying, so the shared text already says “Red” and “Blue” instead of “Team 1” and “Team 2”. If someone objects to a draw, hit Re-shuffle in front of the group — watching the redraw happen is usually enough to settle any argument. The Copy all teams button produces clean, plain text that pastes neatly into chat apps, email, and spreadsheets.