Team picker wheel – captains and random teams
Add everyone's name, then either spin to pick captains or use Split into teams to deal all the names into 2 to 50 random teams at once. Team sizes never differ by more than one person, and a fresh split is a single click away.
Press Spin, click the wheel, or press Ctrl + Enter.
Results
- Your results will appear here.
How to make random teams
Add the players
Replace the sample names with your group, typed one by one or pasted with Edit as text.
Choose how many teams
In the Split into teams box, set the number of teams. It starts at 2.
Make the teams
Press Make teams. Each team is listed with its members and its size.
Or pick captains
Spin for the first captain, then press Remove it and spin again in the pop-up to pick the second.
How does the split into teams box work?
Make teams shuffles the whole list into a random order and then deals it out like a pack of cards: the first name to Team 1, the second to Team 2, and round again. Twelve players in two teams gives six and six. Thirteen players in three teams gives five, four and four. Each team is shown with its head count in brackets.
The split uses every name on the wheel and does not change the wheel, so you can press the button again for a different mix. Agree in advance that the first split stands, or the group will lobby for a re-deal until their friends are together.
How do I pick team captains with the wheel?
Spin once and the winner is the first captain. In the result pop-up, press Remove it and spin again: the first captain leaves the wheel and the second spin names the other captain. The captains can then choose players in turns, playground style.
If being chosen last is a sore point in your group, skip the picking. Once both captains are off the wheel, press Make teams to deal the remaining players into two sides and give one side to each captain. Nobody is chosen last, because nobody is chosen at all.
Random teams for PE, game nights and work
- PE and sports clubs: split a class into bibs and non-bibs in seconds, or make four small-sided teams for a mini tournament.
- Game nights: quiz teams, charades, Pictionary or any game played in pairs.
- Workshops and training: breakout groups that mix departments instead of letting people sit with their usual colleagues.
- Hackathons: set the number of teams to the number of project briefs, then spin a second wheel to match teams to briefs.
To decide which team kicks off or serves, spin the who goes first wheel or toss a coin.
Are random teams fair teams?
Random teams are free of favouritism, but chance can still put the three strongest players on the same side. When balance matters, split in two stages. Put only your strongest players on the wheel first and make two teams, then replace them with everyone else and make two teams again. Combine Team 1 with Team 1, and Team 2 with Team 2, and each side gets an even share of the stars.
Our guide on how to split people into fair teams covers other methods, such as snake drafts and seeding. If you would rather set the team size than the team count, the random team generator can split by people per team and copy the teams in one click.
Frequently asked questions
How many teams can the team picker make?
Anywhere from 2 to 50. Type the number into the Split into teams box and press Make teams. With more teams than players, some teams will simply be empty, so keep the number at or below your head count.
What happens if the players do not divide evenly?
The names are dealt one at a time to each team in turn, so team sizes never differ by more than one. Fourteen players in three teams, for example, gives teams of five, five and four.
Does making teams remove names from the wheel?
No. Make teams only reads the list, so the wheel stays exactly as it was and you can split again. Only spinning with removal on, or pressing Remove it and spin again, takes names off the wheel.
Can I copy the teams into a message?
The teams box on this page shows the teams on screen, so take a screenshot to share them. The random team generator has a Copy teams button if you need the lists as text.
Can I keep two friends on different teams?
The wheel has no rules for keeping people apart. Put the two friends on the wheel on their own, make two teams, then do the same with everyone else and merge the results, as in the two-stage split described above.