How does the generator decide who goes on which team?

It shuffles the names randomly, then deals them out one at a time to Team 1, Team 2, Team 3 and so on, cycling back to Team 1 when it reaches the last team. Nothing about the names themselves, such as order or length, affects placement.

Can the teams be uneven or a fixed size?

No. The tool always makes the teams as equal as possible. If the names don't divide evenly, the first few teams get one extra member. There is no option to set a team size directly; instead, divide your head count by the size you want and enter that number of teams.

Is there a limit on how many names I can enter?

There is no limit on names. The only constraint is that the number of teams cannot exceed the number of names entered.

How do I save or share the generated teams?

Each team card has a copy icon. Clicking it copies that team's members, one per line, to your clipboard. Paste into a message, a document or a spreadsheet. The page itself doesn't store results, so copy them before generating again.

Can I use it as a random football team generator?

Yes. Paste the names of everyone who turned up, enter 2, and you have two evenly sized sides.

Random Team Generator

Paste names one per line, set the number of teams, and get evenly sized, randomly shuffled teams you can copy in one click.

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The Random Team Generator takes a list of names, shuffles it, and deals the names out into as many teams as you ask for. Paste or type the names one per line, enter the number of teams, and press Generate Teams. Each team appears on its own colored card with a numbered list of members and a copy button. It works the same for 4 friends splitting into 2 for a game as for a class of 30 going into 6 project groups.

How the split works

The tool shuffles the full list of names first, then deals them round-robin into the teams: name one to Team 1, name two to Team 2, and so on until the list runs out. That means team sizes are always as even as the math allows. With 10 names and 3 teams you get sizes of 4, 3 and 3, never 6, 2 and 2. The order of the teams themselves is shuffled as well, so the leftover name from an uneven split doesn't always land on Team 1. Press the button again for a completely new arrangement.

A few rules the form enforces:

Names are split on line breaks. Blank lines are ignored, and the counter next to the label shows how many names it currently sees.
The number of teams must be at least 1 and no larger than the number of names. Ask for 5 teams with 4 names and you'll get an error message instead of empty teams.
There is no upper limit on the number of names. Long class rosters and league sign-up sheets work fine.
Duplicate names aren't merged. If "Sam" appears twice, two Sams get placed.

What the output looks like

Each team is a card labeled Team 1, Team 2 and so on, with a distinct background color drawn from a palette of 56 shades so the groups are easy to tell apart on a projector or phone. Members are listed in the order they were dealt. The copy icon in the corner of each card copies that team's names, one per line, so you can paste them straight into a chat, a spreadsheet or a printed sheet. There is no option to name the teams or set uneven sizes; if you need "captains pick" style teams, this isn't the tool for that.

Where it gets used

Pickup football, basketball or five-a-side. Type the names from the group chat, pick 2 teams, done. Nobody can complain the sides were stacked because nobody chose them.
Classroom project groups. Teachers use it to break up friendship clusters. Paste the roster, choose the number of groups, and read the results out or copy each card into a shared document.
Trivia and pub quiz nights. Mix regulars with newcomers by generating tables from the sign-in list.
Work offsites and hackathons. Split 40 people into 8 teams for a workshop, or randomize who sits together at lunch.
Online multiplayer lobbies. Squads for a custom match, when the in-game balancer isn't available or isn't trusted.

Related tools for smaller jobs

If you only need groups of exactly two, the Random Pair Generator is quicker. To pick a single winner from the list rather than divide it, use the Random Name Picker or the Random Picker. To decide which team kicks off, a coin-style call from the Odd or Even Generator or a spin of Spin the Arrow settles it. For prize draws with tickets rather than teams, see the Random Raffle Generator. Every picker and randomizer on the site is listed under all fun, party and decision tools.

Frequently asked questions

How does the generator decide who goes on which team?: It shuffles the names randomly, then deals them out one at a time to Team 1, Team 2, Team 3 and so on, cycling back to Team 1 when it reaches the last team. Nothing about the names themselves, such as order or length, affects placement.
Can the teams be uneven or a fixed size?: No. The tool always makes the teams as equal as possible. If the names don't divide evenly, the first few teams get one extra member. There is no option to set a team size directly; instead, divide your head count by the size you want and enter that number of teams.
Is there a limit on how many names I can enter?: There is no limit on names. The only constraint is that the number of teams cannot exceed the number of names entered.
How do I save or share the generated teams?: Each team card has a copy icon. Clicking it copies that team's members, one per line, to your clipboard. Paste into a message, a document or a spreadsheet. The page itself doesn't store results, so copy them before generating again.
Can I use it as a random football team generator?: Yes. Paste the names of everyone who turned up, enter 2, and you have two evenly sized sides. If you also want to pair players up for drills, the Random Pair Generator handles that.