TheOwlBay
Random team generator
Paste names and split into fair groups — free, no sign-up
Groups: how many teams. Size: max people per team.
Keep-apart is best-effort. If a pair still ends up on the same team, a yellow warning appears with the results — change the number of groups or drop a pair and generate again.
Paste a class list or roster and split it into fair groups instead of drawing one winner and stopping. Choose how to split, optionally keep two people apart, then generate teams you can copy or print. Shuffles use crypto.getRandomValues in this browser. Names stay in localStorage on your device until you clear them. This is not a raffle, not Secret Santa, and not a seating chart with rows.
Why a team splitter is not a picker
Teachers, PE coaches, and game-night hosts need every name placed, not one winner from a hat. A random picker answers a different job. A raffle picker answers yet another. This random team generator exists so you can paste the roster once, choose number of groups or a target size, and print balanced sides. Keep apart is for the two students who should not share a table, not a guarantee against every social graph. We do not host leagues, sell team jerseys, or rank skill. If you need a speaking order, use list shuffle. If you need 1:1 gift assignments, use Secret Santa. If you need a bracket, use the tournament page. TheOwlBay does not require an account and does not upload the roster unless you copy a share link yourself.
How to split into groups
Paste names, one per line or comma-separated. Choose Number of groups when you know how many teams you want, or Group size when you know how many people should be in each team (for example groups of 4). Generate, then copy, print, or share the result.
Keep-apart is a group generator feature for teachers who must separate two students. It is best-effort: if the math cannot honor a pair, teams still appear with a warning so you can change the group count.
Need one name instead of teams? Use the random picker from list. Need only two choices? Use the coin flip.
Examples
24 students → 6 groups of 4 for a lab.
Keep-apart: two captains who should not share a team.
Common mistakes
Pasting one name per comma on the same line without newlines — one per line is clearest.
Using teams when you only need one winner — open the random picker.
How groups are filled
Names are shuffled with crypto.getRandomValues, then dropped into buckets so leftovers go to the smallest groups first. That is balanced placement, not a claim of true random, and not a skill ranking. Keep apart tries to separate listed pairs after the shuffle; it cannot invent extra teams if you asked for two groups and twenty inseparable pairs. The page will not upload the roster to a TheOwlBay account. localStorage holds the textarea and last split settings on this device. Share URLs encode the result for convenience; they are not encrypted envelopes. If you only need one name from the list, the picker is the honest tool. If you need a full unique draft order with optional weights, use the draft-order page instead of this splitter.
Who should use the team generator
Classroom teachers making lab groups, PE staff splitting squads, managers running mixers, and board-game hosts who need even tables will get more from this than from a coin toss. It is also for quiz sides and hackathon pods when everyone on the list must land somewhere. It is not for picking a single raffle prize, seating a wedding with plus-ones, or drawing Secret Santa gifts. Keep apart helps when two people must be separated; it is not a full constraint solver. Print the teams, put them on the board, and if the room needs a countdown use the classroom timer. TheOwlBay does not grade the groups or keep your class list in the cloud.
FAQ
How do I make groups of four?
Set Split by to People per group, enter 4, paste Names, and press Generate. Copy or Print when the sides look right.
Will Keep apart always succeed?
No. It is best-effort. If a pair still shares a team, change Number of groups or drop a pair and Generate again.
Is the split a skill ranking?
No. Names are shuffled with crypto.getRandomValues and placed to keep group sizes close. It is not true random and not a seed ranking.
Where is the roster stored?
In localStorage on this device. TheOwlBay does not require an account. Share links are optional.
I only need one winner. Is this the page?
No. Use the random picker. Use this page when every name must land on a team.