What formats does Lineup support — 5-a-side, 7-a-side, 9-a-side?

Yes — 5-a-side, 6-a-side, 7-a-side, 8-a-side, and 9-a-side are all supported. Lineup works for any number of available players and splits them into however many teams you need. If your group happens to run an 11-a-side, it can technically handle that too — but most amateur groups playing 11-a-side are in a league and need different tools.

Is the team generator free?

Yes. The fair team generator is free for all Lineup groups, with no trial period or credit card required.

Fair football team generator

Q: How does the fair team generator work?

Each player in your group is assigned a skill rating. When you generate teams, Lineup distributes players so the combined skill rating of each team is as equal as possible. The result and each player's rating are visible to everyone, so the process is fully transparent.

Balanced football teams. No arguments.

Lineup's fair team generator distributes players by skill so every game is competitive — and every player can see exactly how the teams were picked.

No credit card required. Free forever.

Product screenshot

Why picking teams manually always causes problems

Even with the best intentions, manual team selection looks rigged — because the process is invisible.

Without Lineup

Teams picked by whoever shouts first
Strong players always end up together
"These teams aren't fair" — every week
No record of how it was done

With Lineup

Algorithm distributes skill ratings evenly
Teams balanced before anyone sees them
Full transparency — players see the ratings
Same fair process every single game

How the fair team generator works

Three steps to balanced teams, every time.

Rate your players

Assign each player in your group a skill rating from 1 to 5. You only do this once — ratings are saved to your roster and used for every future game.

Select who's playing

Before each game, mark which players from your roster are available. Lineup uses exactly who you select — no more, no less.

Generate and share

Hit generate. The algorithm splits players so total skill on each side is as equal as possible. Share the result with one tap.

Everything built around fairness

The details that make the difference in a real group setting.

Skill-based balancing

Player skill ratings are distributed so both teams have an equal total — not just equal numbers of players.

Fair by design

Skill ratings are managed by the admin and kept private — so players trust the outcome without the awkwardness of knowing their rating.

AI team generation

Coming soon

Coming soon — an upgraded brute-force algorithm that evaluates every possible combination and surfaces the single most balanced lineup.

Any group size

From a 6-player 3-a-side to an 18-player 9-a-side — the algorithm adapts to whoever shows up.

Share instantly

Share the team sheet directly to your WhatsApp group with one tap. No screenshots, no copying names out.

Ratings saved to your roster

Set a rating once and it's there for every future game. Update it anytime as players improve.

Works for every format

Whether you're running a tight 5-a-side or a 9-a-side, Lineup generates balanced teams from whoever's available that day.

Team result screenshot

Frequently asked questions

You rate each player based on a few core skills. When you generate teams, Lineup's algorithm distributes players so the combined skill rating of each team is as equal as possible.

Yes — 5-a-side, 6-a-side, 7-a-side, 8-a-side, and 9-a-side are all supported. Lineup works with any number of available players and splits them into however many teams you need. And if your group does happen to run an 11-a-side, it can technically handle that too — that's your jam.

You can still use Lineup — it will generate random teams. But the skill rating is what makes the result genuinely fair rather than just random. Most groups find it takes under a minute to rate everyone, and it's well worth it.

Yes. Transparency is a core part of how Lineup works. Players can see the skill ratings used and how teams were balanced. This is what ends the 'you rigged it' argument — the numbers are right there.

Yes. The fair team generator is completely free for all Lineup groups, with no trial period or credit card required.

Ready for your first fair game?

Free forever. Takes 5 minutes to set up. Your players will notice the difference.