Random team captain picker

Two captains, no arguments. Put the squad on the wheel, spin once for each captain, and get on with the game.

Click to spin
10 players · or press ctrl+enter

Type, paste or delete to change the wheel. It redraws as you go, and your list is kept on this device only. Up to 200 entries.

Picking two captains in a row

  • Load the full squad into the entries box.
  • Tick Remove the winner after each spin.
  • Spin once. That is your first captain, and they come off the wheel.
  • Spin again for the second captain, with no chance of a repeat.
  • Hit Reset to put everybody back on for the next game.

Why random beats the usual two

In most squads the captains are whoever shouted first, and it is the same pair every week. That is fine for a Saturday league game and quietly rubbish for a training session, because the players who would most benefit from having to organise someone never get asked to.

Spinning for it changes who has to make the decisions, and it does it without anyone having to be told they are being given a go. It is a small thing that makes five a side markedly less predictable.

Good for junior teams

Youth coaches use this more than anyone. Handing the armband out by wheel takes the politics out of it completely: no favourites, no parents to answer to, and every child gets a turn if you keep Remove the winner ticked across the season.

It is worth saying out loud to the group that the wheel is picking, not the coach. Children work that out immediately and it takes all the sting out of not being chosen.

One thing this wheel will not do

It picks people, not teams. A wheel lands on one entry at a time, so it cannot split ten players into two balanced fives in one go. The usual approach is to spin for the two captains and let them pick their sides, which is quicker anyway and considerably more entertaining.

FAQ

Questions about the wheel

How do I pick two different captains?

Tick Remove the winner after each spin, then spin twice. The first captain drops off the wheel, so the second spin cannot land on the same person.

Can the wheel split us into two teams?

Not in one spin, because a wheel picks one entry at a time. Spin for two captains and let them choose their sides, or spin repeatedly with Remove the winner on and alternate who each pick goes to.

Can I leave certain players off?

Yes. Delete their line from the entries box and they are not on the wheel. Anyone unavailable, injured or already captained this month can simply come off.

Will it remember my squad?

Yes. Your list is saved in the browser on that device, so it is there next session. Share this wheel gives you a link to send the same squad to somebody else.

Your squad deserves a proper rulebook

The wheel is the fun bit. Fine Club is the rest of it: the fines, the kitty, the leaderboard and the end of season do it all pays for. Free, on iOS and Android.