VORTEX FIELD NOTES
TEAM PICKER DESK
REPORT 04

RANDOM TEAMS • PRACTICAL FIELD GUIDE

Fair Team Assignment Guide

Create random teams without the awkward picking.

Add every name, spin one person at a time, and place each result into the next team. The choice stays visible—and nobody has to play captain.

Go to the Team Picker Explore Name Picker Wheels
SPIN THE WHEEL LAB
THE TEAM ASSIGNMENT DESK
NEXT: PREP THE ROSTER ↓
Spin the Wheel Lab colorful wheel spinner banner Business version of the Spin the Wheel Lab banner
Lab Biz
TEAM DESK NEWS BRIEF
THE SHORT ANSWER

What does a team picker wheel actually do?

A team picker wheel randomly selects one name at a time. You place each selected person into a team, pair, group, station, or role using a rule chosen before the first spin.

The wheel makes the selection order random and visible. It does not measure skills or automatically guarantee balanced teams—you decide the number of teams, the assignment pattern, and any grouping requirements.

Round-robin teams Random partners Team captains Station rotations Activity roles
ASSIGNMENT WIRE CHOOSE THE TEAMS  •  LOAD EVERY NAME  •  SET THE ORDER  •  SPIN  •  REMOVE EACH PICK
HOW TO ASSIGN RANDOM TEAMS

Four moves. No captain draft.

Build a complete roster, choose a fixed team order, spin one name, and remove that result before the next assignment.

01
ROSTER

Load every name

Add everyone who is eligible, remove duplicates, and check the final list before the first spin.

LIST CHECKED
02
METHOD

Set the team order

Choose the teams and a fixed rotation. For two teams, send the first pick to Team A, the second to Team B, and repeat.

RULE LOCKED
03
LIVE PICK

Spin the next name

Keep the wheel where the group can see it, press Spin, and place the selected person into the next team in your rotation.

PICK VISIBLE
04
NEXT ROUND

Record, remove, repeat

Write down the assignment, eliminate the selected name, move to the next team, and continue until the roster is empty.

NO REPEATS
VORTEX ASSIGNMENT DESK CHECK THE LIST → SET THE ROTATION → SPIN → REMOVE → REPEAT
Name Picker Wheel collection banner
TEAM PICKER DESK
ASSIGNMENT BEATS
FIELD EDITION

PICK THE RIGHT METHOD

One wheel. Six assignment plans.

Random selection handles the picking. Your assignment rule handles group size, skill needs, accessibility, and everything the wheel cannot know.

01
CLASSROOM

Classroom groups

Use a fixed rotation for projects, labs, and table groups. Make any necessary learning, support, or accessibility adjustments after the random draw.

02
PARTNERS

Partner selection

Pair the first two names, then the next two. If the roster has an odd number, decide beforehand whether the final pick joins a trio or receives another role.

03
GAMES

Game teams

For casual play, rotate picks across the teams. If skill balance matters, create skill bands first and run a separate random draw within each band.

04
WORKSHOPS

Workshop tables

Set each table’s capacity before spinning. Skip any group that reaches its limit and continue the rotation until every participant has a place.

05
LIVE EVENTS

Audience assignments

Confirm that people want to participate before adding them. On a public screen, use first names, initials, or approved nicknames instead of sensitive information.

06
ROTATIONS

Repeat sessions

Record previous partners or groups between rounds. The wheel can randomize the next pick, but your record prevents the same combinations from returning too often.

VORTEX COPY DESK THE WHEEL PICKS A NAME. YOU DESIGN THE GROUP.
Name Picker Information Lab
Random Name Picker Guide Giveaway Winner Picker Guide Classroom Name Picker Guide
NEWSROOM EQUIPMENT DESK TEAM ASSIGNMENT CONSOLE

WHEEL CONTROLS TO USE

Set up a cleaner team draw.

Load the complete roster, prevent duplicate assignments, keep the odds equal, and put the wheel where everyone can follow the draw.

INPUT 01
BULK ADD

Paste the full roster

Paste names on separate lines or import the first column of a CSV, TSV, or TXT file. The wheel supports lists of up to 1,000 entries.

ROSTER → LOADED
FILTER 02
ELIMINATE

Prevent repeat picks

Turn on Eliminate to remove each winner before the next round. Every name can then be assigned once before the list runs out.

DUPLICATES → BLOCKED
PICK 03
MULTI-PICK

Run several rounds

Use Multi-pick when you need several selections in one session. Combine it with Eliminate when every result must be a different person.

NEXT PICKS → QUEUED
ODDS 04
EQUAL

Check the weights

Keep every name at the same weight when everyone should have the same chance. A higher weight intentionally makes that entry more likely to be selected.

EQUAL WEIGHTS → CHECKED
VIEW 05
OVERLAY

Show the live draw

Use Overlay Mode for a cleaner shared-screen view in classrooms, meetings, games, workshops, streams, and live events.

WHEEL → ON DISPLAY
FILE 06
VORTEX PRO

Save reusable setups

Vortex Pro dashboards let you save customized wheels, organize them into boards, duplicate versions, and reopen regular rosters without rebuilding them.

REUSABLE SETUP → SAVED

RELATED FIELD REPORTS

Need a different kind of pick?

Continue with the guide that matches your next job: selecting one name, managing classroom participation, or drawing a giveaway winner.

FIELD REPORT 01
THE PICKER PRESS
ONE-NAME PICKS

Random Name Picker Guide

Learn how to prepare a list, select one person, prevent repeat results, and keep each random name pick visible.

OPEN NAME PICKER GUIDE
FIELD REPORT 02
THE PICKER PRESS
CLASSROOM PICKS

Classroom Name Picker Guide

Choose student turns, helpers, presentation order, review participants, and classroom roles with a clear participation plan.

OPEN CLASSROOM GUIDE
FIELD REPORT 03
THE PICKER PRESS
WINNER DRAWS

Giveaway Winner Picker Guide

Prepare eligible entries, explain the drawing rules, select winners, handle redraws, and document a live giveaway result.

OPEN GIVEAWAY GUIDE
SPIN THE WHEEL LAB • NAME PICKER ARCHIVE CHOOSE THE REPORT THAT MATCHES THE JOB
LATE EDITION TEAM ASSIGNMENT DESK

ROSTER CHECKED • METHOD SET

Ready to draw the teams?

Add every name, keep the weights equal, set your team rotation, and eliminate each result after assigning it.

Build My Team Picker Explore Name Picker Wheels
SPIN THE WHEEL LAB END OF GUIDE • START OF DRAW