1. Capo
Best for: teams balanced from recent results, with a score to prove it
Builds balanced teams automatically from recent performances and shows a Balance Score so everyone can see it's fair. You can drag players between teams before locking them, or use sliders for full control over attributes. It also runs in/out replies with a waitlist, payments and stats for a regular 5-a-side.
Free for organisers; players pay a small fee per match if you use in-app payments · iPhone
Capo’s listing2. Our League
Best for: a weekly kickabout that wants teams from past games and stats
Suggests a balanced split from previous performances, or you hand out the bibs yourself. Players mark themselves in or out, reserves are handled when the game is full, and results, goals, assists and player of the match votes build up into stats and records.
Free; optional ad-free subscriptions · iPhone, iPad, Android, web
Our League’s listing3. Squadcard (ours)
Best for: the same group every week, with teams from ratings the whole squad votes on
After every game everyone rates everyone else, and those ratings pick the teams: keepers split, sizes level, and the organiser's keep-apart and keep-together pairs respected. The longer you play, the fairer the teams get. Players join and say they're in from a link, with no download.
Free to join, vote and see your card; starting a squad needs Squad Pro (7 days free on the yearly plan) · Web, iPhone; players join from a link on any phone
4. Dobello
Best for: an organiser who rates the players and wants full control
You rate your players, pick who's playing and tap Generate. It compares the teams across six skills, keeps friends together or rivals apart, groups players into skill tiers, shows both formations and shares the line-up as an image. Works offline with no account; your data stays on your phone.
Free to try; no subscription · iPhone, Android
Dobello’s listing5. SquadShuffle
Best for: skill levels you set, and a choice of ways to split
Each player gets a skill level from 1 to 10, and four ways to split: random, balanced by total skill, grouped by skill, or balanced within skill tiers. It keeps chosen players apart, puts one goalkeeper in each team, and tracks points per player across sessions.
Paid app · iPhone, iPad
SquadShuffle’s listing6. SquadBalance
Best for: teams from ratings the players give each other
Players rate each other anonymously from a link, with no account or download, and an attendance poll shows who's coming. Then it generates fair teams from those ratings in one click. Balancing by position is on the paid plan. Works for any sport.
Free plan; paid plans · Web, with a Chrome extension
SquadBalance’s listing7. FutSal Squad
Best for: futsal and small-sided groups that want rules in plain words
Generates balanced line-ups from player ratings (1 to 99 across attributes like pace, shooting and passing), positions and your own rules, which you can write in plain language, such as a goalkeeper in each team. Anonymous crowd ratings from your group are on the paid plans.
Free plan; paid plans · Web, on any phone or computer
FutSal Squad’s listing8. Five
Best for: teams built from who wants to play with whom
Each player picks three teammates they want and three to avoid, and an algorithm builds balanced line-ups from everyone's picks and bans. It also opens registration at a set time with a waiting list, and runs an anonymous player of the match vote.
Free, with a Premium subscription · iPhone
Five’s listing9. Squadius
Best for: leagues, with teams from stats and positions
Generates teams automatically from player stats and preferred positions. It's built around private and public leagues, rankings and finding matches nearby.
Free · iPhone
Squadius’s listing10. Foot8
Best for: a private league that wants balanced teams and keeper options
Once players have confirmed, it helps you create balanced teams, choose shirt colours and set a fixed or rotating goalkeeper. It's built around private five-a-side leagues: call-ups, date polls, results, MVPs and individual rankings.
Free, with in-app purchases · iPhone
Foot8’s listing11. Squadable
Best for: any sport and size of game, with payments
A team organiser for casual games and grassroots clubs in any sport: availability, payments, attendance and messages, with fair teams picked in the app.
Free for organisers; a service fee on online payments · iPhone, Android
Squadable’s listingJust need two sides for tonight? Our free team generator splits whoever's playing from a rough level for each player, keepers apart, with no account.
Questions
What's the best app for picking fair football teams?
It depends on what you want the teams balanced on. From past results: Capo or Our League. From ratings the organiser sets: Dobello or SquadShuffle. From ratings the players give each other: SquadBalance, FutSal Squad or Squadcard (we make Squadcard, so weigh that). From who wants to play with whom: Five. Foot8, Squadius and Squadable balance teams too.
Can I pick fair teams without an app?
Yes. A free team generator in the browser, like ours at squadcard.app/team-generator, splits a list of names into two fair sides from a rough level for each player, with no account.
Are ratings from the players fairer than the organiser's?
They spread the job: no one person decides who's good, and nobody can blame the organiser for the teams. Several of these apps keep each player's ratings anonymous. Ratings the organiser sets are quicker to start with.