How to Split Players into Equal Teams

The Problem with Manual Splitting

When you manually split players, you rely on gut feeling. This usually results in teams that look fair on paper but play unevenly. The organiser also bears the blame when one team dominates — "You put all the good batsmen on their side!"

Step 1: Rate Your Players

Give each player a rating from 1 to 10 on four skills: batting, bowling, fielding, and fitness. Be honest — this is the foundation of fair splits. A cricketer who bats well but can't field deserves different treatment than an all-rounder.

Step 2: Mark Availability

Not everyone plays every week. Toggle availability for each player so only confirmed attendees enter the team split. This prevents "ghost players" from skewing the balance.

Step 3: Choose an Algorithm

Squadly offers four splitting algorithms:

• Smart Balance — role-weighted strength with snake draft and swap optimisation. Best for most groups.
• ELO Balance — uses historical match data. Best after 10+ games.
• Role Balance — ensures equal distribution of batters, bowlers, and all-rounders.
• Random — pure shuffle for when you want chaos.

Step 4: Generate and Share

Tap Generate. Review the fairness score. If it is below 90%, try regenerating or check the swap suggestions. Once happy, save the match and share the teams on WhatsApp.

Handling Odd Numbers

With an odd number of players (e.g. 11), one team will have one extra player. The algorithm accounts for this by putting the weaker extra player on the team with fewer players, keeping total strength balanced.