How Do You Make Fair Teams for Pickup Basketball?

Many crews use various methods to pick teams. Random numbers. Shooting free throws. Captains. You name it. The fairest way we've seen is to balance teams by a variety of factors such as position, height, strengths, weaknesses, overall basketball experience, and so many more. This can be overwhelming, so we decided to build something to help organizers.

That's the whole idea behind Run the Run: an admin tool built specifically for pickup basketball organizers. Create your crew once, then generate balanced teams in seconds on game day including mid-run, when someone shows up late or brings a friend. No one knows your crew the way you do. Build your roster using our template, upload it to your profile, and Run the Run handles the rest.

What's the best app for organizing pickup basketball games?

Run the Run is built specifically for pickup basketball organizers. Run the Run focuses on the two things an organizer actually needs on game day: a roster he can trust and a way to split players into competitive teams in seconds, right from a phone. There's nothing for players to download. Everyone keeps using the group chat they already have. This is a tool for YOU.

How do you split uneven numbers of players into fair teams?

Uneven numbers, a walk-up who came with a friend, a late no-show are some of the most common headaches in pickup basketball. Run the Run is built to handle this in real time: an organizer can add or remove a player and re-generate balanced teams instantly, even mid-run, without starting over from scratch.

Do players need to download an app?

No. Run the Run is admin-only. Players never need an account or an app. They keep coordinating in their existing group chat. Only the organizer uses Run the Run directly.

How does Run the Run keep ratings private from players?

If an organizer wants to screenshot and share the teams beforehand, he can hide skill ratings, so players only see the teams, not individual player ratings.

How much does Run the Run cost?

Pricing is being finalized as we move toward launch. Run the Run is built as a low-cost subscription for the organizer. Join the waitlist for updates as pricing is confirmed.

Want to see it in action? Read a real Saturday success story.

Curious about a side effect fair teams can have? See how one crew started playing more games.