Basketball Lineup Generator
Free basketball lineup and rotation generator. Enter your squad and it builds a fair five for each quarter, with even court time and a bench list you can print or copy.
What is a basketball rotation?
How to use this lineup generator
- Add every player in your squad, and tick must play for anyone who needs court time this week.
- Pick the position set that matches how your team plays. Junior teams often do better without specialist positions.
- Choose quarters, halves, or eight shorter rotations for the most even split.
- Generate, then copy or print the rotation for the bench.
How the quarter maths works
The number of on-court slots in a match is fixed: positions × quarters. Sharing them between your squad is simple division, and it is what decides whether an even split is even possible.
| Squad size | Quarters each | Even split? |
|---|---|---|
| 5 players | 4 | Yes — identical for everyone |
| 7 players | 2 or 3 | No — 6 players get one extra |
| 8 players | 2 or 3 | No — 4 players get one extra |
| 10 players | 2 | Yes — identical for everyone |
| 12 players | 1 or 2 | No — 8 players get one extra |
This is why a rotation that looks unfair often is not. With 5 positions there is no arrangement that gives an awkward squad size identical time — the best any coach can do is keep the gap to a single quarter, and rotate who carries it from week to week.
Positions in this format
| Format | Positions |
|---|---|
| Standard five Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward, Centre. | PG · SG · SF · PF · C |
| Guards / forwards only For junior teams that do not play specialist positions yet. | G1 · G2 · F1 · F2 · C |
| 3x3 (3 on court) | G · F · C |
For what each position actually does, see basketball positions explained, and the basketball rules of the game for formats and timings.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Formats follow the junior grades used in New Zealand — always check your own competition handbook, which takes precedence.
Common questions
How do you split court time evenly in junior basketball?
Decide on your rotation blocks before the game rather than during it. Five positions over four quarters is 20 slots. With a squad of 10 that is exactly 2 quarters each; with 8 players it is 2 or 3 each. Sorting it out beforehand is far easier than trying to remember who has sat during a game.
Should junior teams play fixed positions?
Most junior programmes recommend against locking children into one position, so they develop a fuller set of skills. The "guards / forwards only" preset exists for that — it fills five spots without implying a specialist role. Use the preferred-position field sparingly if you want players moving around.
Can I use this for 3x3?
Yes. Choose the 3x3 preset and the tool works with three on court instead of five, which changes the rotation maths considerably — three positions over four quarters is only 12 slots.
Is it really free?
Yes, and there is no account or sign-in. Everything runs in your browser. Squaddie is the paid product this sits alongside; it tracks court time across a whole season instead of one game.
More for your team
Basketball rules
Formats, positions, timing and the junior variations, with the governing bodies they come from.
Basketball positions explained
What each position does on the court or field, and where players are allowed to go.
Basketball team management app
How Squaddie handles lineups, rotations and playing time for basketball teams.
One game sorted. Now do the season.
Squaddie remembers who has played what, so every week's rotation starts from what actually happened last week — not from a blank page.
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