Get combinations of list without replacement in Python

Question

I have a list of people and I want to make all combinations of their teams (of 3) with each other.

list_of_ppl = ['A','B','C','D','E','F']

What i need is:

>>> [['A','B','C'],['D','E','F']]
>>> [['A','B','D'],['C','E','F']]
>>> [['A','B','E'],['C','D','F']]
>>> [['A','B','F'],['C','D','E']]
>>> [['A','C','E'],['B','D','F']]
>>> and so on...

Edit: The len(list_of_ppl) can be greater than 6 and can be a number that is not divisible by 3. I only want teams of 3

For eg:

list_of_ppl = ['A','B','C','D','E','F','G']
>>> [['A','B','C'],['D','E','F'],['G']]
>>> [['A','B','D'],['C','E','G'],['F']]
>>> [['A','B','D'],['C','F','G'],['E']]
>>> [['A','B','F'],['C','E','G'],['D']]
>>> [['A','E','G'],['B','D','F'],['C']]
>>> and so on...

Answer 1

You can use a recursive function to keep getting a combination of 3 from the remaining list of people until the list is exhausted:

from itertools import combinations
def get_teams(list_of_ppl, size=3):
    if len(list_of_ppl) > size:
        for team in combinations(list_of_ppl, size):
            for teams in get_teams(list(set(list_of_ppl) - set(team))):
                yield [list(team), *teams]
    else:
        yield [list_of_ppl]
for team in get_teams(list_of_ppl):
    print(team)

so that with list_of_ppl = ['A','B','C','D','E','F'], this outputs:

[['A', 'B', 'C'], ['F', 'E', 'D']]
[['A', 'B', 'D'], ['C', 'F', 'E']]
[['A', 'B', 'E'], ['C', 'F', 'D']]
[['A', 'B', 'F'], ['C', 'E', 'D']]
[['A', 'C', 'D'], ['F', 'B', 'E']]
[['A', 'C', 'E'], ['F', 'B', 'D']]
[['A', 'C', 'F'], ['B', 'E', 'D']]
[['A', 'D', 'E'], ['C', 'B', 'F']]
[['A', 'D', 'F'], ['C', 'B', 'E']]
[['A', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'B', 'D']]
[['B', 'C', 'D'], ['E', 'F', 'A']]
[['B', 'C', 'E'], ['F', 'A', 'D']]
[['B', 'C', 'F'], ['E', 'A', 'D']]
[['B', 'D', 'E'], ['C', 'F', 'A']]
[['B', 'D', 'F'], ['C', 'A', 'E']]
[['B', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'A', 'D']]
[['C', 'D', 'E'], ['F', 'B', 'A']]
[['C', 'D', 'F'], ['E', 'B', 'A']]
[['C', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'A', 'D']]
[['D', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'B', 'A']]

or with a list_of_ppl whose length is not divisible by 3 such as list_of_ppl = ['A','B','C','D','E','F','G'], this outputs:

[['A', 'B', 'C'], ['E', 'G', 'F'], ['D']]
[['A', 'B', 'C'], ['E', 'G', 'D'], ['F']]
[['A', 'B', 'C'], ['E', 'F', 'D'], ['G']]
[['A', 'B', 'C'], ['G', 'F', 'D'], ['E']]
[['A', 'B', 'D'], ['E', 'C', 'G'], ['F']]
[['A', 'B', 'D'], ['E', 'C', 'F'], ['G']]
[['A', 'B', 'D'], ['E', 'G', 'F'], ['C']]
[['A', 'B', 'D'], ['C', 'G', 'F'], ['E']]
[['A', 'B', 'E'], ['C', 'G', 'F'], ['D']]
[['A', 'B', 'E'], ['C', 'G', 'D'], ['F']]
[['A', 'B', 'E'], ['C', 'F', 'D'], ['G']]
[['A', 'B', 'E'], ['G', 'F', 'D'], ['C']]
[['A', 'B', 'F'], ['E', 'C', 'G'], ['D']]
[['A', 'B', 'F'], ['E', 'C', 'D'], ['G']]
[['A', 'B', 'F'], ['E', 'G', 'D'], ['C']]
[['A', 'B', 'F'], ['C', 'G', 'D'], ['E']]
[['A', 'B', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'F'], ['D']]
[['A', 'B', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'D'], ['F']]
[['A', 'B', 'G'], ['E', 'F', 'D'], ['C']]
[['A', 'B', 'G'], ['C', 'F', 'D'], ['E']]
[['A', 'C', 'D'], ['B', 'E', 'G'], ['F']]
[['A', 'C', 'D'], ['B', 'E', 'F'], ['G']]
[['A', 'C', 'D'], ['B', 'G', 'F'], ['E']]
[['A', 'C', 'D'], ['E', 'G', 'F'], ['B']]
[['A', 'C', 'E'], ['B', 'G', 'F'], ['D']]
[['A', 'C', 'E'], ['B', 'G', 'D'], ['F']]
[['A', 'C', 'E'], ['B', 'F', 'D'], ['G']]
[['A', 'C', 'E'], ['G', 'F', 'D'], ['B']]
[['A', 'C', 'F'], ['B', 'E', 'G'], ['D']]
[['A', 'C', 'F'], ['B', 'E', 'D'], ['G']]
[['A', 'C', 'F'], ['B', 'G', 'D'], ['E']]
[['A', 'C', 'F'], ['E', 'G', 'D'], ['B']]
[['A', 'C', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'F'], ['D']]
[['A', 'C', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'D'], ['F']]
[['A', 'C', 'G'], ['B', 'F', 'D'], ['E']]
[['A', 'C', 'G'], ['E', 'F', 'D'], ['B']]
[['A', 'D', 'E'], ['B', 'C', 'G'], ['F']]
[['A', 'D', 'E'], ['B', 'C', 'F'], ['G']]
[['A', 'D', 'E'], ['B', 'G', 'F'], ['C']]
[['A', 'D', 'E'], ['C', 'G', 'F'], ['B']]
[['A', 'D', 'F'], ['B', 'E', 'C'], ['G']]
[['A', 'D', 'F'], ['B', 'E', 'G'], ['C']]
[['A', 'D', 'F'], ['B', 'C', 'G'], ['E']]
[['A', 'D', 'F'], ['E', 'C', 'G'], ['B']]
[['A', 'D', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'C'], ['F']]
[['A', 'D', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'F'], ['C']]
[['A', 'D', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'F'], ['E']]
[['A', 'D', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'F'], ['B']]
[['A', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'C', 'G'], ['D']]
[['A', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'C', 'D'], ['G']]
[['A', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'G', 'D'], ['C']]
[['A', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'G', 'D'], ['B']]
[['A', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'F'], ['D']]
[['A', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'D'], ['F']]
[['A', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'F', 'D'], ['C']]
[['A', 'E', 'G'], ['C', 'F', 'D'], ['B']]
[['A', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'C'], ['D']]
[['A', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'D'], ['C']]
[['A', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'D'], ['E']]
[['A', 'F', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'D'], ['B']]
[['B', 'C', 'D'], ['E', 'A', 'G'], ['F']]
[['B', 'C', 'D'], ['E', 'A', 'F'], ['G']]
[['B', 'C', 'D'], ['E', 'G', 'F'], ['A']]
[['B', 'C', 'D'], ['A', 'G', 'F'], ['E']]
[['B', 'C', 'E'], ['A', 'G', 'F'], ['D']]
[['B', 'C', 'E'], ['A', 'G', 'D'], ['F']]
[['B', 'C', 'E'], ['A', 'F', 'D'], ['G']]
[['B', 'C', 'E'], ['G', 'F', 'D'], ['A']]
[['B', 'C', 'F'], ['E', 'A', 'G'], ['D']]
[['B', 'C', 'F'], ['E', 'A', 'D'], ['G']]
[['B', 'C', 'F'], ['E', 'G', 'D'], ['A']]
[['B', 'C', 'F'], ['A', 'G', 'D'], ['E']]
[['B', 'C', 'G'], ['E', 'A', 'F'], ['D']]
[['B', 'C', 'G'], ['E', 'A', 'D'], ['F']]
[['B', 'C', 'G'], ['E', 'F', 'D'], ['A']]
[['B', 'C', 'G'], ['A', 'F', 'D'], ['E']]
[['B', 'D', 'E'], ['C', 'A', 'G'], ['F']]
[['B', 'D', 'E'], ['C', 'A', 'F'], ['G']]
[['B', 'D', 'E'], ['C', 'G', 'F'], ['A']]
[['B', 'D', 'E'], ['A', 'G', 'F'], ['C']]
[['B', 'D', 'F'], ['E', 'C', 'A'], ['G']]
[['B', 'D', 'F'], ['E', 'C', 'G'], ['A']]
[['B', 'D', 'F'], ['E', 'A', 'G'], ['C']]
[['B', 'D', 'F'], ['C', 'A', 'G'], ['E']]
[['B', 'D', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'A'], ['F']]
[['B', 'D', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'F'], ['A']]
[['B', 'D', 'G'], ['E', 'A', 'F'], ['C']]
[['B', 'D', 'G'], ['C', 'A', 'F'], ['E']]
[['B', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'A', 'G'], ['D']]
[['B', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'A', 'D'], ['G']]
[['B', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'G', 'D'], ['A']]
[['B', 'E', 'F'], ['A', 'G', 'D'], ['C']]
[['B', 'E', 'G'], ['C', 'A', 'F'], ['D']]
[['B', 'E', 'G'], ['C', 'A', 'D'], ['F']]
[['B', 'E', 'G'], ['C', 'F', 'D'], ['A']]
[['B', 'E', 'G'], ['A', 'F', 'D'], ['C']]
[['B', 'F', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'A'], ['D']]
[['B', 'F', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'D'], ['A']]
[['B', 'F', 'G'], ['E', 'A', 'D'], ['C']]
[['B', 'F', 'G'], ['C', 'A', 'D'], ['E']]
[['C', 'D', 'E'], ['B', 'A', 'G'], ['F']]
[['C', 'D', 'E'], ['B', 'A', 'F'], ['G']]
[['C', 'D', 'E'], ['B', 'G', 'F'], ['A']]
[['C', 'D', 'E'], ['A', 'G', 'F'], ['B']]
[['C', 'D', 'F'], ['B', 'E', 'A'], ['G']]
[['C', 'D', 'F'], ['B', 'E', 'G'], ['A']]
[['C', 'D', 'F'], ['B', 'A', 'G'], ['E']]
[['C', 'D', 'F'], ['E', 'A', 'G'], ['B']]
[['C', 'D', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'A'], ['F']]
[['C', 'D', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'F'], ['A']]
[['C', 'D', 'G'], ['B', 'A', 'F'], ['E']]
[['C', 'D', 'G'], ['E', 'A', 'F'], ['B']]
[['C', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'A', 'G'], ['D']]
[['C', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'A', 'D'], ['G']]
[['C', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'G', 'D'], ['A']]
[['C', 'E', 'F'], ['A', 'G', 'D'], ['B']]
[['C', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'A', 'F'], ['D']]
[['C', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'A', 'D'], ['F']]
[['C', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'F', 'D'], ['A']]
[['C', 'E', 'G'], ['A', 'F', 'D'], ['B']]
[['C', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'A'], ['D']]
[['C', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'D'], ['A']]
[['C', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'A', 'D'], ['E']]
[['C', 'F', 'G'], ['E', 'A', 'D'], ['B']]
[['D', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'C', 'A'], ['G']]
[['D', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'C', 'G'], ['A']]
[['D', 'E', 'F'], ['B', 'A', 'G'], ['C']]
[['D', 'E', 'F'], ['C', 'A', 'G'], ['B']]
[['D', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'A'], ['F']]
[['D', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'F'], ['A']]
[['D', 'E', 'G'], ['B', 'A', 'F'], ['C']]
[['D', 'E', 'G'], ['C', 'A', 'F'], ['B']]
[['D', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'C'], ['A']]
[['D', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'E', 'A'], ['C']]
[['D', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'A'], ['E']]
[['D', 'F', 'G'], ['E', 'C', 'A'], ['B']]
[['E', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'A'], ['D']]
[['E', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'C', 'D'], ['A']]
[['E', 'F', 'G'], ['B', 'A', 'D'], ['C']]
[['E', 'F', 'G'], ['C', 'A', 'D'], ['B']]