Common exclusions
Hosts often keep couples, housemates, close relatives, managers and direct reports apart. The same rule can help when someone should not draw themselves or when a previous exchange needs a little distance.
Rules are mutual
When you keep two people apart, MerryShuffle adds the exclusion in both directions. That means the draw cannot quietly assign either person to the other while the rest of the group is being matched.
When the rules cannot work
Some combinations of a small group and many exclusions leave no valid assignment. The right response is an explanation and a suggested adjustment—not an endless spinner or an invisible reshuffle. Remove one constraint or add another participant, then review the draw again.
Exclusions help the organizer express a group agreement. They do not guarantee a particular recipient, outcome or level of randomness beyond the published matching behavior.