Common exclusions
- Partners and spouses, who usually buy for each other anyway.
- People who live together, so the surprise isn't spoiled at home.
- Last year's pairs, to keep things fresh.
- A manager and their direct reports, in some offices.
How exclusions work
An exclusion works both ways: if Alex can't draw Sam, Sam can't draw Alex. The draw first tries to put everyone in one loop, so nobody ends up with the person who drew them. If your exclusions rule that out, it settles for any valid match.
If the exclusions leave no possible match, for example when one person is excluded from everyone, you'll be told which person is the problem and nothing is drawn.