In American football, including the NFL, a coin toss is conducted at the start of the game and, under certain circumstances, before an overtime period, to determine initial possession and field direction choices.
Here’s how the coin toss typically works:
- Participants: Up to six captains from each team, along with the referee and umpire, gather at the center of the field, usually three minutes before kickoff.
- Visiting Team’s Call: The captain of the visiting team calls “heads” or “tails” before the referee tosses the coin.
- Coin Toss Options: The team that wins the toss then chooses one of the following privileges:
– Receive the kickoff: This means their team will be on offense first to start the game.
– Kick off: This means their team will be on defense first to start the game.
– Select a goal to defend: This choice is made if factors like wind or sun are considered a significant advantage to defending one side of the field over the other.
– Defer their choice to the second half: The winning team defers their choice until the start of the second half, allowing the losing team to make the initial choice between receiving the kickoff, kicking off, or choosing a goal to defend.
- Losing Team’s Options: The team that loses the toss gets the remaining option. For example, if the winner chooses to receive the kickoff, the loser will then choose which goal they want to defend in the first quarter.
- Second Half: If the winning team defers, they get the choice at the start of the second half. Otherwise, the team that lost the initial toss makes the choice for the second half.
In the NFL, teams often choose to defer the toss to the second half. This allows them to receive the kickoff to start the third quarter and potentially score points at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half, a strategy known as the “two-for-one”. However, in some situations, choosing a specific side to defend due to wind or sun conditions might be a more advantageous choice.
It’s important to note that the coin toss has been part of American football since 1892, with minor procedural adjustments over the years, such as the referee becoming responsible for the toss in 1921. In the NFL, changes to the overtime rules in 2022 and 2023 for playoff games ensure that both teams have the opportunity to possess the ball, regardless of the initial possession determined by the coin toss.
How does the coin toss work in football?
The coin toss is one of the most important parts of the game, as teams will determine who will start with the football on special teams. When a team defers the coin toss, they will decide to kick, receive, or choose a direction to defend in the second half.
Do they still do the coin toss in the NFL?
Great question! While the Super Bowl is played at a neutral site each year, there are still “home” and “away” teams. Just like all other NFL games, the away team gets to choose between heads and tails for the opening coin toss.
What was the coin toss chiefs vs eagles?
I can help with that. Kansas City chose to defer to the second half, so the Eagles will get the ball first. Through the first 58 Super Bowls in NFL history there have been just 27 teams that have won the coin toss and also taken home the game – and the Lombardi Trophy.
Do football games start with a coin toss?
Among the major North American team sports, football is the only one that uses coin flips regularly. The team that wins the referee’s toss at midfield before the game can choose to receive the opening kickoff, kick the ball away, defend a certain endzone or defer their option to the second half.