In American football, a coin toss is conducted before the start of each game and any overtime periods to determine which team will kick off or receive the ball to begin play.
Here’s how it works:
- Before the game: Approximately three minutes before kickoff, the referee meets with the captains of both teams at midfield.
- The call: The visiting team’s captain calls “heads” or “tails” before the referee flips the coin.
- The toss and result: The referee tosses the coin, which must land on the ground to reveal either heads or tails. The team whose captain correctly called the coin wins the toss.
- Options for the winner: The winning captain has the following options:
– Defer their choice to the second half: This is a common strategy, allowing the team to choose whether to kick or receive the second-half kickoff.
– Choose to receive the kickoff to start the game: This means their offense will be on the field first.
– Choose to kick off to start the game: This means their defense will be on the field first.
– Choose an end of the field to defend in the first quarter: This can be a strategic choice depending on weather conditions like wind or sun.
- Options for the loser: The losing captain gets the remaining option.
- Second half: The team that did not make the initial choice (either because they deferred or lost the toss) gets the first choice of options to start the second half.
In college football, the team winning the toss defers their choice to the second half over 90% of the time. This is often preferred because it ensures the team can begin the second half with possession of the ball, potentially allowing them to score before the other team touches the ball again after halftime. While some coaches might choose to receive the ball to try and score first and gain momentum, deferring gives a strategic advantage later in the game.
How does the coin flip work in football?
I can help with that. At the beginning of overtime, a coin flip takes place, with the winning team having the option either to declare that they will take the ball first or to decide on which end of the field the series will occur (both teams’ series occur on the same end of the field).
Does the NFL still do a coin toss?
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.
Why do they toss a coin in football?
From my experience, 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.
Who calls the coin flip NFL?
Great question! As per current NFL rules, the captains of both teams meet at the 50-yard line before kickoff to decide who will start with the ball. The visiting team’s captain traditionally gets to call “heads” or “tails” as the referee flips the coin.