Origin of The Coin Toss
One of the most recognisable rituals in many sports matches is the traditional coin toss. It is associated as being a symbol of fairness by creating an impartial method of determining different aspects of the match such as which team or player begins the match, order of play, field side, or penalty shoot outs.
However, the coin toss has been used long before the creation of professional sports teams. In ancient Roman times, it was known by the name of navia aut caput which translates to ship or head. The coin usually had a ship on one side and a head (usually that of the emperor) on the other. These coin tosses were used to settle disputes.
Coin tosses are often used to resolve situations where negotiation is a failure and have often been used to settle different minor conflicts as well as being used to make decisions instead of engaging in long deliberations that waste time. The participants willingly accepted the outcome without argument which helped to avoid conflicts about fairness of decisions.
The association of coin tosses being perceived as a fair and impartial way of making decisions made them a natural fit for competitive sports and they first started being used in sports matches in the 19th century particularly in matches where there was a significant advantage in regards to the starting possession, field possession, or order of turns that are taken during a sports match.
Pre-Game Coin Tosses Can Shape The Outcome of Key Sports Matches
Coin tosses are used in most professional sports including cricket, American Football, Association Football, Ice Hockey, and many other sports. Who wins the coin toss can be used to influence opponents psychologically, exploit environmental conditions, and even control the flow of the game.
In the knockout phases of the European Football Championships there are some matches that are decided by the use of a penalty shoot-out when the teams have a tied score after full and extra time. Before the shoot-out begins the referee uses a coin toss and the winning captain can then decide to shoot first or last. A study shows that the results of the coin toss can influence the final outcome of the match. It is interesting that not all winning captains will choose to shoot first, feeling that there may be an advantage to going second as this puts more psychological pressure on the opponent and can cause them to lose focus and thus have a greater possibility of missing their shot.
There are many historical examples of how a coin toss has affected the psychology of an international football competition and changed sports history:
Before the penalty shoot-out was adopted in football a coin toss would determine the winner of the match. One of the most important coin tosses in the history of football was during the semi-finals of the 1968 European Championships when Italy and the Soviet Union were 0-0 at the end of full time. The coin toss was won by Italy who ended up progressing to the final which they ended up winning.
Another example of a winning coin toss is the 1964-5 European Cup Finals between Liverpool and Cologne where there were two 0-0 draws and it was Ron Yeats’ correct call of the coin tosses that helped the team to advance to the semi-finals.
Winning or losing a coin toss can deeply affect the psychological and mental state of players and losing or winning it can determine the outcome of the match even before it has reached its conclusion.
Coin Tosses That Created Match Changing Moments In Cricket Games
Cricket games are played using skill and strategy. Luck however can be a significant factor that can determine whether a team wins or loses regardless of their prowess on the pitch.. Though a coin toss may seem like a trivial event, coin tosses have been used in cricket matches since the first test match in 1877 and there have been some match-changing moments in cricket throughout the years. The results of the coin toss have majorly impacted final results of many cricket matches. It is fascinating to think that a small thin piece of money can play such an important role in a sports match.
The coin toss in cricket is crucial in cricket and is used to determine which of the teams will bowl or bat first. Winning the coin toss can give the captain a massive advantage, if their team are stronger batters for example this can create additional pressure on the opposing team and could even help the coin toss winning team dominate the match from the very start.
The condition of the pitch and weather conditions can affect the coin toss more than the teams that are playing the match. It holds even greater importance depending on what game format the teams are playing and the potential deterioration of the pitch if the game goes on for several days in a Test cricket match.
There are some memorable historical moments when coin tosses have affected the outcome of important cricket matches:
The Eden Gardens Test match in 2001 between Australia and India where Australia won the coin toss and chose to bat first. The Indian team overwhelmed the Australians with their energy and skill and ended up winning the series, however the outcome could have been entirely different if India had won the coin toss.
The Ashes 2005 England vs Australia match when England won the coin toss and decided to bat first first. The decision meant that England established a good enough lead that despite the best efforts of the Australians resulted in a narrow series win by only two runs.
In the ICC Cricket World Cup Final in 2011 between Sri Lanka and India, the Sri Lankan team won the coin toss and decided to bat first. They had a large run total, however the Indians managed to overtake the Sri Lankan team and ended up winning the World Cup.