A&H

Fairness/match control Vs the law

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What is find interesting is that the IFAB doesn't actually state in the LOTG who should make the call on the coin toss. I guess this is because the impact of kicking off or changing ends in football is in general really small and not going to fundamentally change the course of the match.

If I consider some other sports that I watch - Cricket it's always the away team that has call for the toss as how the pitch is prepared can have a meaningful impact on the whole match. In fact in the 4 day county game the away team had the choice of an uncontested toss, if they wanted to bowl first (this was to stop them home teams preparing very bowler friendly pitches.

In the NFL - if the game goes to overtime, it used to be that the first score wins, whether it be a field goal or a touchdown, they've now changed that to if the team who has first possession scores a touchdown they win the game. Less of an advantage, but still every team that wins the toss always chooses to have the ball first.

The only time the actual toss in football might be relevant for knock offs would be if golden goal extra time was brought back and having the ball was a perceived advantage, though possession changes are much more fluid in football so even that is marginal.

Arguably, the toss is most important when the game goes to KFTPM, where there is a statistical advantage in going first.
 
What is find interesting is that the IFAB doesn't actually state in the LOTG who should make the call on the coin toss. I guess this is because the impact of kicking off or changing ends in football is in general really small and not going to fundamentally change the course of the match.
Not sure about this as I have been in many games where choosing direction was very important. Thats almost always about the sun or wind when those factors didn't exist in the second half.

What doesn't impact the game is who calls the coin toss because either captain always (theoretically) has a 50-50 chance of being able to choose ends no matter who calls the toss.
 
Not sure about this as I have been in many games where choosing direction was very important. Thats almost always about the sun or wind when those factors didn't exist in the second half.

What doesn't impact the game is who calls the coin toss because either captain always (theoretically) has a 50-50 chance of being able to choose ends no matter who calls the toss.

It's a factor sure, but not one that has as profound implications as in the other sports I've listed.
 
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