Should the AFL Abolish the Coin Toss before the Centre Bounce ?

[blitzer]

Rock paper scissors would bring a skill element that would be delightful. Sure at the start it would just be random chance but imagine - you start profiling each captain's choices and suddenly there is strategic depth.

RPS coming to the AFL in 2018!

 

[PenAndPaper]

Before the toss both teams are on the field, splitting it. getting ready kicking etc

They have not changed sides after the toss. that I've seen. or clear the field before the toss.

On the other had in the NFL. Both teams clear the field, then send out the Captains. they stand backs to the side of the field they were just recently practicing on. after the toss if necessary they change positions if needed.

I watched the AFL for decades and never notice this till a couple of years ago. as the coverage has gotten so much better over the years.

Thanks for the reply

He answered your question. We aren't a starting on one side based sport.

Having the teams off the field or not on a side is pointless

 

[Wallaby]

To AFL House!!

 

[threesixpio]

Couldn't give a toss

 

[threesixpio]

Rock paper scissors would bring a skill element that would be delightful. Sure at the start it would just be random chance but imagine - you start profiling each captain's choices and suddenly there is strategic depth.

RPS coming to the AFL in 2018!

Thumb wars

 

[HairyO]

Removing the coin toss would be unprecedented !

 

[threesixpio]

Removing the coin toss would be unprecedented !

Hairy O - you forgot to mention Buddy. Don't you mention him in every thread?

 

[HairyO]

Hairy O - you forgot to mention Buddy. Don't you mention him in every thread?

Buddy agrees that removing the coin toss would be unprecedented !!

Jacinta doesnt care. She doesnt watch sports. She likes looking at baby clothes magazines.

 

[kozi]

Team that's higher on the ladder picks. Problem solved.

As for the first game of the season I'm down for captains fighting till the death.

 

[telsor]

Rock paper scissors would bring a skill element that would be delightful. Sure at the start it would just be random chance but imagine - you start profiling each captain's choices and suddenly there is strategic depth.

RPS coming to the AFL in 2018!

and of course the big selling point is that it would open up new avenues for the betting agencies.

 

[HairyO]

At the start of the game 42 players will line up wearing no team jumpers. The Captains will take turns selecting players from the 42.

Now, usually I would say that a coin toss is used to decide who picks first. But that is simply not on. So there will be a best of 3 Thumb War.

One-two-three-four, I declare a Thumb War,
Five-six-seven-eight, got to keep your thumb straight.

 

[The Swert]

A lot of new umpires are being turned away from the game simply because they can't toss a coin correctly. Ludicrous that you can't be a top umpire without performing a physical skill like this, no matter your mastery of the rules.

Have also heard that a lot of umpires suffer wrist/carpal tunnel degeneration post career. If the umpires want anything banned then I just think we ban it.

Is that why they outsourced the dangerous practice to a lucky fan?

 

[99cents]

They should televise the coin toss live on Thursday night, with two supporters in full gear acting as stand ins for their respective clubs, and determining which direction the teams kick on the weekend.

Kingy and Derm could host it on Fox- "The Tossers."

 

[JRyan23]

They should televise the coin toss live on Thursday night, with two supporters in full gear acting as stand ins for their respective clubs, and determining which direction the teams kick on the weekend.

Kingy and Derm could host it on Fox- "The Tossers."

POTY

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

No.

 

[master bate]

The toss is fair and a nice little spectacle and in this day and age teams can't prepare grounds to provide any advantage as far as I know. The days of watering Moorabbin pre game are over.

Off topic but my opinion is completely different for Test cricket where I think the away team should be awarded the toss for the first game of a series and be able to choose to bat, bowl or defer to the next test, with the winner of the toss alternating for the remaining games, which would then encourage host nations to produce pitches that are fair to bat and ball and will produce results.

 

[99cents]

The toss is fair and a nice little spectacle and in this day and age teams can't prepare grounds to provide any advantage as far as I know. The days of watering Moorabbin pre game are over.

Off topic but my opinion is completely different for Test cricket where I think the away team should be awarded the toss for the first game of a series and be able to choose to bat, bowl or defer to the next test, with the winner of the toss alternating for the remaining games, which would then encourage host nations to produce pitches that are fair to bat and ball and will produce results.

Some people are going further with Test matches- giving the away side the choice in every test. Not entirely opposed to this.

 

[wowlace]

OK, I know it's a tradition and the anticipation of the result is good theatre but it's unpredictable and whilst most of the time conditions are such that it doesn't matter which team wins the toss very occasionally there is an aberration in the weather and one end is favoured by the breeze....as a result the outcome of a match may depend on which team wins the toss.

It's outrageous in these days of elite professional sport that AFL teams have to cope the implications of a completely random event such as the result of a coin toss. Surely the AFL must do something to create an absolutely level playing field so the result is not simply determined by a chance outcome.

Admittedly no one can control the outcome of the toss of the coin so it falls to one of the captains to make a guess. Wow, a guess ! A guess then can become a highly influential factor in the result of a game! Amazing, a completely random event which nobody can control can influence the game so significantly.

This is even worse than the bounce !!....at least we can fix the bounce.

Almost buddy. Keep trying though.

 

[speedpeck23]

Almost buddy. Keep trying though.

Thanks ;-)

 

[madmadworld]

He answered your question. We aren't a starting on one side based sport.

Having the teams off the field or not on a side is pointless

GWS says

Could it be because there aren't really 'sides' at the opening bounce?

We know the sides are picked before the opening bounce. Why there is a coin toss to start with.

Both teams cover the whole field, both teams forwards or backs go to the other end depending the direction chosen by the toss winner.

That does not address my question.

 

[GreaterWeStener]

We know the sides are picked before the opening bounce. Why there is a coin toss to start with.

I am right in under standing 'sides' to mean ends of the field? Or, do you mean something different?

The end of the field each team warms up at has no significance to the actually game, usually the final warm up is at the teams supporters end. The winner of the coin toss decides which end of the field they kick to first, and that determines each sides starting attacking and defensive ends. Depending on which direction is chosen, either the forwards or defenders, then move from the their team's warm up end to the opposite end before the opening bounce.

 

[stax on the mull]

They should use a drone camera with extreme close up and slow-mo and put it up on the big screen so the crowd can follow the coin spinning through the air and landing.

Also the captain of each team should be made to wear one of those red hands like the have in those Coles Supermarket "Down Down" ads when pointing to the end their team is kicking.

Sorry if these ideas have already been posted. Burning issue in Footy.

 

[nameless]

I hear you OP, it is unfair.

What I propose is after a certain amount of time they flip the direction each team is scoring at.
Each team is given a couple of minutes to organise themselves.
They could even flip it back again after another set time, and then in the interest of fairness flip it back again.

I know it'd be pretty crazy to get a team to completely change the end they are scoring at, but I reckon the AFL is just about crazy enough to give it a go.

 

[speedpeck23]

I hear you OP, it is unfair.

What I propose is after a certain amount of time they flip the direction each team is scoring at.
Each team is given a couple of minutes to organise themselves.
They could even flip it back again after another set time, and then in the interest of fairness flip it back again.

I know it'd be pretty crazy to get a team to completely change the end they are scoring at, but I reckon the AFL is just about crazy enough to give it a go.

Thanks nameless, my whole point about this is that for some strange reason the AFL are not willing to accept the irregular and random umpires bounce of the ball , yet the ball bounces irregularly all over the ground during the course of the game. Ironically the coin toss on occassions could be a far more influential factor in influencing the result of a match yet there is absolutely no comment about this from the AFL.

If the AFL are truly concerned about random events then the coin toss should be abolished and pehaps the away team should be invited to select which end they want to kick to in the first quarter.....then every team gets a "fair " go.

Of course, my real opinion is I like the coin toss and the irregular random bounce of the ball....that's the game itself. There should be no requirement by the umpire to create a "good" bounce....letting it bounce wherever is completely fair on both teams...players just need to man up if they don't want to risk a "dodgy" bounce favouring the opposition.

 

[TheOldeBadger]

Each captain kicks a ball in from the goal square. The one that ends up closest to the centre circle wins!