Question Number: 29566

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 7/29/2015

RE: Adult

steven of aus, nsw Australia asks...

if the away team gets the choice for the coin toss at start of normal time. Who gets it for start of extra time and penalties?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Steven
It is not specified in the Laws of the Game and it left to the discretion of the referee. Many referees as you mention allow the away team to make the call. In respect of extra time I would suggest that if the Away got the first call then it should alternate to the Home team and revert again for or penalty kicks .
I use a coin that I have made specially for the coin toss and it does not arise. It has HOME on one side and AWAY on the other. There is no need for either captain to call just to witness what way the coin falls.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The laws do not specify. My practice, however, is to keep it simple. Visitors call the toss every time. After 120 minutes, I'm too tired to remember who called it the last time.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The away team calls it again traditionally.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It doesn't matter. Who gets to call it does not affect the outcome one bit, assuming it's a fair coin. 50/50 is 50/50, no matter how each 50 is assigned to teams.

In fact, you could use a coin with 2 heads and it would be just as 'fair', as long as the teams don't know the coin has 2 heads.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 29571