Playing a coin ("heads and tails") is the practice of tossing a coin into the air and further checking which side it has fallen up. Sometimes used to resolve disputes between two parties. This form of determining the winner has only two possible and equally probable results.
History
The historical origin of the issue is the interpretation of a random outcome as an expression of divine will.
The coin game was known to the Romans as Navia Aut Caput ("Ship or Head"), as some coins had a ship on one side and the emperor’s face on the other. In England, it was called the "Cross and the heap" for the same reasons. The English expression “Head or tails” is explained by the fact that heads and tails are considered additional parts of the body. "Eagle and Tails" originates from pre-revolutionary Russia.
Process
During the game, a coin is flipped so that it rotates several times around its axis. Either in advance, or when the coin is in the air, a person chooses one of two outcomes, indicating the name of the side. His opponent is left with the second option. Depending on customs, a coin can be caught, seized and turned upside down, or it is allowed to land on the ground at all. After the end of the throw, the person who guessed the result wins the game.
There is a chance that the coin will land on the edge, for example, get stuck in some hole. However, even on a flat surface, a coin can “fancy” this with a probability of about 1 in 6000 for American nickel. An insufficiently large angular momentum usually prevents landings of this kind. Such cases are extremely rare. If an event has already occurred, then the throw is simply made anew.
A coin can be of any type if there are two different images on its sides. Larger specimens are generally more popular than small ones. For some high-profile events, such as the Cricket World Cup or the American Football season finale, custom ceremonial designs are used.
Use in dispute resolution
A coin flip game is a simple and impartial way to resolve a dispute or make a decision between two or more arbitrary options. In theory, it gives equal chances to both parties involved, does not require much effort and will not allow the dispute to develop into an aggressive conflict. It is widely used in sports and other games to solve arbitrary factors, for example, on which part of the field the team will be located, whether it will initially attack or defend. These decisions may benefit one of the parties or be neutral. Factors such as wind direction, position of the sun, and other conditions can affect the result. In team sports, the captain usually makes a choice, and the judge simply observes the process and outcome.
In some situations, a competitive method may be used instead of a throw, for example, a thrown ball is used in basketball, and the throw-in plays a similar role in ice hockey.
In the United States, a special minted coin is used in games of the National Football League. Then she goes to the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Other coins of a special series can be sold to collectors. XFL, a short-lived American sports organization, tried to avoid playing a coin by implementing a one-on-one style in which one player from each team tried to pick up a free ball. The team, whose representative coped with the task, received the right of first choice. Due to the high level of injuries, the method has not gained popularity. Playing with a coin toss remains the main way to solve the problem.
Other
There are many cases of using themes in modern culture, for example, computer games where coins are collected. This technique has been around for a long time, starting from the era of Pacman and ending with modern mobile applications.
Legally, in Canada, a coin game can be used to choose between two candidates who received an equal number of votes in the election.
In December 2006, the Australian television channels Seven and Ten, which broadcast the various matches of the local football league together, decided who would be showing the Grand Final with a coin toss. The Ten won.