The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are about to get started, so let’s take a look at the decision the team made and if they based their choice on tradition or strategy.

Super Bowl Coin Toss: who won?

The toss was HEADS. The PATRIOTS won and decided to DEFER.

The Patriots will kick off and receive the ball in the second half.

The team captains meet at the 50-yard line before kickoff to determine which team will have possession of the ball first. The Patriots are officially the “home team” at the 2026 Super Bowl because the conferences have switched back and forth, with the AFC the home team in even-numbered years, and the NFC the odd-numbered years.

Coin Toss etiquette and guidelines

Both teams normally greet each other with hand shakes. In the NFL it is not uncommon to see players giving hugs amongst themselves. The head referee then explains the guidelines and rules to the respective captains asking them to ensure a ‘clean game,’ meaning no foul language or hitting after a whistle has been blown. As we have seen, the referee then reveals the coin which had been flipped.

After showing both captains the coin, the ref asks the visiting team’s captain to choose ‘heads or tails.’ The coin is then flipped in the air. While in the air the captain must make his choice and call. The coin must land on the ground flat.

What coin is used at the Super Bowl Coin Toss?

For NFL’s biggest game, a special coin is usually made and used for the pregame routine.

Why do some teams choose to defer? What does that mean?

Deferring in football is a strategic option. When a team defers they are basically saying they will take the ball in the second half. This can be interpreted as “I prefer to choose in the second half.” At this point the referee will ask the opposing team what they want to do. This is where things things get interesting. Usually teams will opt to kick first as they would rather receive the ball to start the second half.

How many times has the winner of the coin flip won the Super Bowl?

Teams who won the coin toss have been able to win the game 25 times while losing 34 times in 59 Super Bowls that have been played so far.

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