Many sports, such as football (both American and non-American versions), eSports, cricket, tennis, and fencing, flip a coin to determine which team goes first in a match, or to determine a winner in the event of a draw. Today, the practice of coin flipping can be found all over the world. Players would then flip the shell in the air and call the correct side, just like we do now! The other side of the shell would remain its original color. It is believed that players would cover one side of a shell with a black or very dark brown substance called “black pitch” - a resinous goo which is obtained from trees. While the actual origin of the coin toss is up for debate, many historians believe it originated in Ancient Greece. “Pile” comes from a Middle English term which means “reverse of a coin.” In Peru, the game is called “face or seal,” even to this day! In ancient China, the game was known as “ship or head.” This is because ancient Chinese coins were minted with a ship on one side and a head on the other. Later in history, the British called the game “cross and pile.” At the time, many coins depicted a cross on one side. The outcomes of those flips were considered to be legally binding. During this time, flips were utilized to make some very serious decisions, including those related to criminality, property, and marriage. Julius Caesar himself endorsed the coin flip in 49 BC when he began minting coins which depicted his name. During this period, Romans called the game “navia aut caput,” which translates to “ship or head.” This is because some Roman coins had a ship on one side and the head (or “bust”) of the emperor on the other side. The daily also points out that a number of cryptocurrency platforms have signed commercial and sponsorship agreements with sports teams and Turkish athletes have already participated in some of their advertisements in the past few years.Metal coins were first manufactured as early as the 7th century BC, however, the first accounts of the practice of coin flipping can be found in ancient Rome. Hürriyet notes that several online shopping websites sell commemorative coins of Bitcoin. Turkish media outlets remark that the kick-off ceremony for the Beşiktaş – Fenerbahçe derby was also covered by many global sports websites, with commentators suggesting that FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, and UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, may also get involved in the case. The 34-year-old, a FIFA-licensed referee with 25 matches in his record this season, is suspected of having signed an agreement with a cryptocurrency platform without the approval of the governing bodies. In statement quoted by Anadolu Agency, the TFF said that Kardeşler flipped a “commemorative Bitcoin” without the knowledge or approval of the federation or Turkey’s Central Refereeing Committee. I really cannot understand why such an experienced referee has scandalized this event. In further comments on the incident, the veteran referee stated:
The Turkish Football Federation ( TFF) is now examining the case as according to its rules, referees are only allowed to use either a 1-lira coin or a special referee coin with one side showing a goalpost, and the other a football.įormer referee Murat Fevzi Tanırlı has been quoted describing the derby’s referee Arda Kardeşler’s coin choice as “monkey tricks.” Tanırlı accused his colleague of besmirching the profession’s reputation, expressed hope the investigation will shed light on his real intention and warned that Kardeşler may be punished for his act. With photos posted on social media showing the referee flipping a Bitcoin-branded coin, it’s the kick-off ceremony that came to the forefront, the newspaper notes.īefore every soccer match, the referee would flip a coin to determine which team is going to start with the football. The latest clash between Istanbul soccer clubs Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe ended in a 1-1 draw but it’s not the tight game that drew the most attention, the Turkish daily Hürriyet wrote in article about the sports event.
Bitcoin Coin Toss at Soccer Game Under Investigation in Turkey The country’s football authority is trying to establish why a crypto coin was used for the ritual when that role should have been reserved for the Turkish lira. A soccer referee’s decision to toss a bitcoin before the start of a recent match between Istanbul giants Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe has sparked controversy in Turkey.