Before a cricket match starts, the captains use a coin toss to decide who gets the first tactical choice. The captain who wins the toss chooses whether their side will bat first or field first.
The toss decides which captain has the choice of innings. In ordinary language, that means the winning captain chooses either to bat first or to field first.
If the winning captain chooses to bat, that side starts the match as the batting side. If the winning captain chooses to field, the other side bats first and the toss-winning side bowls and fields first.
The Laws set a specific pre-match window. The toss must be on the field of play and in the presence of one or both umpires. It is not supposed to happen more than 30 minutes before the scheduled start, and it must happen no later than 15 minutes before that start.
If the start time is rescheduled before play begins, the timing is measured against the rescheduled start. That matters when weather, ground conditions, or competition administration delay the beginning of the match.
The captains toss for the choice of innings. Before the toss, each captain must nominate the players in writing to one of the umpires. After those players are nominated, only a nominated player can act as a deputy for the captain's duties under the Laws, including the toss.
If the named captain is not available, a deputy can act. The important point is that the toss is a captain's responsibility, not a decision for coaches, team managers, broadcasters, or the umpires.
The Laws require the captains to toss a coin, but they do not create one universal rule for which captain physically tosses it or calls heads or tails. That detail is usually handled by competition procedure, local custom, or the umpires' pre-match administration.
As soon as the toss is completed, the winning captain must decide whether to bat or field and notify the opposing captain and the umpires. Once that choice has been notified, it cannot be changed.
That finality prevents a captain from waiting to see a late weather change, a delayed start, or a revised team plan after already making the innings choice. Officials enforce the decision that was properly notified.
The toss rule applies to the start of the match, whether the match is scheduled as one innings per side or two innings per side. The match's format and playing conditions decide how many innings there are and whether innings are limited by overs or time.
In a two-innings match, the sides normally bat alternately after the first innings choice. That order can later be affected by rules such as the follow-on or an innings forfeiture, but those are separate decisions from the toss.
The Laws do not tell a captain which option is best. Captains usually weigh the pitch, weather, overhead conditions, expected deterioration, team strengths, and the format of the match.
Choosing to field first is often described as "choosing to bowl first." Choosing to bat first can be attractive when conditions look good for batting early or when the captain wants scoreboard pressure. Those are tactical judgments, not different legal categories.
The MCC Laws provide the default framework, but competitions often add playing conditions for match administration. Those conditions may cover team-sheet deadlines, delayed starts, abandoned matches, broadcast procedures, or format-specific details.
Do not assume every league handles pre-match logistics exactly the same way. For a professional, school, club, or tournament match, the Laws should be read with the competition's own playing conditions.