No coin toss: Easter eggs decide kickoff in Lithuania

Hope you had a great Easter. Here’s a unique football tradition from Lithuania in Europe.

This shows up around Easter time. Instead of the usual coin toss, matches sometimes begin with an egg-tapping game.

Before kickoff, the referee brings out a tray of coloured, hard-boiled eggs. The two captains pick one each and tap them together at midfield.

The rule is simple. If your egg stays uncracked, you win and get to choose kickoff or side.

It might seem playful, but the idea comes from a long-standing Easter custom in Lithuania. Families have been playing this egg game for years during celebrations, and football has adopted it in a simple way.

Clubs like Žalgiris Vilnius and Kauno Žalgiris are among those where this has been seen during holiday fixtures. Over time, it has become a talking point for fans and something that often gets shared online.

There is also a bit of quiet strategy involved. Players try to pick the strongest egg, sometimes judging it by feel, hoping it will hold up in that one moment.

It does not last long, but it adds a different kind of start to the game. Something local, simple, and tied to tradition rather than just routine.

How the Lithuanian league works

The Lithuanian top division, known as the A Lyga, is a 10 team league with a slightly different format compared to most European competitions.

Each team plays every other team four times during the season, making it a total of 36 matches per club. This is called a quadruple round robin format and ensures teams face each other both home and away twice.

At the bottom end of the table, the team that finishes last is directly relegated to the second division, the I Lyga. The team that finishes ninth does not go down immediately but instead plays a promotion or relegation play off against the runner up from the I Lyga.

At the top, the league champion earns a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. Teams finishing second and third usually qualify for the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.

There is also a rule on foreign players. Only five foreign players are allowed on the field at the same time for each team.