I—Thou

A handshake is a form of nonverbal communication, a mutual declaration of good intent: I won’t hurt you, I respect you, and am willing to play by the rules. Within the setting of a match or confrontation, the handshake operates as a symbolic act of mutual relation and acknowledgment, but also as one of dominance, discipline, and displays of control within an agreed set of rules.
The manual encounter reduces distance between two individuals, both physically and conceptually. It also brings together the two teams, as each human body represents a larger body: a team, a company, a nation or country.