When 2 animals fight/play, why do they both pause at certain points and then continue fighting/playing after a few seconds?

Question

I’ve noticed this behavior in animals like Rams who butt heads but then both pause for a second before continuing to fight.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Because fights in nature are not designed to kill/injure but to determine who is the most dominant, a pause in a playfight simulates them looking for various cues that will let them know who is the most powerful, in nature the weaker will usually give up and allow the stronger competitor to have the food/mate/resource.