Home advantage and the debate about competitive balance in professional sports leagues

A recurrent theme in sports economics is the extent to which overall league attendances will be raised by measures, such as revenue sharing, which aim to improve competitive balance. This debate has ignored the phenomenon of home advantage, which may, however, be important to the extent that, if all teams had equal talent, all matches may then be weighted heavily in favour of the home team. We present an analysis of the relationship between attendance and match-level uncertainty in the English Football League. A simulation from our model indicates that equality of playing talent would in fact lower aggregate attendance. This result is explained by the loss of prospectively the most uncertain games, where weak teams have home advantage over strong teams.     

Home advantage in the Australian football league

The results of this study on home advantage in Australian rules football demonstrate that individual clubs have different home advantages. Traditional measures of home advantage as applied to whole competitions such as percentage of games won, and alternative measures such as average margin of victory for the home team, are calculated. Problems with these measures are discussed. Individual home advantages for each team are obtained using a linear model fitted to individual match margins; the resultant home advantages are analysed, and variations and possible causes or groupings of home advantage are proposed. It is shown that some models allowing different home advantages for different clubs are a significant improvement over previous models assuming a common home advantage. The results show a strong isolation effect, with non-Victorian teams having large home advantages, and lend support to the conclusion that crowd effects and ground familiarity are a major determinant of home advantage.     

Impulsive force on the head during performance of typical ukemi techniques following different judo throws

In this study, eight judo athletes who are major candidates for the Japan national team were recruited as participants. Kinematic analysis of exemplary ukemi techniques was carried out using two throws, o-soto-gari, a throw linked to frequent injury, and o-uchi-gari. The aim of this study was to kinematically quantify the timing patterns of exemplary ukemi techniques and to obtain kinematic information of the head, in a sequence of ukemi from the onset of the throw to the completion of ukemi. The results indicated that the vertical velocity with which the uke’s head decelerated was reduced by increasing the body surface exposed to the collision with the tatami and by increasing the elapsed time. In particular, overall upper limb contact with the tatami is greatly associated with deceleration. In o-soto-gari, the impulsive force on the faller’s head as the head reached the lowest point was 204.82 ± 19.95 kg m · s^–2 while in o-uchi-gari it was 118.46 ± 63.62 kg m · s^–2, z = ?1.75, P = 0.08, and it did present a large-sized effect with r = 0.78. These findings indicate that the exemplary o-soto-gari as compared to o-uchi-gari is the technique that causes more significant damage to the uke’s head.     

Home advantage in soccer: A retrospective analysis

The existence of home advantage has been established for all major professional team sports in England and North America. The advantage was found to be greatest in soccer, with the home team currently obtaining about 64% of all points gained in the English Football League. Home advantage has changed very little since the formation of the League in 1888 and there are only small variations between the four Divisions of the League. The advantage is less marked in local derbies, in the FA Cup and in non‐professional competitions. It is greater in the European Cup and increases as the stages of the competition progress. The allocation of three points, instead of two, for a win in the Football League has not changed home advantage, but its effect has been greatly reduced in the GM Vauxhall Conference where an away win gains more points than a home win. The statistical evidence suggests that crowd support and travel fatigue contribute less to home advantage in soccer than do the less easily quantifiable benefits of familiarity with conditions when playing at home. Further possible explanations for the advantage are discussed in the light of findings in other sports.     

CBA主客场赛制的主场效应

通过对CBA1995～1996年赛季至1999～2000年赛季等5个赛季的主客场比赛结果进行了统计分析，发现CBA联赛存在着明显的主场效应，引起主场效应主要因素为：环境、观众、气候、裁判、球队自身等。     

基于平昌冬奥会赛况及主场优势对我国雪车和钢架雪车发展的启示

通过分析平昌冬奥会雪车和钢架雪车的赛况及主场优势,探索雪车和钢架雪车的发展规律,力求为我国雪车和钢架雪车项目的发展提供借鉴和参考。收集整理雪车和钢架雪车项目基本信息、平昌冬奥会赛况、获奖运动员信息及主场优势。研究发现：平昌冬奥会雪车和钢架雪车项目获奖运动员身材高大、年龄偏高;雪车和钢架雪车项目运动员跨界、跨项比例非常高;初学雪车和钢架雪车的年龄与运动成绩无直接联系,有丰富运动经历、运动水平较高、年龄略小（20岁以下）的其他项目运动员（田径）可转雪车和钢架雪车,且运动成绩提升速度快,通常在训练两年后,可达世界高级水平;雪车和钢架雪车训练和比赛的赛道极其稀缺,有限的赛道集中在东道主国家,这些国家的运动员较其他国家运动员有更多的时间熟悉赛道,这可能在一定程度上增加获胜的几率。     

运用灰色系统理论对我国与世界女子7项全能成绩进行"优势分析"的比较研究

“7项全能”是衡量一个国家女子田径运动水平的重要标志,它能全面反映运动员跑、跳、投等多方面的能力,并要求运动员具有良好的身体素质、技战术和顽强拼搏的意志品质,其选材和训练受到国内外专家和教练的高度关注。利用灰色理论的“优势分析”法对当今我国与世界女子7项全能最佳水平的前8名运动员的成绩进行对比分析,找出各自优、劣势项目的差距,希望为我国女子7项全能运动的科学训练提供一些有价值的参考。     

Home advantage in southern hemisphere rugby union: Nationaland international

Abstract

This study evaluates home advantages both for national (Super 12) and international (Tri-nations) rugby union teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, over the five-year period 2000 – 2004 using linear modelling. These home advantages are examined for statistical and practical significance, for variability between teams, for stability over time and for inter-correlation. These data reveal that the overall home advantage in elite rugby union has a mean of +6.7 points, and that this changes little from year to year. Closer scrutiny nevertheless reveals a high degree of variability. Different teams can and do have different home advantages, which ranges from a low of ?0.7 to a high of +28.3 points in any one year. Furthermore, some team home advantages change up or down from one year to the next, by as much as ?36.5 to +31.4 points at the extremes. There is no evidence that the stronger teams have the higher home advantages, or that a high home advantage leads to a superior finishing position in the competition.     

Home advantage in speed skating: Evidence from individual data

Home advantage is a well-documented phenomenon in many sports. Home advantage has been shown to exist for team sports (soccer, hockey, football, baseball, basketball) and for countries organizing sports tournaments like the Olympics and World Cup Soccer. There is also some evidence for home advantage in some individual sports, but there is a much more limited literature. This paper addresses the issue of home advantage in speed skating. From a methodological point of view, it is difficult to identify home advantage, because skaters vary in their abilities and the conditions of tournaments vary. There is a small but significant home advantage using a generalized linear mixed model, with random effects for skaters and fixed effects for skating rinks and seasons. Even though the home advantage effect exists, it is very small when compared to variation in skating times due to differences of rinks and individual abilities.     

On referee bias,crowd size,and home advantage in the English soccer Premiership

Abstract

In the present study, we examined the independent and combined effects of an inspiratory muscle warm-up and inspiratory muscle training on intermittent running to exhaustion. Twelve males were recruited to undertake four experimental trials. Two trials (Trials 1 and 2) preceded either a 4-week training period of 1 × 30 breaths twice daily at 50% (experimental group) or 15% (control group) maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PImax). A further two trials (Trials 3 and 4) were performed after the 4 weeks. Trials 2 and 4 were preceded by a warm-up: 2 × 30 breaths at 40% PImax. Pre-training PImax and distance covered increased (P < 0.05) similarly between groups after the warm-up (～11% and ～5–7% PImax and distance covered, respectively). After training, PImax increased by 20 ± 6.1% (P < 0.01; d = 3.6) and 26.7 ± 6.3% (P < 0.01; d = 3.1) when training and warm-up were combined in the experimental group. Distance covered increased after training in the experimental group by 12 ± 4.9% (P < 0.01; d = 3.6) and 14.9 ± 4.5% (P < 0.01; d = 2.3) when training and warm-up interventions were combined. In conclusion, inspiratory muscle training and inspiratory muscle warm-up can both increase running distance independently, but the greatest increase is observed when they are combined.     

基于非衡性赛程国际A级足球比赛主场优势的研究

以参加2002年世界杯足球赛32支球队为研究对象,通过对他们近10年中参加国际A级比赛的成绩进行量化分析,结果表明:具有非衡性赛程特点的国际A级足球比赛,存在较高的主场优势,其产生的主要原因是情景的熟悉性和旅途因素,而比赛的重要性对其客场劣势也存在较高的制约性。     

Judges in judo conform to the referee because of the reactive feedback system

Abstract

This experiment tested whether the conformism observed among panels of judges in aesthetic sports also occurs among judges in judo. Similar to aesthetic sports, judo judging relies upon a form of open feedback. However, in judo, this system is reactive (i.e. two judges have to publicly ‘correct’ the score given by the higher-status referee), whereas it is active in aesthetic sports (i.e. judges with equal status report their score simultaneously and can use the feedback about the scores of their colleagues for evaluating later performances). In order to test whether such reactive open-feedback system leads to conformism among judges in judo, we designed an experiment in which this feedback was manipulated. Participants were 20 certified Flemish judges, who had to score two sets of 11 ambiguous video sequences that are used during formation and training of judo judges: one set with feedback about the referee's score and one set without feedback. The results revealed that when participants knew the referee's score, their scores were significantly more in line with this score than when they did not know this score. More specifically, for both sets of sequences at least 10% less deviations from the referee were observed when participants were given feedback about the score of the referee. These results suggest that preventable conformism can occur in typical judo judging, that is with reactive open feedback.     

对我国甲A职业足球联赛主场优势的研究

对我国甲A足球队90名运动员进行了心理问卷调查,结合1995、1996年甲A职业足球联赛的技术统计对主场优势进行了研究。结果显示:我国甲A职业足球联赛存在主场优势并对胜率有重要影响。引起主场效应的基本因素为主场的条件效应、主场的竞赛效应和运动员的主客场心理感受差异效应。     

CBA常规赛主场优势客观存在及影响因素的分析

运用数理统计、逻辑分析、文献资料等研究方法对C BA常规赛9个赛季共1186场比赛进行分析。结果表明:C BA常规赛客观存在主场优势,且主场胜率、效果量与国外不同性质的篮球联赛及国内甲A足球联赛相同;裁判、心理差异、场地认知、观众是影响主场优势的主要因素。     

从2001-2002CBA常规赛技术统计析主场优势

笔者通过对 2 0 0 1- 2 0 0 2CBA常规赛 2 6轮共 15 6场比赛的主、客场技术统计研究发现 :CBA在胜率、得分、投篮次数、命中次数、进攻能力、防守能力、以及在失误次数上存在主场优势 ;引起主场优势的主要因素为 :赛场客观环境 (场地、设施、气候、时差等 )、观众因素、裁判因素、战术运用、比赛动机和自我表现欲望。     

对重大赛事主场优势形成过程的质性研究

采用质性研究方法探索重大赛事主场优势的形成过程.以主场比赛成功、主场比赛失败为关键事件,对24名国家队运动员和教练员进行深度访谈,结合运动员日记等资料,通过质性分析软件Nvivo 8.0,运用扎根理论分析方法提炼出主场环境、比赛任务性质、心理领域感、自我表现动机、主场推进策略5个主类别,运用关联式及选择式编码,构建主场优势的形成过程,指出主场优势是在比赛任务性质这一背景下,主场环境因素通过运动员的自我表现动机、心理领域感的中介,采取有效主场推进策略的结果.     

Effects of bilateral and non-dominant practices on the lateral preference in judo matches

This study analysed the effects of bilateral and non-dominant practice on novice practitioners’ lateral preference for judo skills in a combat context (i.e., randori). Thirty sports sciences students (22 men and 8 women; mean age 19 ± 1 years) with right hand, foot, and counterclockwise rotation preferences were divided into 3 groups: bilateral (BG; n = 8), non-dominant (NDG; n = 11), and control (CG; n = 11). Participants received 8 weeks of training at a rate of 3 days per week. The NDG was trained to perform judo skills exclusive with their non-dominant side, while the BG performed every task symmetrically. Before and after training, participants were recorded during two 3-min randoris to obtain the percentage of their engagement in dominant side actions. Pretest percentages were 73.1 ± 19.9%, 77.8 ± 18.8%, and 68.9 ± 27.2% for BG, NDG, and CG, respectively. Post-test values were 75.0 ± 15.6%, 23.3 ± 27.9%, and 72.2.9 ± 20.4%, respectively. Significant differences were observed between NDG and each of the other groups after the training. Changes from pretest were only significant for NDG (P = 0.003). These results suggest that lateral preference among novice judo practitioners during randori can be modulated by the type of practice.     

从主办国优势看2008 年奥运会我国军团竞争实力

以历届奥运会主办国主办当届与非主办届所得金牌数为研究对象,运用文献资料法和数理统计法,对主办国优势进行量化,对奥运会不同阶段及不同集团主办国间的优势进行对比分析,进而对2008年奥运会中国主办国优势及金牌数进行预测,旨在为2008年奥运备战及参赛提供参考资料。结论:(1)主办国优势在奥运会中普遍存在并有利于主办国整体实力的发挥;(2)现代奥运会第一阶段的主办国优势明显大于后三阶段,而后三阶段则无明显差别,主办国优势发展至今已趋于稳定;(3)整体实力越弱的主办国其优势越大,反之亦然;(4)经定量预测,2008年奥运会中国主办国优势为0.4040,所得金牌数为42枚左右,很可能超过美国占据金牌榜首位。     

对我国少年男子柔道技术现状的调查与分析

对我国少年男子柔道运动员的技术情况进行了调查，结果表明，当前少年男子柔道以投技得分为主，投、寝技术发展不平衡，对于不同方向的技术和技术组合缺乏训练，体能的总体水平不高，运用规则的能力有待于提高。