The effect of fans in a stadium

In professional sport, playing at home has always had an added value. Many teams prefer to be close to their fans, who can cheer them on. In soccer, some even refer to the public as "the 12th player on the pitch". A nice image, but does it really hold water? The covid-19 pandemic provided an interesting laboratory for sports performance researchers. Health restrictions forced clubs to play in virtual silence, as crowds were not allowed.

Did the teams lose their home advantage in this context? Slightly, but the difference wasn't as marked as in previous years. In fact, it seems that with or without a crowd, a team has a better chance of winning at home. Why is that? For one thing, they don't have to travel or adapt to the altitude like their rivals. What's more, it has been admitted that some coaches, among others, arrange for visitors to have less comfortable changing rooms or cold rather than hot showers.

Nevertheless, the absence of spectators had a slight effect on the winning percentage at home and elsewhere. Refereeing was a little harsher for the home team than in the context of matches with fans. Why was this? Specialists recognize the psychological effect of whistles when a foul is called. As a result, refereeing is unconsciously more lenient for the home team. Without this pressure, however, referees were less "afraid" of calling fouls that didn't comply with the rules.

Duration: 7 minutes