Is Home Field Advantage Overrated?

[The Brain]

Home field, home court, home ice, whatever you want to call it the advantage of being the home team is often discussed in sports. It is usually a determining factor when making a prediction in a given game or series. Is being the home team really as advantageous as it is made out to be?

Of the four major American sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, & NHL) the only one I see as a definite advantage is baseball. In baseball the home team gets to bat last. Let’s say the road team is winning by one run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The home team hits a two run home run and the game is over without the road team getting a chance to bat again. Now granted, the road team had just as much opportunity as the home team to get those runs but there’s something different about being on the field knowing you may not get a chance to be on offense again if the defense blows a lead. Also baseball is different because all the fields are different in terms of dimensions. In the NFL, NBA, and NHL the playing surfaces are identical for every team. In MLB there are different size and shaped fields all over the league. For example, there are a few idiosyncrasies in right field in San Francisco that would presumably give a Giants right fielder an advantage over a visiting right fielder. The Giants right fielder plays 81 games a year in that field whereas a visitor might only play three. I do recognize the home field advantage in baseball, but what about the other sports?

As I mentioned above the playing surfaces are identical in the other sports. The basketball court in Utah is just like the court in Philadelphia, which is just like the court in Atlanta. Players don’t have to worry about any unusual nooks or crannies or have to worry about knowing different ground rules in different arenas. Also there is no first or last touch advantage in the other sports. A jump ball or face off determines who gets control of the action first in basketball and hockey and each team gets equal opportunity. The winner of a coin toss gets to decide if they kick or receive to begin a football game. The visitor has a 50% chance of winning the toss. So where is the home field/court/ice advantage in these sports? Is it based solely on being in front of their own fans? I suppose I could see how 20-50 thousands fans cheering you on would give players an adrenaline rush but most professional athletes will tell you they tune out the crowd noise and just focus on the game. I’ve heard it suggested that the advantage comes because the home team gets to be at their actual homes and sleep in their beds which make them more comfortable than a team that has traveled to sleep in a hotel. I’m not sure I buy that as being a big factor. These guys are used to travel and it’s not like they stay in an uncomfortable room in some dump motel. I imagine they’re staying in some pretty nice rooms and are able to rest comfortably.

What do you think? Is home field advantage really as big a deal as it’s made out to be?

 

[Big Sexy]

I don't think it is as a whole. As you mentioned there is a definite advantage in baseball and it's also a huge advantage in basketball. All you have to do is look at the records in the NBA to see it's a great advantage. It's not just about the playing surface (as you mentioned NBA courts are basically all the same) it's about the crowd being behind you and the comfort of being in your own locker room, sleeping in your bed the night before, etc.. Every team in the NBA this season had a better home record then road record. The only two leagues it may be slightly overrated are the NFL and NHL but even then it is still an advantage.

 

[hatehabsforever]

For all of the reasons already so correctly addressed, there's no doubt that in MLB, home field advantage is still significant. I don't think it is so much about the idiosyncrasies of the field in question, although I guess that is somewhat of an advantage. Let's face it, if I'm a left fielder in Fenway, my experience in dealing with the Green Monster has to be an advantage. I also don't think it has much to do with the fans, or even playing conditions such as indoors/outdoors, etc., But the ability to bat last and score without your opponent being able to even have an opportunity to respond is why MLB still boasts a significant advantage regarding home field advantage.

Logically speaking, home court shouldn't mean much in the NBA. After all, a court is a court. A net is a net, a floor is a floor, etc., But in reality, home court in the NBA is still huge. You just knew that even though the Spurs held a 3-2 advantage in the Finals, the chances of Miami winning games 6 and 7 at home were high, and sure enough, they did.

In the NFL, I think home field is still pretty significant too. Field conditions vary greatly and the passion of the fans seems to be more on display in the NFL than in the other sports. I don't think it means as much as it once did, but home field is still pretty big. The one exception, of course, is that the location of the Superbowl is predetermined, so unless,you are lucky enough to make the Superbowl in a season that it's being held in your city/stadium, no one ends up with home field advantage in the championship game. And if you play in a cold outdoor stadium such as NY or Buffalo, you are never having home field advantage in the biggest game of the season.

In the NHL, home ice advantage means absolutely nothing, or at least, very little. 8th seeds beat the 1st seeds all the time. Ask the Kings from last season. Ask the Penguins how much home ice helped them against the Bruins this year. And the Bruins are going to prove how little home ice advantage means this year again when they beat the Blackhawks on Wednesday night. In Chicago.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I may be wrong but home ice means you get to your guys out on the ice after the visiting team. Pretty good advantage to be able to pick you players after seeing what the other team has put out. Not sure how much of an impact it has but there's that. There's also some carams (sp?) off the boards that home teams may know to expect.

Home field advantage is real (Vegas uses it for setting odds) but it also a marketing ploy. Fans will be more emotionally invested if they think their actions are going to actually have an affect on the game. In Buffalo they put the '12th Man' on their Wall of Fame. It's a nice gesture but I'm sure the motives are not pure.

 

[Judah's Lion]

besides all the other responses that have been given so far, the other factor i see is as it relates to the NFL.

aren't there some teams located in very cold places that might have an advantage over visiting teams from very warm places? and no, i'm not being sarcastic. only been watching the NFL for a short time so i'm still learning even the basic stuff.

but if there is a team, like say Minnesota or New England, that have outdoor stadiums and are used to playing in freezing weather, then when a visiting team comes from a very warm geography, i'd imagine that the home team then does have the advantage.

and then very specifically, i'd say that there's just something special about the following two places, again, as it relates to the NFL: Seattle and New Orleans. both places appear to have absolutely RABID fans. in fact, i've read that the crowd reaction in Seattle is so big and loud that it's literally been measured on the Richter Scale. as in, what they use to determine earthquakes.

it is an interesting thought to say the least. outside of a few nuances in a few locations in a few of the major sports, i'm not sure that it really does give much of an edge to be the home team. i mean, i'd hate to lose in front of my friends and family as much as the next guy, but i'd also hate to lose on national television no matter where i was playing, so i'm not sure that where i am physically makes that much difference given that i'd be viewed by countless millions around the world.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Home field advantage is generally huge in (European) football - just look at the combined record of the top 3 teams in the Barclays Premier League last season.

Won

48​

Drew

5​

Lost

4​

It has always surprised me that this isn't just as prevalent in US sports but I still think it is a major plus. However, the crowd can only get you so far - players and tactics will always be true difference in teams. It is only when margins of difference are very small that such things as home-field and climate can become decisive... although the odd underdog surprise is always very enjoyable (unless it's against your team obviously).

 

[Trill Co$by]

There's a reason why being Road Warriors in sports is a good thing for teams, and it's because that even with all of their experience, even with all the money they make, and sometimes even with greater skill... an away team be startled by a sudden pop from the home crowd. If you don't believe me, just go to a home football game at any SEC power house team. LSU, Bama, Auburn, Texas A&M, even Florida... these teams always have fans that are passionate about their teams and a lot of other teams from around the NCAA just fall because they can't overcome the noise.

In football, it's even trickier. Take for example a Wide Receiver on the away team. Often times, he's completely away from the quarterback and it's nearly impossible to hear him. One slight missed communication, and one of those bright yellow flags will go flying across the field. In Basketball, if you're not able to hear the captain call the play, you can miss your shot. I'm not much of a Baseball fan, but I would assume that on a simple hit with two bases already occupied, hearing the home fans cheer for their team can cause distractions when deciding who to throw the ball to.

So yeah, home field advantage means a lot in sports. It's also what makes watching sports so fun.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

There's a reason why being Road Warriors in sports is a good thing for teams, and it's because that even with all of their experience, even with all the money they make, and sometimes even with greater skill... an away team be startled by a sudden pop from the home crowd. If you don't believe me, just go to a home football game at any SEC power house team. LSU, Bama, Auburn, Texas A&M, even Florida... these teams always have fans that are passionate about their teams and a lot of other teams from around the NCAA just fall because they can't overcome the noise.

This paragraph doesn't make much sense. Kyle Field has always enjoyed an advantage, the SEC has ZERO to do with it. The SEC doesn't get to take credit for Kyle Field's 12th Man. That's literally something Texas A&M has trademarked. Other teams around college football do not "fail" because teams are from the SEC. Florida State did just fine against a couple SEC teams. The SEC does not corner the market on home-field advantage in college football. The Big House, Horseshoe, Death Valley (Clemson), Autzen Stadium, etc... all exhibit the qualities you're talking about.

Oregon had a really impressive streak going up in Autzen until recently. The Washington Huskies have pulled off quite a few upsets at CenturyLink due to that noise and the Seahawks already showed you what that crowd can do on a weekly basis. The advantage is more on display in some sports than in others. One poster already highlighted the Champions League effect for home field. It really just depends on the team, era, and sport.

In sum: home-field absolutely a factor in many sports and the SEC has nothing to do with it.