Was that a make-up call? Study confirms it
Posted: Monday, November 23, 2009 8:14 PM
Filed Under:
Rants
I don’t subscribe to the Journal of Sports Sciences, but it sounds like the latest issue contains a must-read article.
In a study of 365 games, including 93 played on neutral courts, a group of professors found that yes, refs are biased for the home team and “make-up” calls do exist. They also make more calls against teams in the lead – which can grow in the game is on national TV. Essentially, they’re trying to keep the game close.
The next time that obnoxious fan behind complains about the officiating, he might have a point. Here’s the tell-tale reason behind the study.
"Part of the reason for the study came from something my coach used to tell me," said study co-author Kyle Anderson, who played at Division III Knox College. "He said a team can come in and push and shove and grab and hold, and by the end of the game, or end of the half, they've only got one or two more fouls because officials kind of get tired of calling it."
Among the study’s key findings?
The probability of a foul being called on the visiting team was 7 percent higher than on the home team.
When the home team is leading, the probability of the next foul being called on them was about 6.3 percentage points higher than when the home team was trailing. The professors also cited an earlier study that concluded there were more calls against teams ahead in games on national TV versus those ahead in locally televised games. Calling fouls against the leading team tends to keep games closer, the studies said.
The bigger the difference in fouls between the two teams playing, the more likely it was that the next call would come against the team with fewer fouls. When the home team had five or more fouls than the visiting team, there was a 69 percent chance the visiting team would be whistled for the next foul.
Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News says that the refs don’t deserve all the blame, though. Give some to the coaches, who teach their players how to bump cutters and root offensive players out of their post position.
Fair enough. Now can well agree that we don’t want the game doesn’t get bogged down in fouls?
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