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Started By
Message
Home Court Advantage in Basketball?
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:20 am
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:20 am
Does it not seem odd to anyone else that NBA homecourt has such an incredible impact on games? I would think it should be the least impactful of the big three sports, but it seems to have the most impact.
In the NFL, you could be a dome team like the Saints who are used to playing indoors on turf and then have to play outside in Philly or Green Bay in the winter. Those are sport-altering differences. There are simply things you can't do in those sorts of environments.
In MLB, you also have the outdoor impact so a warm weather team like San Francisco could go play a cold weather team like Chicago or New York. In addition to that you have the very unique and objectively most tangible homefield advantage aspect in the fact that all the fields are different dimensions.
In the NBA, however, you really have none of this. Every game is played indoors in temperature regulated environments. All of the courts are the same dimensions and same materials. The only real difference is crowd noise.
Now granted the farthest I made it was high school sports so maybe I just can't understand the impact a bunch of fans yelling at you has, but I would have thought for professional athletes, shooting is shooting regardless of how loud it is around you. This also isn't something like the NFL where you're unable to get playcalls in or snap counts or things like that because of the noise.
It's just surprising to me that homecourt was essentially worth over a 60 point swing from game 2 to game 3. There also aren't any travel impacts as both teams travel on the same days, right? So it isn't an issue of one team traveling out west and one team being fresh vs another who shows up potentially jet-lagged as you have in the NFL.
Am I the only one this surprises?
In the NFL, you could be a dome team like the Saints who are used to playing indoors on turf and then have to play outside in Philly or Green Bay in the winter. Those are sport-altering differences. There are simply things you can't do in those sorts of environments.
In MLB, you also have the outdoor impact so a warm weather team like San Francisco could go play a cold weather team like Chicago or New York. In addition to that you have the very unique and objectively most tangible homefield advantage aspect in the fact that all the fields are different dimensions.
In the NBA, however, you really have none of this. Every game is played indoors in temperature regulated environments. All of the courts are the same dimensions and same materials. The only real difference is crowd noise.
Now granted the farthest I made it was high school sports so maybe I just can't understand the impact a bunch of fans yelling at you has, but I would have thought for professional athletes, shooting is shooting regardless of how loud it is around you. This also isn't something like the NFL where you're unable to get playcalls in or snap counts or things like that because of the noise.
It's just surprising to me that homecourt was essentially worth over a 60 point swing from game 2 to game 3. There also aren't any travel impacts as both teams travel on the same days, right? So it isn't an issue of one team traveling out west and one team being fresh vs another who shows up potentially jet-lagged as you have in the NFL.
Am I the only one this surprises?
17
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:23 am to FootballNostradamus
I think there is something to the comfort of shooting in your home building. Some things just don't "fit the eye" and make the shooter uncomfortable. They've talked about this in the Final Four for years when they play in Huge Open stadiums vs. regular arenas.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:24 am to FootballNostradamus
has nothing to do with the noise mostly, but more to do with confidence, being relaxed, and familiarity with the surroundings which could affect depth perception (when it comes to shooting)
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:26 am to FootballNostradamus
quote:
It's just surprising to me that homecourt was essentially worth over a 60 point swing from game 2 to game 3.
There are more factors in that swing than just home court advantage, but to answer your question, home court advantage in basketball is more significant than pretty much any other sport regardless of level.
The crowd, beyond just being loud, is right on top of you. The main thing the noise impacts is defensive energy and effort of the home team, imo. That's why teams struggle shooting the ball on the road.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:28 am to FootballNostradamus
quote:
Now granted the farthest I made it was high school sports so maybe I just can't understand the impact a bunch of fans yelling at you has, but I would have thought for professional athletes, shooting is shooting regardless of how loud it is around you. This also isn't something like the NFL where you're unable to get playcalls in or snap counts or things like that because of the noise
I don't think the crowd noise affect professional athletes much. When I was playing, it wasn't hard to tune the crowd out. If you're really focused, it gets to the point where you really don't even know what's going on beyond the court.
For some reason, I believe it's all subconscious and wanting to play better, smarter, and harder in front of your home crowd. No one likes to lose on their home floor so there's more effort and concentration when one plays at home versus away.
This post was edited on 6/9/16 at 8:31 am
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:36 am to FootballNostradamus
I think the fans basically being right on top of the field of play is a big factor you don't see in other sports.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:37 am to FootballNostradamus
I don't think there's much of a correlation for the really good players in their home/away splits.
It's role players and officiating that makes the difference.
It's role players and officiating that makes the difference.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:46 am to FootballNostradamus
Familiarity with the arena and momentum are 2 of the biggest reasons. I think one understated aspect is being able to sleep in your own bed at home is huge too. Being at home with your family the night before a big game versus being on the road and sleeping in a hotel thousands of miles from home is a big advantage
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:49 am to FootballNostradamus
Basketball is a game of rhythm. Familiarity and comfort are very important
Posted on 6/9/16 at 8:58 am to FootballNostradamus
I think the biggest difference is the home team gets to stick to a normal routine. Normal practice times, normal meals, normal home environment where you sleep in your own bed, etc. Even though NBA accommodations are great, there's a different level of comfort when you're at home.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 9:05 am to FootballNostradamus
Referees also do a little home cooking.
There are a few refs who used to do the opposite. Joey Crawford is one example. He was more favorable to the road teams because he liked pissing off the home fans.
There are referee stats that show this is true.
There are a few refs who used to do the opposite. Joey Crawford is one example. He was more favorable to the road teams because he liked pissing off the home fans.
There are referee stats that show this is true.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 9:10 am to FootballNostradamus
There is also a concept called context-dependent memory where recall is better in the environment it was encoded. So it's possible that everything is more automatic at home.
This post was edited on 6/9/16 at 9:11 am
Posted on 6/9/16 at 9:27 am to FootballNostradamus
Totally agree, it seems ridiculous
Posted on 6/9/16 at 9:28 am to FootballNostradamus
I can only speak with high school experience as well, but it was always a big adrenaline rush playing at home. We had one of the best crowds for a high school team in 3A. Also it was pretty intimidating playing on the road in the playoffs and the other teams fans seemed to be on top of you. We still won though 
Posted on 6/9/16 at 9:30 am to FootballNostradamus
I was thinking the same thing last night. My seventeen year old son and eighteen year old nephew have both been claiming that the NBA playoffs are rigged. I thought they were being super cynical, but the point swings from home to home in these series have made me raise eyebrows.
There is no way that home court, with "professionals" playing the game should be a +\- 20 points. It's truly unbelievable.
There is no way that home court, with "professionals" playing the game should be a +\- 20 points. It's truly unbelievable.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 9:30 am to FootballNostradamus
I was thinking the same thing last night. My seventeen year old son and eighteen year old nephew have both been claiming that the NBA playoffs are rigged. I thought they were being super cynical, but the point swings from home to home in these series have made me raise eyebrows.
There is no way that home court, with "professionals" playing the game should be a +\- 20 points. It's truly unbelievable.
There is no way that home court, with "professionals" playing the game should be a +\- 20 points. It's truly unbelievable.
Posted on 6/9/16 at 9:32 am to FootballNostradamus
Comfort, knowing the areana etc all factor in plus officiating in the NBA is probably more influenced by the "crowd" or home court than any pro sport.
all that being said, there have been 25, 20+ point wins in this seasons playoffs. More than ever. It's been brutal in many respects. most games have been a snooze fest
all that being said, there have been 25, 20+ point wins in this seasons playoffs. More than ever. It's been brutal in many respects. most games have been a snooze fest
Posted on 6/9/16 at 10:00 am to FootballNostradamus
It's often said that the role players benefit the most from playing at home. That's often the difference between All-Star level players and the tier just below them, that mental edge to block out your surroundings and focus on doing your job. Some players are excellent at that, they can bring their same game anywhere, those are your best players. Some are horrible at it.
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