Home Field Advantage in Women’s International Football
A summary of the research:
This research paper investigated the concept of home field advantage in international women's football, analyzing 4,416 matches played between 1980 and 2022. The study aimed to determine the size of this advantage, how it changed over time, and if it varied across different geographic regions. Historically, home advantage has been studied more in men's sports due to a lack of sufficient data for women's sports, but with the growing popularity and competitiveness of women's football, more research is now possible. The paper also explored potential reasons for home advantage, such as travel fatigue for away teams, specific coaching tactics, familiarity with the playing environment, and the influence of home fans on both players and referees.
The study found a statistically significant home advantage in women's international football, with home teams winning, on average, 52.3% of their matches over the entire period. However, this advantage has been secularly declining since the early 1970s. While home advantage started very high (above 60% in 1980) and experienced fluctuations, by the 2010s and early 2020s, the home win percentage dipped to 49% and 48% respectively, indicating a potential absence of home advantage in these later decades. Importantly, the research concluded that the home advantage in international women's football has statistically converged to that in international men's football. This convergence is postulated to have been aided by the transfer of knowledge, tactics, nutrition, and physical training accumulated over a century in men's international football. The study also revealed that home advantage varies across different geographic confederations and competition types, sometimes being greater than 50% and other times not.
Here are three practical and actionable takeaways from the article's results for coaches and administrators in women's soccer:
Invest in and Adapt Advanced Football Knowledge and Resources: The study indicates that the convergence of home advantage in women's football with men's football was likely influenced by knowledge transfer in areas such as tactics, nutrition, and physical training. This suggests that to continue elevating the women's game and ensure competitive balance, coaches and administrators should actively seek to implement and adapt best practices from all areas of elite football development. This includes investing in sophisticated training methodologies, sports science, and comprehensive nutritional programs that have proven effective in reducing the impact of external factors like home advantage and instead emphasize intrinsic team quality.
Strategically Plan for Away Matches to Mitigate Travel Disadvantages: Home advantage is partly attributed to the fatigue and unfamiliarity experienced by away teams due to travel and accommodations. While not directly tested for women's football in this paper, the authors state there's "no reason to suspect that the influences would be dissimilar". Therefore, coaches and administrators should prioritize optimizing travel logistics and player welfare for away games. This can include careful scheduling to minimize travel time, ensuring high-quality and familiar-feeling accommodations, and implementing recovery protocols to counteract jet lag or travel-induced fatigue. Reducing these stressors can help ensure players perform closer to their potential regardless of location.
Leverage Home Crowd Support and Prepare for Away Crowd Pressure Strategically: The research highlights that home fans can significantly influence game outcomes by encouraging home players and potentially intimidating referees. Despite the declining overall home advantage, this factor remains relevant. Coaches should work with their clubs to actively encourage strong home crowd attendance and create an intimidating atmosphere for opponents, ensuring players are motivated by the support. Conversely, when playing away, teams should be mentally prepared for hostile crowds and potential pressure on officials, developing strategies to maintain focus and composure under such conditions. Understanding this psychological aspect can help teams maximize benefits at home and minimize disadvantages away.
Authors: Craig A. Depken, II & Tomislav Globan
You can read the entire article here.
