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Measuring home advantage in Spanish handball
Oscar Gutiérrez Aguilar1, Miguel Saavedra García, Juan José Fernández Romero
1Sports Research Center of University Miguel Hernández of Elche, Spain. ogutierrez@umh.es
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|May 16, 2012
Summary
Home advantage in Spanish handball is significant, with home teams winning 61% of points. This home advantage varies by player sex and competition level, being stronger in lower leagues.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Sports Analytics
- Human Movement
Background:
- Home advantage is a well-documented phenomenon in various sports.
- Previous research has quantified home advantage in numerous team sports.
- The existence and extent of home advantage in handball, specifically in Spain, requires detailed analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if a home advantage exists in Spanish professional handball leagues.
- To quantify the magnitude of this home advantage.
- To investigate how home advantage varies based on player sex and competition level.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of over 19,000 Spanish handball league game results.
- Inclusion of variables such as home/away game outcomes, player sex, and competition level.
- Statistical quantification of the home team's win percentage.
Main Results:
- A significant home advantage was found in Spanish handball, with home teams winning 61% of available points on average.
- The home advantage was not uniform, showing variations based on player sex.
- Home advantage increased as the competition level decreased, indicating a stronger effect in lower leagues.
Conclusions:
- A substantial home advantage is present in Spanish handball.
- The magnitude of home advantage is influenced by both the sex of the players and the level of competition.
- Further research could explore the specific factors contributing to this advantage in different handball contexts.
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