Study suggests home-team bias

[Da Coach]

This may have already been posted and discussed, but it is in the news again.

There have been some people who have denied this, but I think most basketball fans recognize that most officials appear to have a bias that favors the home teams.
A study confirms it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4682821

http://www.slamonline.com/online/college-hs/college/2009/11/study-venue-influences-college-refs/

The study also analyzed total fouls, which I and many others believe officials often try to keep close to avoid the appearance of a bias. Unfortunately, this penalizes the team that fouls less.

Study report-

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a911008401

[amckillip]

The study also analyzed total fouls, which I and many others believe officials often try to keep close to avoid the appearance of a bias. Unfortunately, this penalizes the team that fouls less.

A fact I think SIU has used to their advantage for years....

[SaintLouBrave22]

Thats news to me as we usually end up w/ the "hacks" (ie Pollard) at home and they tend to officiate worse at Carver than when we're on the road....

Or at least thats how I view it.

[romar]

That's a whole different study into how JL tends to pi$$ off the MVC ref's game in & game out. LOL

[tornado]

...officials appear to have a bias that favors the home teams...

there are those who have denied this for years..but I think it is clear...
now there's even more evidence...
This tends also to refute the argument that there are no "Valley refs"..because it proves the refs are influenced by more than just the play happening in front of them.

[tornado]

Now another new study of the past 13 years in the NBA shows a racial bias...

a consistent tendency for NBA refs to call fewer fouls on players of their (the ref's) own race!!

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=294&sid=13506367

so, mounting proof that referees are NOT "fair and unbiased"...and that they ALL are affected by biases in their calls......so we should just live with that...
but it certainly puts to rest this notion that games are NOT ever won or lost by the ref...because surely some MIGHT JUST BE based on this data!!!

[TylerDurden]

there are those who have denied this for years..but I think it is clear...
now there's even more evidence...
This tends also to refute the argument that there are no "Valley refs"..because it proves the refs are influenced by more than just the play happening in front of them.

Referees are independent contractors. Trends in foul calls do not change that.

Sure there are referees who are frequently working MVC games, but those same guys work the Big Ten, Big 12, CUSA, Horizon and others.

The actual officials working any game is heavily influenced by a league's schedule and their pay structure. Many leagues have incentives for folks to work X number of conference games and various other hooks to get the best officials they can.

The reason the officials work so much is because they aren't only connected to one league (i.e. Valley refs) and there aren't really any restrictions about how many games they can accept, other than a league's interest in that official.

Now, if you want to talk about what makes an official "good" or one of the "best", that's a different discussion.

[BUFanatic]

I think the Eastern Illinois game would argue this point....

[AZ BU Fan]

Refs provide home teams an advantage? Definitely...

Too bad BU can't get in on this trend!

[wily coyote]

Refs provide home teams an advantage? Definitely...

Too bad BU can't get in on this trend!

I had alot of Home teams lose. I guess I didn't get the message. This topic is not worth argueing. If you have never worked the game you can't understand how silly this topic is.I'm not saying there aren't homers but to say all officials tried to keep the fouls or scores close is crazy. Good officials have know idea what the foul totals are and could care less. When the fouls were lopsided and a coach would be so kind to point it out to me. I would reply "maybe you should quit fouling."
End of discussion.

[amckillip]

I had alot of Home teams lose. I guess I didn't get the message. This topic is not worth argueing. If you have never worked the game you can't understand how silly this topic is.I'm not saying there aren't homers but to say all officials tried to keep the fouls or scores close is crazy. Good officials have know idea what the foul totals are and could care less. When the fouls were lopsided and a coach would be so kind to point it out to me. I would reply "maybe you should quit fouling."
End of discussion.

Nevertheless, most refs aren't good refs then, as almost always you see a 'leveling out' if one side gets way more fouls than others.

[Dallas Brave]

Refs biased? What will they research next ... to see if frogs have water-tight sphincters?

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

Good officials have know idea what the foul totals are

Do you remember when officials asked the scorers table how many fouls Shaq had? I can't find the video, but I've seen it several times. Also don't forget Tim Donaghy. Refs probably don't consciously give the home team an advantage, but it is not surprising that it happens.

[AZ BU Fan]

Wiley C, please don't "T" me up!

Just JOKING!

Its what I do....sometimes more successfully than other times

Although it seemed to me when I was still able to attend BU home games, BU almost NEVER had a home court advantage, real or perceived, from the Stripes!

[wily coyote]

Wiley C, please don't "T" me up!

Just JOKING!

Its what I do....sometimes more successfully than other times

Although it seemed to me when I was still able to attend BU home games, BU almost NEVER had a home court advantage, real or perceived, from the Stripes!

AZ I won't that whistle is hung up on a rung so high I couldn't reach it if I wanted to. I agree with you also about our home court advantage. If we're getting it we're not taking advantage of it with our home court record.