Article
Details
Citation
Reade JJ, Schreyer D & Singleton C (2022) Eliminating supportive crowds reduces referee bias. Economic Inquiry, 60 (3), pp. 1416-1436. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.13063
Abstract
We use a series of historical natural experiments in association football to test whether social pressure from a home stadium crowd affected behavior and outcomes. The standout effect of an empty stadium was that referees cautioned visiting players less often, by over a third of a yellow card per match or once for every 22 fouls committed. Stadium crowds caused referees to favor the home team in their decision-making. Empty stadiums appear to have reduced the overall home advantage in the final outcomes of football matches, but we cannot statistically reject no effect.
Keywords
attendance; coronavirus; home advantage; natural experiments; referee bias; social pressure
Journal
Economic Inquiry: Volume 60, Issue 3
Status | Published |
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Publication date | 31/07/2022 |
Publication date online | 24/12/2021 |
Date accepted by journal | 06/12/2021 |
Publisher | Wiley |
ISSN | 0095-2583 |
eISSN | 1465-7295 |
People (1)
Senior Lecturer in Economics, Economics