With many schools playing games without fans and most playing with only a few, this would be a good year for some scientific type to figure out just what it is that makes the home court advantage. You have to figure that a loudly prejudiced crowd helps a lot, and probably is the biggest component.

But take the crowd out of it, do the home teams still have an advantage? I am guessing that they do. Maybe it is the absence of the distraction of travel. Maybe they are accustomed to the visual background behind the goals. Maybe the rims bounce differently. Maybe the balls bounce differently on the court. I don't know. But if we are ever going to settle the question, this is the year to do it.

(11-19-2020 08:51 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  With many schools playing games without fans and most playing with only a few, this would be a good year for some scientific type to figure out just what it is that makes the home court advantage. You have to figure that a loudly prejudiced crowd helps a lot, and probably is the biggest component.

But take the crowd out of it, do the home teams still have an advantage? I am guessing that they do. Maybe it is the absence of the distraction of travel. Maybe they are accustomed to the visual background behind the goals. Maybe the rims bounce differently. Maybe the balls bounce differently on the court. I don't know. But if we are ever going to settle the question, this is the year to do it.

I would figure that the home team would still have a slight advantage without a crowd for all of the reasons you list. But not having a crowd for the home players to get pumped up and the officials to get influenced by would be the biggest neutralizer!

UAFS had this from their site: "Will homecourt advantage take the season off?"

Really, cardboard figures in the stands aren’t all that intimidating. Would you believe . . . The Cameron Crazy Cutouts? Doesn’t have quite the same ring, or aura, to it. There will always be an advantage in not having to travel, especially this season when — besides bad weather and bus breakdowns — visiting teams have to worry about avoiding microbes. But the home advantage should be milder. Just a guess: Fewer big comebacks by home teams. The roar of the crowd is always good fuel to light a rally, and this year, it’ll be a lot quieter.

(11-19-2020 08:51 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  With many schools playing games without fans and most playing with only a few, this would be a good year for some scientific type to figure out just what it is that makes the home court advantage. You have to figure that a loudly prejudiced crowd helps a lot, and probably is the biggest component.

But take the crowd out of it, do the home teams still have an advantage? I am guessing that they do. Maybe it is the absence of the distraction of travel. Maybe they are accustomed to the visual background behind the goals. Maybe the rims bounce differently. Maybe the balls bounce differently on the court. I don't know. But if we are ever going to settle the question, this is the year to do it.

That's a really interesting idea. I think I have heard in the past that home court advantage is worth 4 points on average. Will that number shrink this year?

I wonder if you will see the Kansas's and Kentucky's of the world get upset more often without their juggernaut home advantage.