Home advantage and LBW decisions: The contribution of umpiring to the home-ground (dis)advantage in cricket

Joshua M. Adie; Ian Renshaw; Remco Polman; David L. Mann

doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2022.01.009

Home advantage and LBW decisions: The contribution of umpiring to the home-ground (dis)advantage in cricket

Joshua M. Adie, Ian Renshaw, Remco Polman, David L. Mann

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether elite cricket umpires' decisions contribute to home advantage via leg-before-wicket decisions. Design: Leg-before-wicket decisions (n = 4971) from actual elite level cricket matches in Australia between 2009 and 2016 were analysed using a binomial logistic regression to predict the umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. Methods: Regressions were performed to determine whether the batter's team (home or away) influenced the likelihood that the umpire would give them out leg-before-wicket. Results: We found no evidence of home advantage in umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. In fact, we found evidence that umpires in some instances disadvantage the home team. Conclusions: We suggest that the increased professionalism of sports officials, and the scrutiny they are placed under, may lead umpires to reduce or even overcompensate for any existing biases in their decision making.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	520-523
Number of pages	4
Journal	Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
Volume	25
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2022.01.009
Publication status	Published - Jun 2022
Externally published	Yes

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10.1016/j.jsams.2022.01.009

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title = "Home advantage and LBW decisions: The contribution of umpiring to the home-ground (dis)advantage in cricket",

abstract = "Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether elite cricket umpires' decisions contribute to home advantage via leg-before-wicket decisions. Design: Leg-before-wicket decisions (n = 4971) from actual elite level cricket matches in Australia between 2009 and 2016 were analysed using a binomial logistic regression to predict the umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. Methods: Regressions were performed to determine whether the batter's team (home or away) influenced the likelihood that the umpire would give them out leg-before-wicket. Results: We found no evidence of home advantage in umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. In fact, we found evidence that umpires in some instances disadvantage the home team. Conclusions: We suggest that the increased professionalism of sports officials, and the scrutiny they are placed under, may lead umpires to reduce or even overcompensate for any existing biases in their decision making.",

keywords = "Decision-making, Home disadvantage, Referee bias, Sports officiating",

author = "Adie, {Joshua M.} and Ian Renshaw and Remco Polman and Mann, {David L.}",

note = "Funding Information: The research was supported by a QUT Postgraduate Research Scholarship to the lead author.The research was supported by a QUT Postgraduate Research Scholarship to the lead author. The authors wish to thank Cricket Australia for providing the data for this study. Funding Information: The research was supported by a QUT Postgraduate Research Scholarship to the lead author. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Sports Medicine Australia",

year = "2022",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.jsams.2022.01.009",

language = "English",

volume = "25",

pages = "520--523",

journal = "Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport",

issn = "1440-2440",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "6",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Home advantage and LBW decisions

T2 - The contribution of umpiring to the home-ground (dis)advantage in cricket

AU - Adie, Joshua M.

AU - Renshaw, Ian

AU - Polman, Remco

AU - Mann, David L.

N1 - Funding Information: The research was supported by a QUT Postgraduate Research Scholarship to the lead author.The research was supported by a QUT Postgraduate Research Scholarship to the lead author. The authors wish to thank Cricket Australia for providing the data for this study. Funding Information: The research was supported by a QUT Postgraduate Research Scholarship to the lead author. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Sports Medicine Australia

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether elite cricket umpires' decisions contribute to home advantage via leg-before-wicket decisions. Design: Leg-before-wicket decisions (n = 4971) from actual elite level cricket matches in Australia between 2009 and 2016 were analysed using a binomial logistic regression to predict the umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. Methods: Regressions were performed to determine whether the batter's team (home or away) influenced the likelihood that the umpire would give them out leg-before-wicket. Results: We found no evidence of home advantage in umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. In fact, we found evidence that umpires in some instances disadvantage the home team. Conclusions: We suggest that the increased professionalism of sports officials, and the scrutiny they are placed under, may lead umpires to reduce or even overcompensate for any existing biases in their decision making.

AB - Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether elite cricket umpires' decisions contribute to home advantage via leg-before-wicket decisions. Design: Leg-before-wicket decisions (n = 4971) from actual elite level cricket matches in Australia between 2009 and 2016 were analysed using a binomial logistic regression to predict the umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. Methods: Regressions were performed to determine whether the batter's team (home or away) influenced the likelihood that the umpire would give them out leg-before-wicket. Results: We found no evidence of home advantage in umpires' leg-before-wicket decisions. In fact, we found evidence that umpires in some instances disadvantage the home team. Conclusions: We suggest that the increased professionalism of sports officials, and the scrutiny they are placed under, may lead umpires to reduce or even overcompensate for any existing biases in their decision making.

KW - Decision-making

KW - Home disadvantage

KW - Referee bias

KW - Sports officiating

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DO - 10.1016/j.jsams.2022.01.009

M3 - Article

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AN - SCOPUS:85125485696

SN - 1440-2440

VL - 25

SP - 520

EP - 523

JO - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

JF - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

IS - 6

ER -

Home advantage and LBW decisions: The contribution of umpiring to the home-ground (dis)advantage in cricket

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