Influence of Spectator Density and Stadium Arrangement on Home Games in the J. League

Tomoaki Seki

[Received June 3, 2010 ; Accepted June 1, 2011] 

It is widely recognized that sports teams have a “home-team advantage”. Despite its acknowledged importance, there is a lack of research on this phenomenon, specifically in the context of professional sports in Japan. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of crowd density (the ratio of attendance to seating capacity) and spectator attendance (the total number of spectators attending home games in the current season) on home-team advantage in the J. League. The relationship between crowd density and hometeam advantage was examined by an assessment of correlation coeffi cients. The relationship between team performance and stadium usage patterns was also investigated through a series of chi-square tests. Results showed that clubs which primarily use their main stadium for home games do not necessarily have a high crowd density, while other clubs have a higher level of crowd density by using several stadiums. In addition, the results indicate that crowd density has a weak effect on the home-team advantage. Based on the study findings, the fi ndings, managerial implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords: J. League, spectators density, stadium conditions, home advantage

[Football Science Vol.8, 16-25, 2011]


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