Home field advantage?

1,984 Views | 9 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by Giggem
aTmAg
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AG
So my daughter plays college soccer, and I have noticed over the years that it seems that home field advantage is huge (at least on the women side). Seems to be more important than other sports I can think of. Sure enough I looked at A&M and it seems that we tend to play much better at home than away (at least when comparing the 2017 and 2018 seasons). Am I smoking crack? Is this a known thing in college soccer?

If so, then what the heck is the reason for that (not why is their home field advantage.. but why is it so pronounced in college (female?) soccer)? Anybody know?
redd38
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Firstly, for the same reason it's an advantage in any sport, sleeping in your own bed, getting ready in your own locker room, not having to do a bunch of traveling.

But in soccer the field plays a bigger part than in other sports because the ball is constant in contact with the grass . Different stadiums have different types of grass, different lengths of grass, and different field dimensions (including how flat or not flat the field is).
aTmAg
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AG
I recognize that home field advantage is a thing in all sports, but I was wondering if (and why) it is so much stronger in soccer than other sports.

I didn't think about the field dimension and grass length being different. I wouldn't think that would be a big deal. But I cannot think of a better explanation.
greg.w.h
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aTmAg said:

I recognize that home field advantage is a thing in all sports, but I was wondering if (and why) it is so much stronger in soccer than other sports.

I didn't think about the field dimension and grass length being different. I wouldn't think that would be a big deal. But I cannot think of a better explanation.
The main home field advantage is choosing the opponents who play there...

I think it probably is at least a half a goal advantage just due to comfort and familiarity. For us I'd like to think with our crowd it's closer a full goal per game on average.

But I also think we are just that much more aggressive at home, too.
aTmAg
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greg.w.h said:

aTmAg said:

I recognize that home field advantage is a thing in all sports, but I was wondering if (and why) it is so much stronger in soccer than other sports.

I didn't think about the field dimension and grass length being different. I wouldn't think that would be a big deal. But I cannot think of a better explanation.
The main home field advantage is choosing the opponents who play there...

I think it probably is at least a half a goal advantage just due to comfort and familiarity. For us I'd like to think with our crowd it's closer a full goal per game on average.

But I also think we are just that much more aggressive at home, too.
If you compare A&M 2017 and 2018 schedules and look at the teams that we played in both seasons, we did much better at home against those common opponents than we did away. Last year, my daughter played the same team twice, once at home and once away. And it they went 1-4 and 3-1 with the home team always winning. I know all of that is anecdotal, but in soccer a 5 point swing is ridiculous. And in my daughter's case, there are tons of examples.
redd38
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AG
greg.w.h said:

aTmAg said:

I recognize that home field advantage is a thing in all sports, but I was wondering if (and why) it is so much stronger in soccer than other sports.

I didn't think about the field dimension and grass length being different. I wouldn't think that would be a big deal. But I cannot think of a better explanation.
The main home field advantage is choosing the opponents who play there...

I think it probably is at least a half a goal advantage just due to comfort and familiarity. For us I'd like to think with our crowd it's closer a full goal per game on average.

But I also think we are just that much more aggressive at home, too.


I think our crowd gets the other team pumped up too, so I think crowd size is not much of a factor
mullokmotx
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I remember in 2014 I think G was asked what was the most important factor in making the College Cup, and he said playing at home. That's why it's so important to get the job done in the regular season so you can get a 1 or 2 seed and host. We wasted the opportunity 2 years ago with the shootout against Notre Dame, and we barley missed a 2 seed last year. Since the current format started in 2011 I think the only road NCAA tournament win we had was at TCU in 2016.
Mathguy64
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The field is a huge deal in soccer. By example, Ellis Field is big and fast. Its a pro field in width. That can be 9-12 yards wider than what you are used to. If you don't know how to play that extra width you are in big trouble. Its space for the opponent to play in and space you aren't used to chasing the ball and players in. It can wear you out. If you play compact and ignore that space you are giving up an advantage. Vice versa playing on a smaller field with long grass really compacts the game and clogs up the middle.
AggieZman
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I agree the grass and the slope of the field is the biggest disadvantage to a visiting team. I went to the A&M / BYU Game in Provo. The grass was not only high (about 1.25" to 1.5") compared to our field that looks like a putting green. Our passes seemed slow and were getting picked up. The field was also soft and our players were getting caught up in the turf. Don't get me wrong, they were good, but we looked bad. A&M also dealt with elevation a little bit. Burning chest and heavy legs due to less oxygen. We beat virtually the same team 2-0 last year at home. Big difference and why home field advantage for the playoffs is huge.
Giggem
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AggieZman said:

I agree the grass and the slope of the field is the biggest disadvantage to a visiting team. I went to the A&M / BYU Game in Provo. The grass was not only high (about 1.25" to 1.5") compared to our field that looks like a putting green. Our passes seemed slow and were getting picked up. The field was also soft and our players were getting caught up in the turf. Don't get me wrong, they were good, but we looked bad. A&M also dealt with elevation a little bit. Burning chest and heavy legs due to less oxygen. We beat virtually the same team 2-0 last year at home. Big difference and why home field advantage for the playoffs is huge.
Thank you, ZMan. Watching the game on TV, it was really obvious that the ball was moving slower than the players expected and I wondered if BYU had let the grass grow. Clearly, they did and it worked to their advantage as they expected.
Giggem
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Zman: Some have expressed an interest in hoping to see what Ali Russell can do in midfield. She'd certainly add a lot of speed. Do you have thoughts you'd share? It seems an interesting question.
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