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Lu P, Zhang S, Ding J, Wang X, Gomez MA. Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on match performances in the National Basketball Association. Front Psychol 2022; 13:951779. [PMID: 36483704 PMCID: PMC9723322 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.951779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to compare differences in the match performances between home and away games during pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdown and to identify the key factors to match success with and without spectators. The sample consisted of 1,549 basketball matches including 971 games of the 2019-2020 regular season before the COVID-19 lockdown and 578 ghost matches of the 2020-2021 regular season after the COVID-19 pandemic. The independent t-test was used to explore the differences before and after COVID-19 while univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the key factors to match success between matches with and without spectators. Our study identified that offensive rebounds were the only indicator differentiating between home and away games after the COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, home teams won more matches than away matches before the COVID-19 whereas home advantage had no impact on winning matches after the COVID-19. Our study suggested that crowd support may play a key role in winning games in the NBA. Furthermore, independently of the pre-and post-COVID19 pandemic, free throws made, three-point field goals made, defensive rebounds, assists, steals, personal fouls, and opponent quality were key factors differentiating between win and loss. Coaches and coaching staff can make informed decisions and well prepare for basketball match strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Lu
- Division of Sport Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaoliang Zhang
- Division of Sport Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Shaoliang Zhang,
| | - Jie Ding
- Division of Sport Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte (INEF), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Gomez
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte (INEF), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Leota J, Hoffman D, Mascaro L, Czeisler ME, Nash K, Drummond SPA, Anderson C, Rajaratnam SMW, Facer-Childs ER. Home is where the hustle is: the influence of crowds on effort and home advantage in the National Basketball Association. J Sports Sci 2022; 40:2343-2352. [PMID: 36512468 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2154933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Studies have consistently shown crowds contribute to home advantage in the National Basketball Association (NBA) by inspiring home team effort, distracting opponents, and influencing referees. Quantifying the effect of crowds is challenging, however, due to potential co-occurring drivers of home advantage (e.g., travel, location familiarity). Our aim was to isolate the crowd effect using a "natural experiment" created by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which eliminated crowds in 53.4% of 2020/2021 NBA regular season games (N = 1080). Using mixed linear models, we show, in games with crowds, home teams won 58.65% of games and, on average, outrebounded and outscored their opponents. This was a significant improvement compared to games without crowds, of which home teams won 50.60% of games and, on average, failed to outrebound or outscore their opponents. Further, the crowd-related increase in rebound differential mediated the relationship between crowds and points differential. Taken together, these results suggest home advantage in the 2020/2021 NBA season was predominately driven by the presence of home crowds and their influence on the effort exerted to rebound the basketball. These findings are of considerable significance to a league where marginal gains can have immense competitive, financial, and historic consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Leota
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia
| | - Daniel Hoffman
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia
| | - Luis Mascaro
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia
| | - Mark E Czeisler
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia.,Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Clayton, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Suburban, Monash, USA
| | - Kyle Nash
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Suburban, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Sean P A Drummond
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia
| | - Clare Anderson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia
| | - Shantha M W Rajaratnam
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia.,Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Clayton, Australia.,Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Suburban, Monash, USA.,Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Suburban, Monash, USA
| | - Elise R Facer-Childs
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Suburban, Australia.,Danny Frawley Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Melbourne, Australia
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Demarie S, Chirico E, Galvani C. Prediction and Analysis of Tokyo Olympic Games Swimming Results: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Swimmers' Performance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:2110. [PMID: 35206298 PMCID: PMC8871566 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2019-2020 season, swimming competitions and training have been limited leading to a setback in performances. The study analyzed if, during the subsequent season, swimmers' have been able to regain the lost performance. Swimming time trends were analyzed comparing Tokyo with Rio Olympics and with mathematically predicted results. The gap between the gold medalist and the last finalist, and the differences between men and women have also been considered. Swimming competition results of females and males, in 100 m and 200 m Freestyle and Backstroke, were collected from the Olympics' official website. Results showed that at Tokyo Olympics almost all swimmers' times improved as compared to Rio's. Analysis of performance trends highlighted that performance progression does not proceed in a linear fashion and that is best predicted by more recent results. Women's progression was higher than men's and the gap between the first and last finalist constantly decreased, except for the Tokyo Olympics. In conclusion, the unprecedented Tokyo Olympic Games and qualification year seems not to have disrupted all Olympic swimmers' performance, suggesting that stakeholders support and athlete's coping ability might safeguard the subsistence of performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Demarie
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Roma, Italy;
| | - Emanuele Chirico
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Roma, Italy;
| | - Christel Galvani
- Applied Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milano, Italy;
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