No previous study on momentum in team sports has found any valid evidence for a momentum effecti.e., an effect of success in the past few games, over and above the effect of team quality. We develop an econometric model to determine if there is a momentum effect in the NBA by examining how...

Performance diagnostics in sports is employed to obtain the current status of an athlete, for longitudinal as well as cross comparisons and for adjusting the subsequent training phase. A diagnostic set-up consists of certain tests that yield specific quantitative parameters. In this paper, we...

This study investigated the ability of discriminant analysis to predict the offensive play calling of the 2005 Atlanta Falcons. Data was collected on each of the 988 offensive plays run from scrimmage by the Atlanta Falcons during the 2005 NFL season. Independent variables included game location...

In every AFL season, there are usually one or two round matches that end in a draw. This situation is handled in finals matches by playing extra time. Whilst the scoring systems used in finals matches could be applied to round matches to eliminate draws, we devise new alternative systems that...

Linear models for paired comparisons, the Bradley-Terry model and the Thurstone-Mosteller model in particular, are widely used in sports for ranking and rating purposes. By their formulation, these models predict the probability that a player or team defeats another if the playing strengths of...

This paper determines that rankings in both the Media and Coaches college football Top 25 Polls are significantly accurate at their tops, insignificantly accurate towards their bottoms, and significantly more accurate at their tops than their bottoms. The computer-based Sagarin Poll is...

Using a unique dataset, this paper empirically tests the Peltzman effect by investigating the behavior of Formula One racecar drivers. Estimates suggest that drivers become more reckless as their cars become safer, ceteris paribus. From 1963-1973, safety changes, on average, are estimated to...

When facing a heavily-favored opponent, an underdog must be willing to assume greater-than-average risk. In statistical language, one would say that an underdog must be willing to adopt a strategy whose outcome has a larger-than-average variance. The difficult question is how much risk a team...

Purpose: It is important for soccer players to accurately kick a ball in various directions with both legs. This study aimed to examine the accuracy of the kick in soccer players in terms of kick direction, kicking legs (dominant and non-dominant legs), and experience. Methods: Seventeen male...

This paper explores the impact of the status of a playoff series on team performance in a best-of-seven playoff format. Betting line data are collected on more than 1200 playoff matches from the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) from 2003 through 2011....