Question about home field advantage in other sports

[Ski]

How come whenever I hear about NBA/NHL playoffs, they always talk about home court/ice advantage? In those sports, the game isn't changed at all depending on who's home, where in baseball it is (order of batting). I don't follow other sports besides baseball, so what is the significance of home advantage in sports like the NBA and NHL?

[Cynosure]

How come whenever I hear about NBA/NHL playoffs, they always talk about home court/ice advantage? In those sports, the game isn't changed at all depending on who's home, where in baseball it is (order of batting). I don't follow other sports besides baseball, so what is the significance of home advantage in sports like the NBA and NHL?

 

Home team gets last line change in hockey.

 

Home ice/court/field advantage is huge in any sport because of the comfort level the athletes have... being around their family, home cooking, being able to sleep in their own beds. Also, the most glaring advantage is the energy you get from the crowds.

 

- go to 1:45 -- that would give any team a huge boost from the start of the game. Hawks fans are awesome.

[Careless]

How come whenever I hear about NBA/NHL playoffs, they always talk about home court/ice advantage? In those sports, the game isn't changed at all depending on who's home, where in baseball it is (order of batting). I don't follow other sports besides baseball, so what is the significance of home advantage in sports like the NBA and NHL?

 

Home team gets last line change in hockey.

 

Home ice/court/field advantage is huge in any sport because of the comfort level the athletes have... being around their family, home cooking, being able to sleep in their own beds. Also, the most glaring advantage is the energy you get from the crowds.

 

- go to 1:45 -- that would give any team a huge boost from the start of the game. Hawks fans are awesome.

Well, yes, but baseball is odd in that the rules favor the home team, but the home team advantage is smaller than other sports.

[Marco4]

If you're playing football/soccer, it means you're playing on a pitch you know better than your opposition so any quirks you'll be better equipped for, and the non-regulation size can be in your favour, too.

 

I know Grimsby play on a pitch that is terribly unbalanced (it looks, when you're stood behind the goal, like there's a body buried in one penalty area) and Shrewsbury's old ground used to retain water like nobody's business in random spots.

 

Then there's the fans and their impact on players/referees. But that's a whole different story.

[WreckingMachine]

How come whenever I hear about NBA/NHL playoffs, they always talk about home court/ice advantage? In those sports, the game isn't changed at all depending on who's home, where in baseball it is (order of batting). I don't follow other sports besides baseball, so what is the significance of home advantage in sports like the NBA and NHL?

 

Home team gets last line change in hockey.

 

Home ice/court/field advantage is huge in any sport because of the comfort level the athletes have... being around their family, home cooking, being able to sleep in their own beds. Also, the most glaring advantage is the energy you get from the crowds.

 

- go to 1:45 -- that would give any team a huge boost from the start of the game. Hawks fans are awesome.

 

Beat me to it with the last line change in hockey point.

 

On another note, one thing that irritates me about current day broadcasts is I'm pretty sure they mute out the fans. For example, if you watch the Calgary/Chicago replays on NHL Network, you would think you could hear a needle drop in the building. But from some firsthand accounts I've heard, that was the loudest building they'd ever been in.

 

Point being I would enjoy broadcasts of any sport much more if they totally included all the fan noise and energy in it. It's a ton more exciting, nerve-racking, and gets the adrenaline flowing.

[rawaction]

The basic thing is the crowd. I think all sports have an advantage in baseball in this aspect. The crowd can't hype up a baseball team. Even if it does, that extra energy doesn't help them in any way throw a better pitch or hit a ball. You can argue that it doesn't help in other sports either, but there's at least a chance that it at least gets adrenaline flowing more which can increase the ability to make a play.

 

As for the actual playing surface, basketball teams shoot in their own building consistently. Most people will shoot the ball better in a place they've shot a million times, over a place they arrived at 3 hours before the game for a shootaround. In football, a home team is more familiar with the playing surface and can determine (based on weather conditions) what cleats to wear or what end of the field to defend, etc. Baseball has the advantage of hitter being familiar with the backdrop. Hockey, I have no idea.

[bukie]

Baseball is also really the only major sport where the officiating is consistent for home and road teams. Basketball, hockey, football, soccer there are a lot of hometown calls.

 

Not that there should be, just that there are.

 

Especially in basketball.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Not to mention, hockey is one of the sports where there is almost no doubt that adrenaline helps, and helps quite a bit.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I had no idea teams had to take turns changing lines in hockey.

[CubbieBum]

How come whenever I hear about NBA/NHL playoffs, they always talk about home court/ice advantage? In those sports, the game isn't changed at all depending on who's home, where in baseball it is (order of batting). I don't follow other sports besides baseball, so what is the significance of home advantage in sports like the NBA and NHL?

 

Home team gets last line change in hockey.

 

Home ice/court/field advantage is huge in any sport because of the comfort level the athletes have... being around their family, home cooking, being able to sleep in their own beds. Also, the most glaring advantage is the energy you get from the crowds.

 

- go to 1:45 -- that would give any team a huge boost from the start of the game. Hawks fans are awesome.

 

Beat me to it with the last line change in hockey point.

 

On another note, one thing that irritates me about current day broadcasts is I'm pretty sure they mute out the fans. For example, if you watch the Calgary/Chicago replays on NHL Network, you would think you could hear a needle drop in the building. But from some firsthand accounts I've heard, that was the loudest building they'd ever been in.

 

Point being I would enjoy broadcasts of any sport much more if they totally included all the fan noise and energy in it. It's a ton more exciting, nerve-racking, and gets the adrenaline flowing.

 

 

I would love to hear the crowd noise too but the problem is you will get cuss words left and right if you can actually pick up the fans. I've heard a f-bomb before on a broadcast of a college basketball game from a fan close to where they were picking up the crowd noise from.

[NCCubFan]

I had no idea teams had to take turns changing lines in hockey.

Neither did I. I assumed teams could substitute at will.

[NewUserName]

I had no idea teams had to take turns changing lines in hockey.

Neither did I. I assumed teams could substitute at will.

 

While play is going on you can substitute at will. If you have control of the puck you can only actually have 5 guys on the ice. If you do not have control of the puck you can have more players on the ice as long as some are obviously coming off.

 

If there is a face-off, the road team has to send out their players first. This gives the home team the advantage of setting the match ups.

[Prizefight]

- go to 1:45 -- that would give any team a huge boost from the start of the game. Hawks fans are awesome.

 

I was fortunate to be at every home playoff game this year and I can't even begin to describe how loud that place was. You couldn't even hear your own voice..i still get chills listening to that today.

 

It seems that most Hawk fans are Sox fans though based on my unscientific poll. They showed clips of both Lou and Ozzie just wishing the team well on the big screen during breaks/intermissions pretty much every game. The boo'ing of Lou rivaled the anthem volume wise every time.

 

Oh well, can't win them all ;)

[Sammys Boombox]

I had no idea teams had to take turns changing lines in hockey.

Neither did I. I assumed teams could substitute at will.

 

While play is going on you can substitute at will. If you have control of the puck you can only actually have 5 guys on the ice. If you do not have control of the puck you can have more players on the ice as long as some are obviously coming off.

 

If there is a face-off, the road team has to send out their players first. This gives the home team the advantage of setting the match ups.

 

I just learned something new.

[Sammys Boombox]

- go to 1:45 -- that would give any team a huge boost from the start of the game. Hawks fans are awesome.

 

I was fortunate to be at every home playoff game this year and I can't even begin to describe how loud that place was. You couldn't even hear your own voice..i still get chills listening to that today.

 

It seems that most Hawk fans are Sox fans though based on my unscientific poll. They showed clips of both Lou and Ozzie just wishing the team well on the big screen during breaks/intermissions pretty much every game. The boo'ing of Lou rivaled the anthem volume wise every time.

 

Oh well, can't win them all ;)

 

Were they saying LOOOOOOUUUUUU?

[Prizefight]

- go to 1:45 -- that would give any team a huge boost from the start of the game. Hawks fans are awesome.

 

I was fortunate to be at every home playoff game this year and I can't even begin to describe how loud that place was. You couldn't even hear your own voice..i still get chills listening to that today.

 

It seems that most Hawk fans are Sox fans though based on my unscientific poll. They showed clips of both Lou and Ozzie just wishing the team well on the big screen during breaks/intermissions pretty much every game. The boo'ing of Lou rivaled the anthem volume wise every time.

 

Oh well, can't win them all ;)

 

Were they saying LOOOOOOUUUUUU?

 

I originally thought that but when the meatball Sox fans proceeded to describe various things Lou can put in his mouth or places he could go burn I started to have serious doubts.

[WreckingMachine]

I had no idea teams had to take turns changing lines in hockey.

Neither did I. I assumed teams could substitute at will.

 

While play is going on you can substitute at will. If you have control of the puck you can only actually have 5 guys on the ice. If you do not have control of the puck you can have more players on the ice as long as some are obviously coming off.

 

If there is a face-off, the road team has to send out their players first. This gives the home team the advantage of setting the match ups.

 

I just learned something new.

 

Don't feel bad. This is really a rule mostly just people who have coached, played, or have had that some sort of acquaintance with Hockey would know. 99% that watch Hockey on TV won't pick this up, unless the broadcaster mentions it.