Claim: The overall atmosphere of the home field can often have psychological effects on the athletic
performance of NFL players, which favors the home team.
Football is said to be an aggressive sport which tests a person’s physical abilities to their fullest.
But the game comes with many psychological aspects that can hinder or enhance the athletic
performance of NFL players. The psychology of football can be broken down further. Game location is a
big factor in the home field advantage. Studies show that travel distance has a psychological impact on
the players’ athletic performance. Tests done showed that home field advantage increased as distance
increased (Jamieson, 2010). Players also suffer from jet lag as they travel for long distances at a time.
Thus, they are not psychologically stable which will result in a lower athletic performance. But this is not
the case all the time. Division teams for example have a lower home field advantage due to the
familiarity of the opponent because division teams play each other two times a year. Over time the
players build familiarity going into hostile territory. In contrast, the intensity of the crowd is stronger in
division games, but the away players get accustomed to the crowd which can counter act the intensity
of the crowd. Another aspect of game location is weather conditions. “Our analysis is motivated by the
idea that physiological and psychological strains result from playing in temperatures to which the body is
not acclimatized. It is intuitive that home team players generally perform in temperatures to which they
are relatively well acclimatized because they practice in conditions very similar to those expected on
game days” (Borghesi, 2007). Playing in inclement weather can have a psychological effect on a player.
For example, when playing in rain or snow, teams will run the ball more than pass it because of the
psychological effect the weather has on the game. Players will begin doubting their ability to move the
ball down the field because of the inclement weather. Thus resulting in a slower paced game. Away
players can also get intimidated going into hostile territory
Dr. Roy Baumeister, a psychology professor at Florida State said "The visiting team is in a selfpresentational dead end, for there is generally no way for them to gain the preferential esteem and
affection of the home fans.” The lack of support from the enemy crowd will force the away team to play
for self-attention, which causes performance instabilities. Psychologically, players want to win games for
self-redefinition (Baumeister, 1984). At the end of a player’s career people often introduce them by
stating the highlights of the player’s career. For example, sports analysts say the former Super Bowl
MVP, Defensive player of the year, 10x pro bowler, etc. Self-redefinition is claiming a new identity and
players want to be called such things because that portrays a successful NFL career. The players’ need
for such titles can psychologically deteriorate their athletic performance. Melissa Anderson, who is a
professor in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences professor at Northumbria University
conducted a test and the results showed that “players felt more positive, confident and anxious at home
while indicating that they did not expect to win away from home" (Anderson, 2012). If a player enters a
game expecting not to win, they have already lost the edge against the home team. The home team
now has a chip on their shoulders since they know they have the psychological advantage. This shows
the lack of self-confidence that players have when not playing at home. If they go into the game not
expecting to win, then it is going to be hard to get the will power to go out there and win it. An energetic
crowd often boosts athletic performance and this quote by Lawrence Jackson proves that. "You attach
to that energy, and you want to do something that keeps that energy going. It just takes you to a
different level, in the sense that you're not afraid—almost like you're invincible." Jackson is a former
Detroit Lion Defensive End and he was quoted saying that in 2011 during a game against the Chicago
Bears. It was the first time the Lions hosted a MNF (Monday Night Football) game in 9 years (Schalter,
2013). Thus, Lions were at a psychological advantage. The crowd took over during the game and as
Jackson said, the players felt “invincible”. This often leads to a heightened level of athletic performance.
Football is not just people hitting each other, it is a chess game between the two teams. This gives the
psychological advantage to the home team. This is indicative because, Jackson ended up having three
tackles and a sack that game which helped his team secure the victory even though they were
underdogs.
One might argue that there are occasions where playing at home does not enhance a player’s
athletic performance. This is true in rare cases. “In college basketball, Thirer and Rampey found that
during normal crowd behavior the visiting teams committed more infractions (i.e. committed more fouls
and lost more possessions or turnovers). During antisocial crowd behavior (swearing, chanting
obscenities), however, home teams committed more infractions” (Nevill, 2011). Antisocial crowds are
more angry and rowdy, but this does not always mean well for the home team. This is indicative with
the Philadelphia Eagles, who since moving to Lincoln Financial field in 2003 have a better away record
than home. This is said to be because of their fan base. Eagles are known to have the worst fans in the
NFL. Their aggressiveness hurts the players. Profane language is negative, so when players here the
negativity, it hinders them psychologically, which will show on the field via their athletic performance.
The psychological state of the referees is a big contributor in this matter. “To be considered as a
potential candidate for an NFL official position, college referees must have at least 5 years of experience.
The selected few undergo a thorough vetting process, which includes psychological testing and
background tests” (Goldschmied, 2014). This is done because to become a successful referee, you
cannot let the crowd get to your head. NFL referees have to be psychologically stable or else they would
not be able to judge a fair game for both sides. “It is plausible that this disparity is rooted in the fact that
fans, being familiar with their favored team's stadium, are projecting the same familiarity effect on the
players, whereas officials, in contrast, are by definition vagabonds and should feel psychologically
equally detached in every stadium” (Goldschmied, 2014). Referees have to officiate each game like they
have never been there before. If a referee feels that a certain crowd will impair his/her judgment on
calls, then that psychologically will affect the way they call the game. Therefore, the players’ athletic
performance will be affected by bias calls. Most of the time in these situations, the calls go for the home
team which gives the team momentum that can shift the outcome of the game.
The psychological connection between a player and his fan base in most cases have to be strong
for that player to be successful. Being social with the fan base is one way to build loyalty which makes
that connection stronger. "Players are rapidly distancing themselves from their fan base. In earlier times,
players were literally part of the community, cementing the relationship between fan and athlete"
(Smith, 2003). The more a player distances himself from his fans the less motivation he has to excel
athletically because he is not emotionally connected with the city. Players such as Ray Lewis that engage
with their community not only play great on the field, but are great leader for their team also. Players
that are close to their community hate to disappoint their fans. In return the fans show more love which
increases athletic performance during games.