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This study investigated the effect of home advantage (HA) in NCAA Division I football, and assessed factors related to why HA may exist. Game location (home/away), points differential between team scores, distances between team stadiums (short [<483 km], moderate [484–836 km], long [837–1331 km] or very long [>1332 km]), crowd number, differences in team penalty counts (penalty differential), penalty yardage differential and time zone change (Eastward or Westward direction of travel) data from two non-consecutive NCAA college football seasons (2013 and 2016; 719 games; 222 teams) were obtained. Matches played at home were associated with a ~5 point advantage (ES = 0.58 ± 0.18). Away teams traveling >484 km resulted in a moderate disadvantage (~5 to 7 points, ES = −0.61 to −0.77). When crossing time zones in a Westerly direction resulted in a ~7.5 point disadvantage (ES = −0.82 ± 0.31) for away teams. When playing at Home, larger crowds resulted in a ~6 point advantage (ES = 0.67 ± 0.36), whilst larger crowds were negatively associated with performance (~8 points; 2 points) for away teams (ES = −0.97 ± 0.27). These results suggest HA exists in NCAA Division I football, particularly evident with larger crowds. These results provide evidence that could aid logistical or periodisation strategies in preparation for games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the perceived importance of sleep for elite footballers, descriptions of the duration and quality of sleep, especially following match play, are limited. Moreover, recovery responses following sleep loss remain unclear. Accordingly, the present study examined the subjective sleep and recovery responses of elite footballers across training days (TD) and both day and night matches (DM and NM). Sixteen top division European players from three clubs completed a subjective online questionnaire twice a day for 21 days during the season. Subjective recall of sleep variables (duration, onset latency, time of wake/sleep, wake episode duration), a range of perceptual variables related to recovery, mood, performance and internal training loads and non-exercise stressors were collected. Players reported significantly reduced sleep durations for NM compared to DM (−157 min) and TD (−181 min). In addition, sleep restfulness (SR; arbitrary scale 1 = very restful, 5 = not at all restful) and perceived recovery (PR; acute recovery and stress scale 0 = not recovered at all, 6 = fully recovered) were significantly poorer following NM than both TD (SR: +2.0, PR: −2.6), and DM (SR: +1.5; PR: −1.5). These results suggest that reduced sleep quantity and quality and reduced PR are mainly evident following NM in elite players. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]