It’s not revolutionary news that teams usually perform better on their own turf than away from home. Whether you follow major international leagues and tournaments, or are most interested in Eliteserien betting, home advantage is a fact. But what exactly is it that makes the home ground so important for the outcome of the match? Here we take a closer look at specific factors based on Norwegian teams and pitches.
Knowledge of their own substrate
A professional soccer team normally trains on the same or similar surface throughout the season. The most obvious advantage of playing at home is that the players know the arena. They know how the ball moves, how much space there is around the pitch and how different parts of the grass behave in different conditions.
These may sound like seemingly unnecessary details, but football is often determined by small margins. A player who knows how hard the ball has to be hit to reach a teammate, or how quickly it stops on a wet surface, simply doesn’t have to spend as much time adapting.
Audience cheering for or against
Another key part of the home advantage is what happens outside the grass itself; the access to an engaged crowd cheering from the stands.
A packed arena can give the home team extra energy, especially during periods when the game is tilting. A high level of noise after a tackle, a big goal chance or a goal can significantly affect the atmosphere on the pitch and help the home team keep the intensity up.
At the same time, the crowd can create pressure on the away team. Players who are used to communicating in their normal training conditions and with support behind them, suddenly have to make decisions while several thousand people cheer against them. This effect can be felt heavily as an away team.
However, the actual impact can vary greatly between clubs and venues. Some teams are very comfortable playing in front of large away crowds, but some are not. And most teams still get an extra boost from having the crowd by their side.
The potentially long distances
Norwegian leagues cover a large geographical area where some away games involve significant travel. A team may potentially have to fly several hours, combine flights and buses or spend large parts of the day traveling to arrive at a match.
Professional clubs are well used to this and of course have clear routines for travel, recovery and match preparation. Still, travel can affect everything. Time spent on transport is time that cannot be used for training or as good a rest. So if a team has a tight match schedule, the strain can be noticeable.
Weather and climate
If you have to travel to the other side of Norway to play a match, you can also be met with a completely different climate than you are used to. Maybe you come from sunny summer days in Eastern Norway and are met with rain and cold winds in Northern Norway. Then the transition can feel extra heavy.
Norwegian football is generally played in very variable weather conditions. Rain, wind, cold and temperature differences can affect both the pitch and the way football is played. For example, wind can significantly affect long passes and crosses. Heavy rain can make the pitch faster, while cold can affect both the surface and the players’ physical load.
A team that regularly trains in certain conditions will naturally have an advantage here. At the same time, the difference lies not only in how well the players know the conditions, but also how quickly they are able to adapt.
Routines provide security
Fixed routines and familiarity can also have an impact on performance in the match.
At a home game, the players know their surroundings. They know where the dressing room is, where they warm up, how long it takes to get to the stadium, how the match day is normally organized, etc. Everyday life becomes more like “normal”.
Away from home, many of these routines change. When several small reassurances are removed, it can require more mental energy and capacity. In addition, going out at home in front of your own supporters can provide a sense of security and belonging that is not as strong away from home.
Tactical differences
The pitch you play on can also affect how teams choose to play. A home team is often expected to take the initiative. Supporters want to see their team attack, and the coach may be more comfortable putting the team higher up the pitch. Away from home, however, the situation can be different. A team may be more cautious, lie lower and prioritise keeping the game even.
This in turn can affect the match picture. If the home team gets more ball and spends more time in the opponent’s half, the opportunity to create chances also increases. Home advantage is therefore not necessarily about the home team being better, but that the tactical framework of the match changes.
Many small margins combined
Home advantage in Norwegian football cannot be reduced to one particular factor. Rather, it is the result of several small factors that work together and potentially, statistically speaking, give an advantage over time. These advantages are not necessarily large enough to decide a match in themselves, but over an entire season, small differences can still contribute to a clear impact.
Football matches are often decided by small margins, and a number of smaller advantages can add up to be significant over an entire season. For some clubs, the supporters may be the most important factor. For others, travel distance or climate conditions may play a greater role. But for all teams, the importance will vary from game to game.
How big is the home advantage really?
Although we have mentioned many factors here that can help explain why the statistics are often on the home team’s side, it is also important not to overestimate the effect.
A top team can still lose at home to a weaker team, just as a well-organised away team can dominate a match. The home ground can provide advantages, but it does not guarantee victory – differences in quality, form, injuries, tactics, etc. still apply.
It also makes home advantage more difficult to interpret than just looking at the number of home wins. A team simply may have a strong home record because it is good. Similarly, a poor away result may be due to the quality of the opponent rather than the journey itself. Ultimately, it becomes a question of whether correlation entails causality or not.
