Quiz: Home Field Advantage

Question 1

What is the approximate value of home field advantage in modern NFL (2020s)?

A) 1.0-1.5 points B) 2.0-2.5 points C) 3.5-4.0 points D) 5.0+ points

Question 2

The COVID-affected 2020 season showed home win percentage of approximately:

A) 40% B) 50% C) 55% D) 60%

Question 3

Which factor contributes MOST to home field advantage according to COVID evidence?

A) Travel fatigue B) Crowd support C) Referee bias D) Familiarity with venue

Question 4

Historical HFA in the NFL has shown what trend over the past 20 years?

A) Increasing significantly B) Remaining constant C) Declining gradually D) Fluctuating randomly

Question 5

Denver's home field advantage is often attributed to:

A) Cold weather B) Altitude (5,280 ft) C) Crowd noise D) Dome effects

Question 6

Which direction of timezone travel typically affects away teams MOST negatively?

A) North to South B) South to North C) West to East D) East to West

Question 7

Teams traveling more than 2,000 miles typically experience:

A) No measurable effect B) 2-3% decrease in win probability C) 10%+ decrease in win probability D) Improved performance

Question 8

Which penalty is most associated with crowd noise effects?

A) Holding B) Pass interference C) False start D) Roughing the passer

Question 9

A team has 7-2 home record and 4-5 away record. Their HFA in win percentage is:

A) 11% B) 22% C) 33% D) 44%

Question 10

When building a prediction model, how should HFA typically be incorporated?

A) Multiply home team rating by 1.1 B) Add fixed points (e.g., 2.5) to home team projection C) Ignore it for neutrality D) Only use for playoff games

Question 11

Which venue factor does NOT contribute to home field advantage?

A) Crowd noise B) Stadium color scheme C) Altitude D) Weather familiarity

Question 12

The historical peak of NFL home field advantage (home win %) was approximately:

A) 50% B) 55% C) 58% D) 65%

Question 13

If home field is worth 2.5 points, and each point equals ~3% win probability, a neutral 50/50 game becomes:

A) 52.5% home win probability B) 55% home win probability C) 57.5% home win probability D) 60% home win probability

Question 14

Why might dome stadiums show higher HFA than outdoor stadiums?

A) Better playing surface B) Crowd noise is amplified C) No weather variability D) All of the above

Question 15

The #1 playoff seed's home field advantage over a full playoff run is worth approximately:

A) 2-3 points total B) 5-8 points total C) 12-15 points total D) 20+ points total

Question 16

Away teams commit approximately what percentage more false starts than home teams?

A) 5% B) 15-20% C) 35-40% D) 50%+

Question 17

Which factor would INCREASE team-specific HFA?

A) New stadium with poor acoustics B) Moving to a warmer climate C) Loud, passionate fanbase D) Playing more road games

Question 18

In prediction models, using team-specific HFA instead of a fixed value typically:

A) Decreases accuracy B) Has no effect C) Slightly improves accuracy D) Dramatically improves accuracy

Question 19

What caused the largest single-year drop in measured HFA?

A) Rule changes in 2004 B) COVID restrictions in 2020 C) Expansion teams in 2002 D) Schedule changes in 2021

Question 20

For a game prediction: KC (rating +4) hosts DEN (rating +1), with KC HFA = 3.0. The predicted spread is:

A) KC -3 B) KC -6 C) KC -7 D) DEN -1

Answer Key

  1. B - Modern HFA is approximately 2.0-2.5 points, down from historical 3.0 points.

  2. B - The 2020 COVID season with limited/no fans showed roughly 50% home win rate.

  3. B - Crowd support is the primary driver, as evidenced by the dramatic HFA drop when fans were absent in 2020.

  4. C - HFA has gradually declined from 57-58% home win rates to 52-54% over 20 years.

  5. B - Denver's altitude (5,280 feet) causes thin air that affects visiting teams not acclimated.

  6. C - West to East travel is hardest as teams lose time and face earlier body clock starts.

  7. B - Long travel shows approximately 2-3% decrease in win probability, a small but measurable effect.

  8. C - False starts are most associated with crowd noise affecting offensive communication.

  9. B - (7/9 - 4/9) = 77.8% - 44.4% = 33.4%, approximately 33%.

  10. B - HFA is typically added as fixed points to the home team's projected score/spread.

  11. B - Stadium color scheme has no documented effect on HFA.

  12. C - Historical peak was approximately 58% home win rate in early 2000s.

  13. C - 50% + (2.5 × 3%) = 50% + 7.5% = 57.5%

  14. D - All factors contribute: amplified noise, consistent climate, good playing surface.

  15. B - With 2-3 home games at ~2.5 points each, total value is approximately 5-8 points.

  16. B - Away teams typically commit 15-20% more false starts than home teams.

  17. C - A loud, passionate fanbase directly increases crowd-related HFA.

  18. C - Team-specific HFA slightly improves prediction accuracy for certain venues.

  19. B - COVID restrictions in 2020 caused the largest documented HFA drop.

  20. B - (4 - 1) + 3.0 = 6.0 points, so KC -6.

Scoring Guide

  • 18-20: Excellent - Ready for advanced HFA modeling
  • 15-17: Good - Solid understanding of home field concepts
  • 12-14: Satisfactory - Review key factors and values
  • Below 12: Needs Review - Revisit chapter material