German football referees, under the spotlight amid a recent match-fixing scandal, are influenced by the crowd and inadvertently favour home teams, according to a study published on Wednesday. The analysis, by Thomas Dohmen of the Bonn-based Institute for the Study of Labor, looked at 3,519 matches over 12 Bundesliga seasons. "In line with the preferences of the crowd, referees lengthen exciting games and favour the home team by allowing most additional time when the home team is behind by one goal, especially when the crowd largely consists of home team supporters," Dohmen said. "Referees also prolong a drawn match when the home team is more likely to score next, and favour the home team in matters of penalty kick and goal decisions." German football has been severely rattled by match-rigging revelations centred around referee Robert Hoyzer, and possibly involving other referees, officials and players. Berlin prosecutors and the German Football Association are investigating the case.
Social pressure
Dohmen conducted the study to examine the issue of how social pressure affects preferences or actions. The study suggested the strength of referee bias depended on the crowd's proximity to the field and could be influenced by the presence of a running track separating fans from the pitch, as in Berlin's and Munich's Olympic stadiums. "A remarkable finding is also that more penalties are awarded in stadiums without a running track," Dohmen said. "Strikingly, given that a penalty was awarded, the decision was more likely to be correct when the game took place in a stadium in which a track separates the stands from the field." A total of 65 percent of home team penalties were justified compared with 72 percent for visiting sides, the study showed. Dohmen said he was not alleging that German referees were intentionally biased. "Instead, a likely explanation for the observed behaviour is that referees are emotionally influenced by the atmosphere in the stadium," he added.
"Since referees have to judge a situation quickly and have little time for deliberation, their decision-making process might be heavily influenced by cues in the environment." Bayern Munich were not, apparently, too badly affected by playing in a stadium with a running track as they won their 19th German title this year. The club are moving to a stadium without a track next year.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-349192/Refs-DO-favour-home-teams--study.html#ixzz1red1rkpV
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