Home Advantage in Three National Netball Competitions: Australia (1997-2007), New Zealand (1998-2007) and England (2005/06-2008/09)

Home advantage was evaluated using data from three national netball competitions: The Commonwealth Bank Trophy which ran from 1997 to 2007 in Australia, The National Bank Cup which ran from 1998 to 2007 in New Zealand, and The Co-operative Netball Superleague which ran from 2005/06 to 2008/09 in England. Mixed models were used to analyze the goal advantage in playing at home, and both resampling methods and mixed models were used to analyze the probability of winning at home. In Australia there was a significant overall goal advantage in playing at home of 1.9 goals, 95% CI (1.0, 2.7). This value is small compared to the average score for a home team of 53 goals per game. Only in 1997 and 2006 were significant goal advantages evident, both of value 3.3 goals, 95% CI's (0.5, 6.1) and (0.6, 6.0) respectively. In the Australian competition, across all years, there was a significantly higher probability of winning at home, p = 0.54, 95% CI (0.51, 0.56). For New Zealand and England there was neither a significant home goal advantage nor home win advantage. These are unexpected results as netball is derived from basketball which has been shown to have a large home win advantage.