The influence of absent crowds on National Rugby League match player statistics and running metrics
Description
<p>Many elite sporting codes have imposed severe restrictions on crowd attendance at games to minimise COVID-19 infection risk, which created a rare opportunity to examine the influence of absent crowds on elite sporting performance. This study used a retrospective observational design to investigate the influence of the crowd in the National Rugby League (NRL) by comparing player statistics and Global Positioning System (GPS) metrics between Round 1 (crowds) and Round 2 (no crowd). Data were obtained for 203 professional NRL players. A linear mixed model with a random intercept (Player ID) was used to assess the relationship between crowd removal and match location on performance indicators and GPS metrics. Effect sizes (ES) were also calculated to determine the magnitude of change. The effect of a crowd and match location were trivial to small (ES range: 0.213 to 0.224). Without crowds, performance indicators relating to decoys (p = 0.022), post-contact metres (p = 0.020), tackle breaks (p = 0.035) and missed tackles increased (p = 0.018), whereas supports decreased (p = 0.005). Without crowds, GPS metrics maximal velocity increased (p = 0.027), and acceleration load decreased (p < 0.001). In away games, relative high-speed running increased (p = 0.020). However, it is possible that margin, opponent tactics, and weather could have influenced changes. The findings suggest that NRL players’ performance appears unlikely to be affected by the presence or absence of a crowd.</p>
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ID Code: | 228650 | ||||||
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Item Type: | Contribution to Journal (Journal Article) | ||||||
Refereed: | Yes | ||||||
ORCID iD: |
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Additional Information: | Sources of support and funding: This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, and a National Rugby League Funding Agreement. Funding organisations were not involved in data analysis or interpretation of results. | ||||||
Measurements or Duration: | 6 pages | ||||||
DOI: | 10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102163 | ||||||
ISSN: | 1469-0292 | ||||||
Pure ID: | 106289957 | ||||||
Divisions: | Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > Faculty of Health Current > Schools > School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences |
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Copyright Owner: | 2022 Elsevier Ltd. | ||||||
Copyright Statement: | This work is covered by copyright. Unless the document is being made available under a Creative Commons Licence, you must assume that re-use is limited to personal use and that permission from the copyright owner must be obtained for all other uses. If the document is available under a Creative Commons License (or other specified license) then refer to the Licence for details of permitted re-use. It is a condition of access that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. If you believe that this work infringes copyright please provide details by email to qut.copyright@qut.edu.au | ||||||
Deposited On: | 03 Mar 2022 05:00 | ||||||
Last Modified: | 04 Jul 2024 15:15 |
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