Home Bias in Different German Football Leagues

This study investigates the presence and variation of home bias across different hierarchical levels in German men’s football. Based on an extensive dataset comprising 357,530 matches from the 2023/2024 season—collected via a Python script—the analysis includes match outcomes, attendance figures, club locations, and prior season standings across 165 divisions in 28 football associations. These leagues span 13 hierarchical levels, from professional to amateur football. The results show that home bias is significantly more pronounced in lower divisions. This effect manifests itself through a higher frequency of home wins, fewer draws, and greater sensitivity to travel distance in amateur divisions. In contrast, more professional leagues may benefit from standardised conditions, which mitigate home bias. Overall, the findings highlight the strong influence of professionalisation on competitive balance. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how contextual factors shape match outcomes and demonstrates the need for differentiated analysis across league levels when examining behavioural biases in sports.