# Home Advantage in Football: Exploring Its Effect on Individual Performance
## 4 Discussion  
The aim of this study was to examine the differences in individual player performance when playing at home versus away, as well as to compare performance across different positions within the playing system. To accomplish this, individual statistics for six variables (three defensive and three offensive) were analysed for all players in the five major European football leagues spanning from the 2009-2010 season to the 2022-2023 season, excluding those affected by COVID-19. Significant differences were observed between home and away matches across the three offensive variables analysed (_Goals_, _Assists_, and _Key Passes_). These findings are consistent with recent results by [PERSON] et al., who analysed offensive performance variables in the UEFA Champions League [37]. This notable trend may be attributed to factors such as crowd influence and players' familiarity with the home playing field and environment [9]. Additionally, teams playing at home often adopt a more aggressive and offensive approach, driven by the psychological boost of home support and a desire to dominate the game. This home-field advantage can lead to higher levels of confidence, resulting in greater attacking play, more shots on goal, and creative passing. In contrast, no significant differences were found for tackles, interceptions, and fouls, conflicting with the studies by [PERSON] et al. [23] and [PERSON] [13]. The lack of variation in these defensive variables could suggest that defensive responsibilities are more consistent regardless of venue, with teams focusing equally on protecting their goal, whether at home or away. The secondary objective of this study was to determine whether significant differences in player performance existed based on position. The results indicate that forwards, midfielders, and even defenders score significantly more goals, provide more assists per season, and register more key passes per match when playing at home [23]. This finding reinforces the objective advantage of playing at home, with factors such as fan support and familiarity with the environment likely contributing to increased confidence and motivation at the individual level [29]. For midfielders and forwards, no significant differences were found in tackles, interceptions, or fouls, likely due to their reduced involvement in defensive tasks in critical areas for preventing goal-scoring opportunities. However, defenders commit a higher number of fuels when playing away, which may be influenced by the crowd's effect on the referee's decision-making, as well as on defenders' decision-making in one-on-one situations [13, 20, 21]. The findings from this study suggest that HA significantly impacts individual player performance across all positions on the field, reinforcing theories about HA's influence and the tactical adjustments required when competing at home or away [3, 6, 9, 14]. These insights could shape match strategy planning, enabling coaches to tailor tactics based on the match location and player roles. With one of the largest and most diverse samples, spanning numerous players, leagues, and seasons, this study provides robust and meaningful results. The current study presents several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the results. The first limitation is that the manuscript relies on a single data source without cross-referencing it with others. This approach may introduce potential biases or limit the generalizability of the findings, and future research could benefit from incorporating multiple data sources to validate and enrich the results. In addition, it does not account for potentially influential factors such as weather conditions, the tactics or skill level of the opposing team, or the overall context of the match [9, 38]. Future research should incorporate these variables to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how and why player performance varies based on team venue, league, and competition levels.