Abstract
This paper exploits a sharp regression discontinuity design to identify the causal impact of the Scottish Premiership League (SPL) “split” on spectator match attendance. We use data drawn from all 19 completed seasons for which this institutional arrangement has been in place. The causal effect of the “split” is to induce, for the last five rounds of games played in the season, a differential in average attendance of about 24% between the clubs that just qualify for the “Championship Play-off” section and those that do not. However, the annualized effect for the season is found to be modest.
Highlights
The organization of professional sports leagues can take many forms
The league was subject to a further re-configuration from the 2000/01 season onward, when the existing structure with a top tier of 12 teams, originally known as the Scottish Premier League (SPL), was introduced in conjunction with three additional lower national tiers containing ten teams each
The introduction of the new league structure at the turn of the current century coincided with a period of significant financial stress for the majority of Scottish Premiership clubs
Summary
The organization of professional sports leagues can take many forms. The dominant format in the top domestic tiers of European soccer is generally an undivided league with a balanced schedule of fixtures played across the season. A key objective of league organizers and administrators is the design of championship contests that exhibit sufficient outcome uncertainty to ensure an adequate level of competitive balance. This is a more challenging task for professional soccer leagues in Europe than for North American sports leagues. The SFL was subject to re-structure from the 1975/6 season and a new league format emerged composed of a top tier of ten teams with two lower national tiers each comprised of 14 teams. The introduction of the new league structure at the turn of the current century coincided with a period of significant financial stress for the majority of Scottish Premiership clubs. Most clubs emerged from the crisis largely debt-free with no long-term liabilities
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