Effects of Red Cards as Examined by Times Online

One of the goals of this blog is to bring attention to the statistical analysis others have performed on the beautiful game.  So, when we see an article like the January 17, 2009 “Red-card myths are dismissed by statistics,” we like to share it.

Now, the “myths” the author debunks are not necessarily myths.  And I am not sure that it was ever the prevailing opinion that a team that received a red card while in the lead would normally maintain that lead.  Or that a team that was losing when it received a red card would still score goals.  And it is a little disappointing that the author’s model apparently can evaluate how a red card’s impact varies depending upon how early into the match it is received, but that he does not go into that at all.

Still, red cards are on the minds of U.S. fans.  And even though the article only briefly describes the author’s findings, it is still worth checking out.

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