Game Related Analytics

Segal has worked with many sports leagues to examine different aspects of their sport to ensure that the competitive nature and integrity remains intact. The objective of these studies is to examine, through the use of analytics, how different facets impact the game, from referee judgment calls to player drafts and scheduling. Segal has consulted with leagues on the following topics:

Officiating Bias

Segal has worked with sports leagues to help assess the performance of referees and determine if any bias exists. These studies help leagues defend against claims made by players, teams, or the media. Some of Segal’s studies include:

Referee Bias
  • Segal has worked with leagues to analyze the behavior of referees amid allegations that the referees were treating certain identified groups of players differently.
  • The purpose of these studies was to consider the validity of certain claims made against the leagues.
Referee‐Team Matchups
  • Segal has worked with leagues to analyze official‐team matchup to look for any potential biases.
  • The goal of these studies was to identify the odds at which the actual results between referees and teams differed from the expected results.

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Rookie Drafts and Playoff Analysis

Segal has worked with sports leagues to analyze their rookie draft systems as well as their playoff seeding structures. The objective of the rookie draft and the playoff system is to, in combination, properly incentivize teams to compete every single week of the regular season as well as to ensure that teams that need the most help receive a higher draft priority. Some of Segal’s studies include:

Draft System
  • Segal performed analysis for a league on different draft order structures to determine which would most eliminate unwanted behaviors
  • Analyzed one season team performance impact as well as a variety of multi‐year performance calculations to determine the best system to reward teams with the top pick to create league parity while retaining competitiveness
Tanking
  • Segal worked with a league to analyze team behaviors after being eliminated from post‐season play
  • The objective of the analysis was to understand the timing and impact of team performance based around playoff elimination timing.
Draft Lottery
  • Segal examines the results of the draft lottery system to help consider the proper weightings for determining the draft order.
  • The analysis determines disparities between the expected odds of receiving a pick and the actual odds from the results.
Playoff Seeding
  • Segal has examined for the playoff seeding process various leagues, including how divisional structure has an impact on seeding
  • The goal is to help maximize a team’s incentive to win at the end of the season, even if they have secured a playoff position.

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Game Operations

Segal has worked with sports leagues to develop and analyze game schedule and assignments as well as their conduct game time analyses. The objective of the scheduling analyses is to examine and potentially minimize the impact of outside factors such as travel, and rest have on the matches as well as to create an optimal schedule considering constraints. We have also performed game time analyses to study the effects of different events and game trends and their impact on the length of a game. Some of Segal’s studies include:

Scheduling Analysis
  • Segal has examined league schedules for determining the expect impact on win loss record based on scheduling, distance traveled and rest between games.
  • The objective is to identify and minimize any teams that are negatively impacted by scheduling and create parity in the schedule.
Referee and Evaluator Scheduling
  • Segal has worked with leagues to schedule referee and evaluator assignments for the season while ensuring that all constraints set by the league are met.
Draft Lottery
  • Segal worked with a league to analyze team behaviors after being eliminated from post‐season play
  • The objective of the analysis was to understand the timing and impact of team performance based around playoff elimination timing.
Game Time Analysis
  • Segal has worked with leagues to build a game time model that analyzes the various events of a game to understand the impact on game length.
  • The purpose of these studies is to isolate the difference between actual game time and expected game time based on actual events.

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Call and Gambling Analysis

Segal has worked with sports leagues to develop and analyze the impact of a single referee whistle on the outcome of a game. The objective of these analyses is to help leagues understand the impact on the game of specific decisions as well as prepare leagues with information in case of or in response to any media criticism. Some of Segal’s studies include:

Call Leverage
  • Segal has examined the impact of all referee calls to determine the change in a team’s likelihood to win before and after said call.
  • The goal is to help the league understand which calls have the most impact on the final score of a game.
Impact of Critical Errors
  • Segal has worked with leagues to understand the impact of Critical Referee Errors and their effect on both one game and league standings.
  • The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how one game or overall league standings would be different if no referee errors occurred.
Gambling Analysis
  • Segal has performed analyses on referee calls and how they impact a final game’s score with a focus on the betting lines.
  • The objective of these studies is to ensure that officials are performing in a fair and professional manner.

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Compensation

Segal has worked with sports organizations to design and analyze the compensation of different departments within the organization. From the front office to the field, each member is partly responsible for the success of their team. The objective of these analyses is to properly incentivize all employees to put together a championship team while keeping teams and leagues financially competitive. Some of Segal’s studies include:

Executive Compensation
  • Segal has consulted with various leagues’ Boards regarding fair and appropriate pay levels for its top executives.
Incentive Plan Design
  • Segal has worked with teams to design the incentive plans within their front office.
  • The goal of the incentive design is to align pay with individual and team performance
Sales Compensation
  • Segal designs the compensation for sales departments in order to increase revenue from ticket sales and reward accordingly.
  • The purpose of the compensation analysis is to increase revenue from ticket sales in desired focus areas while maintaining the payroll budget of the sales department.

 

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