Searching for On-Field Parity

Abstract

The authors analyze whether the scheduling changes the National Football League (NFL) made at the time to promote parity had the desired impact on the 1995-1998 and the 2003-2006 seasons compared to the 1991-1994 and the 1999-2002 seasons. Using the relative standard deviation (RSD), the authors find that the scheduling changes did not significantly influence parity. However, this result does not imply that scheduling changes do not affect competitive balance or have no benefits. Competitive balance can manifest itself in different ways and, therefore, it is imperative to look at multiple indicators before declaring policy and rule changes a failure or a success.