Football scores, the Poisson distribution and 30 years of final year projects in Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research

Phil Scarf

Abstract


The development of the Poisson match as a model used in the prediction of the outcome of football matches is described. In this context, many interesting modelling projects arise that are suitable for undergraduate, final year students. In a narrative that discusses the authors engagement with this model and other related models, the paper presents a number of these projects, their attractions and their pitfalls, and poses a number of questions that are suitable for investigation. The answers to some of these questions would be worthy of the attention of the administrators of their respective sports.


Keywords


Poisson distribution; sport; competitive balance; tournament design

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.21100/msor.v15i3.491

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