On the design of international match calendar: the effect of “FIFA reserved dates” on European football matches’ outcomes

Every season, the international football calendar contains periods reserved for a series of so-called special matches including international friendly or official matches played by national teams. All these periods are called “FIFA reserved dates” in the calendar and generally cause domestic competitions to shut down for some days. Such interruptions of leagues might generate different effects or externalities on the performance of players, clubs or even on the competition itself. While a number of studies focus on the effect of players’ absence on teams performance, this paper contributes to the literature by specifically evaluating the effect of the “FIFA reserved dates” on football outcomes. Using data for four seasons from the “big five” European leagues, I find evidence that the outcomes distribution in those matches played after a “FIFA reserved date” becomes more balanced, thus increasing the uncertainty of outcome. The results of this paper contribute to the ongoing debate about the management and design of the international match calendar.