Relative Rest Correlates to Winning Percentage in 2022 National Football League Season: A Preliminary Study

Authors

  • Adam Jajtner Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
  • Anthony Pinzone Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1381-0868
  • Yousuf Abu-Amara Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2815-5605
  • Ryan Gant Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0556-645X
  • Jennifer Rivera Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
  • Emily Tagesen Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
  • Jacob Barkley Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4254-4626

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v5i1.403

Keywords:

American Football, Performance, Recovery

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether season average relative rest (RR) influences winning percentage (WIN%) in professional American Football. We define RR as the difference in rest intervals between teams from prior games. To address this, we analyzed each game played in the 2022 NFL season (n=271) and calculated rest intervals between each successive game for each team. The rest interval was defined as the number of days between the schedule start for each successive game, with all teams being assigned a rest interval of 0 during Week 1. Each team’s RR was then determined by subtracting the opposing team’s rest interval. The RR for each game for all teams were then averaged across the season. Subsequently, a correlation between season average RR and WIN% was performed and a tertial split in season average RR was conducted to separate teams into HIGH (teams 1-11), MID (teams 12-21) and LOW (teams 22-32). A one-way ANOVA comparing WIN% between HIGH, MID and LOW was then conducted while independent samples t-tests were employed to assess season average RR between teams with records above (WIN) and below 0.500 (LOSE) and those qualifying (PO) and not qualifying (NPO) for the playoffs. Data indicate that a significant positive relationship exists between WIN% and season average RR (r=0.338; p = 0.029). Moreover, successful teams (WIN/PO) had significantly greater season average RR than unsuccessful teams (LOSE/NPO). Therefore, a team’s rest interval, relative to their opponent was associated with the outcome of the competition during the 2022 NFL season.

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Published

2025-04-18

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2025): International Journal of Strength and Conditioning

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Adam Jajtner, Anthony Pinzone, Yousuf Abu-Amara, Ryan Gant, Jennifer Rivera, Emily Tagesen, Jacob Barkley

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright of their work, granting IJSC a license to publish and distribute. All articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. We clearly state any fees associated with submissions or access for readers. For copyright or licensing queries, stakeholders can reach out to journal@iusca.org.

How to Cite

Jajtner, Adam, Anthony Pinzone, Yousuf Abu-Amara, Ryan Gant, Jennifer Rivera, Emily Tagesen, and Jacob Barkley. 2025. “Relative Rest Correlates to Winning Percentage in 2022 National Football League Season: A Preliminary Study”. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning 5 (1). https://doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v5i1.403.