Loudest Stadiums
Every stadium claims the loudest crowd. We measured it the only way the numbers can: by what the noise does to the visitors. Across 7,027 road games since 1999, we counted every false start, delay of game and illegal formation by the visiting offense against what that same offense commits elsewhere that season. Since 2016, the loudest building in football is Lumen Field: visitors commit +0.44 more pre-snap penalties a game there than they normally do. The quietest: SoFi Stadium (−0.34).
Every home crowd, measured
↳Bottom lineLumen Field tops the board at +0.44 flags a game; 16 of 32 stadiums make visitors sloppier than their norm.
?How to read this chart
- One row = one stadium,
- ranked from the loudest (1) down. Loud here means one thing we can count: how many extra pre-snap penalties (false starts, delay of game, illegal formation) the visiting offense commits there.
- The number on the right
- is extra pre-snap flags per game against what the same visiting offenses commit in their other games. +0.30 means visitors there average 0.3 more of those penalties a game than usual; a minus means they are cleaner than usual.
- The meter
- shows the same thing as a sound meter: half lit is the league average, more lights (into yellow and red) means louder.
- Tap a row
- for the details: false starts, timeouts, third downs, the home record and a small bar chart by season (orange above the middle = louder than normal that year, blue below = quieter).
1
Lumen FieldSeahawks · open air · 80 games since 2016+0.44pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.22 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.03 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −3.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 1.7 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 59% wins · 43% covers
- Crowd
- 68,813 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: 
Panthers +3.03 (3 visits), 
Broncos +2.50 (2 visits), 
Bills +2.00 (2 visits)
2
Acrisure StadiumSteelers · open air · 78 games since 2016+0.41pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.33 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.04 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −2.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 65% wins · 57% covers
- Crowd
- 64,476 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: 
Giants +1.85 (2 visits), 
Cowboys +1.27 (2 visits), 
Patriots +1.20 (5 visits)
3
Hard Rock StadiumDolphins · open air · 77 games since 2016+0.32pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.25 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.01 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −3.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.4 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 61% wins · 56% covers
- Crowd
- 64,965 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: 
49ers +1.93 (2 visits), 
Titans +1.38 (5 visits), 
Browns +1.01 (2 visits)
4Nissan StadiumTitans · open air · 78 games since 2016+0.28pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.24 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- 0.00 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −3.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.7 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 49% wins · 48% covers
- Crowd
- 64,843 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: 
Ravens +1.97 (2 visits), 
Saints +1.95 (3 visits), 
Packers +1.53 (2 visits)
5Huntington Bank FieldBrowns · open air · 76 games since 2016+0.28pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.13 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.24 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −4.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 47% wins · 49% covers
- Crowd
- 66,253 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Packers +2.21 (2 visits), 
Jaguars +2.13 (2 visits), 
Jets +1.66 (5 visits)
6
Mercedes-Benz StadiumFalcons · open air · 69 games since 2017+0.26pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.27 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.14 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- +1.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.4 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 48% wins · 38% covers
- Crowd
- 70,871 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Packers +2.63 (2 visits), Steelers +2.47 (2 visits), 
Eagles +1.93 (2 visits)
7Empower Field at Mile HighBroncos · open air · 79 games since 2016+0.23pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.10 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.03 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −6.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.1 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 61% wins · 55% covers
- Crowd
- 75,965 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Cowboys +2.36 (2 visits), Packers +1.91 (2 visits), Giants +1.67 (2 visits)
8AT&T StadiumCowboys · roof · 77 games since 2016+0.20pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.19 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.03 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −1.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.3 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 65% wins · 57% covers
- Crowd
- 92,685 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: 
Chiefs +1.96 (2 visits), 
Cardinals +1.29 (3 visits), 
Texans +1.25 (2 visits)
9Bank of America StadiumPanthers · open air · 77 games since 2016+0.15pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.10 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.11 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- +1.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 44% wins · 45% covers
- Crowd
- 72,400 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: 
Lions +1.44 (2 visits), 
Buccaneers +1.22 (10 visits), 
Commanders +1.07 (2 visits)
10
Allegiant StadiumRaiders · roof · 47 games since 2021+0.15pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.02 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.05 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- +1.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.5 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 43% wins · 57% covers
- Crowd
- 62,017 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Patriots +2.53 (2 visits), 
Bears +1.06 (2 visits), Jaguars +0.66 (2 visits)
11
U.S. Bank StadiumVikings · roof · 77 games since 2016+0.11pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.01 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.03 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −5.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.3 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 68% wins · 55% covers
- Crowd
- 66,808 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Bills +3.84 (2 visits), Texans +2.13 (2 visits), Falcons +1.24 (3 visits)
12Lincoln Financial FieldEagles · open air · 78 games since 2016+0.09pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.05 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.13 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −2.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.4 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 67% wins · 49% covers
- Crowd
- 69,784 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Broncos +2.51 (2 visits), Giants +0.66 (10 visits), Panthers +0.51 (3 visits)
13
Paycor StadiumBengals · open air · 76 games since 2016+0.06pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.20 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.14 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- +2.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.3 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 51% wins · 47% covers
- Crowd
- 59,847 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Vikings +2.72 (2 visits), 
Colts +1.08 (2 visits), Buccaneers +1.02 (2 visits)
14NRG StadiumTexans · roof · 79 games since 2016+0.03pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.03 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.02 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −2.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.5 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 52% wins · 43% covers
- Crowd
- 70,574 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Bengals +1.16 (2 visits), 49ers +1.04 (2 visits), Bears +0.95 (2 visits)
15EverBank StadiumJaguars · open air · 69 games since 2016+0.03pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.12 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.16 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −4.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 4 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 49% wins · 50% covers
- Crowd
- 61,864 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Chiefs +1.51 (3 visits), Vikings +0.91 (2 visits), Texans +0.85 (8 visits)
16Caesars SuperdomeSaints · roof · 76 games since 2016+0.03pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.01 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.15 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- 0.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 54% wins · 42% covers
- Crowd
- 71,240 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Seahawks +2.26 (2 visits), Patriots +2.18 (2 visits), Lions +1.49 (3 visits)
17Lucas Oil StadiumColts · open air · 78 games since 20160.00pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- +0.05 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.18 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- +3.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.6 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 50% wins · 48% covers
- Crowd
- 63,765 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Broncos +1.52 (3 visits), Raiders +0.95 (4 visits), Lions +0.77 (2 visits)
18MetLife StadiumGiants · open air · 78 games since 2016−0.02pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.11 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.12 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −4.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 41% wins · 46% covers
- Crowd
- 77,512 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Ravens +2.91 (3 visits), 
Chargers +1.67 (2 visits), Seahawks +0.86 (2 visits)
19Northwest StadiumCommanders · open air · 78 games since 2016−0.02pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.11 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.16 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- 0.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.7 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 41% wins · 45% covers
- Crowd
- 64,592 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Browns +1.13 (3 visits), Titans +0.88 (2 visits), Seahawks +0.69 (3 visits)
20State Farm StadiumCardinals · roof · 76 games since 2016−0.03pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.03 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.04 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- 0.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 33% wins · 43% covers
- Crowd
- 63,216 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Commanders +1.24 (3 visits), Giants +1.14 (2 visits), Cowboys +0.98 (2 visits)
21M&T Bank StadiumRavens · open air · 79 games since 2016−0.05pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.04 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.08 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −4.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.7 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 63% wins · 42% covers
- Crowd
- 70,621 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Saints +0.79 (2 visits), 
Rams +0.54 (3 visits), Steelers +0.41 (9 visits)
22Highmark StadiumBills · open air · 77 games since 2016−0.07pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.02 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.01 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- 0.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 1.8 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 71% wins · 50% covers
- Crowd
- 68,432 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Jaguars +2.53 (3 visits), Broncos +2.21 (3 visits), Cardinals +0.74 (2 visits)
23Soldier FieldBears · open air · 78 games since 2016−0.08pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.10 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.24 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −5.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 51% wins · 60% covers
- Crowd
- 60,411 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Jets +2.05 (2 visits), Buccaneers +1.61 (2 visits), Rams +1.28 (2 visits)
24Raymond James StadiumBuccaneers · open air · 77 games since 2016−0.10pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.21 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.13 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −5.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 3.2 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 51% wins · 38% covers
- Crowd
- 61,439 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Packers +0.94 (2 visits), Saints +0.61 (9 visits), Patriots +0.59 (2 visits)
25Ford FieldLions · roof · 78 games since 2016−0.15pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.24 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- 0.00 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- +2.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.6 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 58% wins · 57% covers
- Crowd
- 62,169 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Falcons +1.19 (2 visits), Jaguars +1.09 (3 visits), Eagles +0.81 (3 visits)
26MetLife StadiumJets · open air · 78 games since 2016−0.15pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.26 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.08 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −2.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.3 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 37% wins · 45% covers
- Crowd
- 76,717 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Panthers +1.56 (2 visits), Bengals +0.72 (3 visits), Packers +0.60 (2 visits)
27Gillette StadiumPatriots · open air · 78 games since 2016−0.15pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.12 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.09 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −5.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.5 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 59% wins · 53% covers
- Crowd
- 65,511 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Ravens +2.14 (2 visits), Saints +1.81 (2 visits), Cowboys +1.28 (2 visits)
28Lambeau FieldPackers · open air · 77 games since 2016−0.15pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.19 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.21 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- 0.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 1.9 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 70% wins · 59% covers
- Crowd
- 77,934 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Cardinals +2.20 (2 visits), Rams +0.88 (3 visits), Dolphins +0.86 (2 visits)
29GEHA Field at Arrowhead StadiumChiefs · open air · 78 games since 2016−0.20pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.30 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.19 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −3.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.7 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 76% wins · 49% covers
- Crowd
- 73,784 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Saints +2.39 (2 visits), Colts +1.40 (3 visits), Texans +0.95 (3 visits)
30SoFi StadiumRams · roof · 46 games since 2021−0.25pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.08 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.30 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −1.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 2.4 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 61% wins · 54% covers
- Crowd
- 72,850 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Bills +1.41 (3 visits), Buccaneers +0.69 (2 visits), Seahawks +0.43 (5 visits)
31Levi's Stadium49ers · open air · 79 games since 2016−0.32pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.23 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- +0.04 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- 0.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 1.9 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 57% wins · 46% covers
- Crowd
- 70,346 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Jaguars +2.73 (2 visits), Dolphins +0.67 (2 visits), Falcons +0.43 (3 visits)
32SoFi StadiumChargers · roof · 46 games since 2021−0.34pre-snap flags a game
- False starts
- −0.24 a game vs their norm
- 1st-half timeouts
- −0.20 burned by visitors
- Third downs
- −3.0 pts of conversion rate
- Late and close
- 1.9 pre-snap flags per 100 Q4 one-score snaps
- Home record
- 48% wins · 48% covers
- Crowd
- 70,231 average attendance
Most rattled visitors: Cowboys +0.50 (2 visits), Broncos −0.05 (6 visits), Raiders −0.10 (6 visits)
The road false start went quiet
↳Bottom lineFrom 1999 to 2008 road teams averaged +0.25 extra false starts a game; since 2009 it is −0.05: the league-wide road penalty has almost vanished.
?How to read this chart
- One bar = one season
- since 1999, left to right (the two-digit year is under each bar).
- Height
- is how many more false starts road teams committed per game than home teams, league-wide. Orange bars above the middle: road teams were sloppier. Blue bars below: home teams were.
- The striped bar
- is 2020, when stadiums were empty. The dashed marker shows where offenses moved to silent counts (2009 on).
The likeliest reason: offenses moved to silent counts and the shotgun, so linemen no longer need to hear the quarterback. The league-wide road false start faded, but the home edge in wins did not: when fans vanished in 2020, home teams stopped winning more often while visiting offenses got no cleaner. Crowd noise still shows up stadium by stadium (the board above), just not as a league-wide tax anymore.
Does a bigger crowd mean more mistakes?
↳Bottom lineVisitors are sloppiest in the "65,000 to 72,000" group (+0.10 a game), not in the very biggest bowls.
?How to read this chart
- One row = a group of road games
- by reported attendance, from smallest to biggest crowds. The dots only illustrate how full the stands are.
- The big number
- is extra pre-snap flags per game by visiting offenses in that group (same measure as the board). Below it: how often the home team won.
Do domes trap the sound?
↳Bottom lineDome or closed roof: +0.11 a game; open air: +0.06. Roofs do seem to trap the sound.
?How to read this chart
- Two cards:
- stadiums with a dome or closed roof, and open-air stadiums, every game since 1999 except 2020.
- The big number
- is extra pre-snap flags per game by visiting offenses. Higher = noisier for the visitors.
The old buildings, still on the meter
↳Bottom lineThe loudest old building on the list: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (+0.54).
?How to read this chart
- One row = a stadium a team has left,
- with the years it was used and the games played there (24 or more).
- The number
- is the same noise measure as the board: extra pre-snap flags per game by visitors. Orange = louder than normal, blue = quieter.
Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeVikings · 1999-2013 · 117 games+0.54Edward Jones DomeRams · 1999-2015 · 134 games+0.37Texas StadiumCowboys · 1999-2008 · 80 games+0.23Oakland ColiseumRaiders · 1999-2019 · 163 games+0.21Veterans StadiumEagles · 1999-2002 · 32 games+0.13Georgia DomeFalcons · 1999-2016 · 143 games+0.08RCA DomeColts · 1999-2007 · 72 games+0.06Giants StadiumGiants · 1999-2009 · 88 games+0.05Sun Devil StadiumCardinals · 1999-2005 · 55 games+0.04Pontiac SilverdomeLions · 1999-2001 · 24 games+0.01Qualcomm StadiumChargers · 1999-2016 · 143 games−0.09Giants StadiumJets · 1999-2009 · 88 games−0.13How sure are we? One season of a stadium's noise effect barely predicts the next one. The multi-season venue averages are the numbers to quote, single seasons are mostly chance. The test →
MethodHow this is built
- What we count
- Pre-snap penalties called on the visiting offense: false start, delay of game, illegal formation, illegal shift and illegal motion. These are the mistakes crowd noise causes, because the offense cannot hear the snap count. Data: nflverse play-by-play, every regular-season game since 1999.
- Against their own norm
- Each visit is compared with the same offense's average in all its other games that season (leave-one-out). A sloppy team does not make the stadium it visits look loud, and a disciplined one does not make it look quiet. The noise number is the average excess per game.
- Which seasons
- The board uses each team's current stadium from 2016 (or from its opening) to today, without 2020, when stadiums were empty or nearly empty. The ghosts use every season the team played there.
- Attendance
- Reported attendance from ESPN's game records. Rank: 1st = the most excess penalties forced.