The perceptual, heart rate and technical-tactical characteristics of 3 x 3 basketball

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptual, heart rate and technical-tactical characteristics of elite male and female 3 x 3 basketball games. Eleven male and twenty-two female elite basketball players were monitored using heart rate telemetry, Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and video analysis across three 3 x 3 basketball tournaments. Linear mixed models were performed to determine the influence of round (pool game, quarter-final, semi-final, final, classification game) and sex on all dependent variables (alpha = 0.05). There was no difference between sexes for heart rate variables (p = 0.53 - 0.85). The greatest percentage (56.9 +/- 20.1%) of game time was spent in heart rate zone 5 (90-100% peak heart rate). Overall RPE was higher in semi-finals (7.2 +/- 1.5, p <= 0.001, ES: 1.27) and finals (7.7 +/- 1.6 p <= 0.001, ES: 1.67) compared to pool games (5.1 +/- 1.5). An analysis of the technical-tactical actions revealed that there were less steals in semi-finals (p = 0.01, ES = 0.56) and finals (p = 0.01, ES = 0.71) compared to pool games, with no sex-related differences present (p = 0.06 - 0.97). Players generally spent one minute on the bench for every three minutes on the court, creating a 3:1 work to rest ratio. Physical preparation programs for elite 3 x 3 basketball athletes should include exposure to high-intensity activity in which heart rates >= 80% of peak heart rate are reached for periods of time similar to that experienced during gameplay. A 3:1 work-to-rest ratio may be beneficial during conditioning training for this population.