VERTICAL LOAD ASSESSMENT IN MEN AND WOMEN 3X3 BASKETBALL

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the frequency and intensity of players' actions associated with jumping in the 3x3 basketball game, to compare these data between men's and women's teams, and to compare the data obtained with existing data from 5- on-5 basketball. Jumps during the five final games of the men's and women's national championship were recorded using the inertial measurement device VERT which was previously calibrated using force platform. The significance level set for the study was p ≤ 0.05. The number and height of jumps during the execution of jump shots from outside and inside the paint, lay -up shots, rebounds, and blocks were monitored. Female and male players performed 1.05 and 1.63 jumps per minute, respectively, in the 3x3 basketball game. For all jumps observed, the number of jumps was higher in males than in females, and the largest differences were found in jump shots inside the paint and jump when blocking (p < 0.05). The relative intensity of the jumps, expressed as a percentage of the maximum countermovement jump obtained before the play, showed that heights of just over 50% of the maximum were most common, except for the male players executing layup shots were the heights reached over 70% of the maximum. Comparing the results with previous studies, we summarize that the performance level of the athletes influences the frequency of actions. Low level teams executed fewer actions than high level teams, in parallel to their physical fitness.