Differences in Court Shifts and Continuous Playing Time in Basketball

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the number of basketball court shifts and continuous playing time between age groups and game quarters during competition to optimize team preparation. Data from 28 official games was collected, which were completed in four different age groups: Under-14 (U14), Under-16 (U-16),Under-18 (U-18) and senior level. A total of 61 basketball players participated in this study. Permutation 2x2 ANOVA and post hoc tests were used to test statistical significance (p < .05). Age groups showed significant differences among court shifts, time, and their ratio (shifts·min^-1), with a decreased tendency in all variables from U14 to senior level. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the variables studied among game quarters or positive relationships with the point differential. In conclusion, shifts·min^-1 decreases as we progress through the age-groups from U14 to senior basketball. These results could help practitioners to enhance team’s preparation by proposing specific 5-on-5 training scenarios based on the most common occurrences as well as the outlying maximal situations. However, the lack of any correlation between the variables studied and game outcome should encourage basketball professionals to assume a holistic approach and explore additional factors to better understand performance.