{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T00:52:39Z","timestamp":1760057559304,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,14]],"date-time":"2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739491200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aims of this study were to analyze (1) the external match demands during a congested period (CP) (i.e., three games in eight days) and (2) the differences among games with two- or three-day intervals in professional futsal players. Eleven elite male futsal players were monitored during 15 official matches. Wearable accelerometers were used to record player load (PL), accelerations (ACC), decelerations (DEC), and changes of direction (COD) at different intensities (e.g., high, medium, and low) using two approaches (e.g., absolute and relative per minute). A linear mixed model and effect sizes (ESs) were used to analyze differences between matches and days of interval. Considering the external match load during CP, non-significant differences were found for all the variables (p = 0.108\u20130.995; ES: 0.01\u20130.40). Comparing the interval days between games, players had significantly higher DECHI (p = 0.030; ES: 0.48), CODTOTAL (p = 0.028; ES: 0.33), CODMED (p = 0.024; ES: 0.40), and CODLOW (p = 0.038; ES: 0.31) following 3 days of interval between the games when compared with 2 days. However, when analyzed relative to effective time, non-significant differences were found. In summary, CPs seem to not affect the match external load, but players performed better in terms of DEC and COD following 3 days of interval when compared to 2 days when analyzed with absolute values.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sports13020056","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,14]],"date-time":"2025-02-14T11:14:41Z","timestamp":1739531681000},"page":"56","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Influence of Game Intervals on Physical Performance Demands in Elite Futsal: Insights from Congested Periods"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Augusto","family":"Pereira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"UCAM Research Center for High Performance Sport, UCAM Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9516-8516","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Nuno","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport Sciences, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"},{"name":"School of Education, Communication and Sports, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, 6300 Guarda, Portugal"},{"name":"SPRINT Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center, 2040 Rio Maior, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9792-6656","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro E.","family":"Alcaraz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UCAM Research Center for High Performance Sport, UCAM Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"Facultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"Strength & Conditioning Society, 30008 Murcia, Spain"}]},{"given":"Rub\u00e9n Herrero","family":"Carrasco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sports, Universidad Internacional Isabel I de Castilla, 09003 Burgos, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2165-2687","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruno","family":"Travassos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport Sciences, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), 6201 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"},{"name":"Portugal Football School, Portuguese Football Federation, 1495 Oeiras, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8571-3189","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tom\u00e1s T.","family":"Freitas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UCAM Research Center for High Performance Sport, UCAM Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"Facultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"Strength & Conditioning Society, 30008 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"NAR-Nucleus of High Performance in Sport, S\u00e3o Paulo 04753-060, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5762-4653","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Spyrou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UCAM Research Center for High Performance Sport, UCAM Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"Facultad de Deporte, UCAM Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"Strength & Conditioning Society, 30008 Murcia, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.1080\/24748668.2024.2352678","article-title":"Profiling the acceleration and deceleration components in elite futsal players","volume":"24","author":"Ribeiro","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. 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