The latest pre-alphas of the next Unreal Tournament implemented this, and I was surprised to see how well something like that works in objective-based gametypes such as CTF.
The idea goes like this: there's the timelimit we all know.
Before the match starts, this timelimit is cut in half, and players start playing the first half of the match. Once this half ends, every player goes spectator and takes a short break (15 seconds or so), and then the second half starts, with the previous scores and stats kept intact, and with the players respawning in their respective spots.
The logic behind this idea is that, instead of being a fully tensioned match, this short break allows everyone (players, spectators) to release part of that tension and play the second half a bit more distended.