The Sequence Memory Drill measures visual-spatial working memory, the ability to observe, hold and accurately reproduce a sequence of locations. At the start of each round, the gates light up one at a time to demonstrate a sequence. Once the demonstration finishes, the athlete triggers the gates in the same order. Each round adds one extra step to the sequence, so the memory demand increases progressively until the athlete makes an error or completes the set number of rounds. The drill prioritises accuracy over speed. It requires V3 Timing Gates.

Position: Mount the gates upright magnetically to a suitable surface, or lay them flat on the floor facing upward, depending on the space available and the demand you want. Gate placement sets the emphasis of the drill. Close together, the athlete can see every gate without moving, so the drill isolates memory. Spread further apart, the athlete must turn their head and travel between gates, which adds movement and tests whether they can hold the sequence while moving. Set the athlete up centrally, ready and facing the gates.

Cue: “Watch the lights. They will show you a sequence. Don’t move until the demonstration finishes. Then trigger the gates in exactly the same order. Every round adds one more step. Accuracy matters more than speed, so take the time you need to get it right.”

Step 1: Position your V3 Timing Gates, either mounted upright magnetically or laid flat on the floor facing upward. Set them close together to isolate memory, or spaced further apart to add movement and head turning. Ensure all gates are powered on.

Step 2: Open the app and select the Sequence Memory Drill.

Step 3: On the Gate Setup screen, tap Scan to connect your gates. Allocate a master gate by pressing the button on the side of that gate. Once allocated, it appears at the top of the Gate Layout list marked as Master, and the remaining gates are numbered in order (2, 3 and so on) as they connect.

Step 4: Confirm the gate order. Use the drag handles beside each gate to reorder them so the numbering matches your physical layout. Use Settings to adjust the drill configuration if required.

Step 5: Tap Start Drill. Position the athlete ready and facing the gates.

Step 6: At the start of each round, the gates light up one at a time to demonstrate the sequence. When the demonstration finishes, the athlete triggers the gates in the same order. A correct sequence clears the round, and the next round repeats the sequence with one extra step added. Triggering a gate out of order is recorded as an error. The drill ends when the athlete makes an error or completes the set number of rounds.

Step 7: When the session is complete, review the results screen. The app displays:

Rounds completed, shown as Session Complete.
Errors, the number of incorrect gates triggered.
Avg Recall Time, the average time taken to reproduce each sequence.
Recall Distribution, a bar chart of recall time for each round.

Step 8: After reviewing:

Tap Save Trial to store the result.
Tap Redo to retest without saving.

Interpreting the results

Max Sequence is the primary result, showing the longest sequence the athlete recalled correctly and providing an indication of their visual-spatial memory span in this drill. Use recall time as a secondary measure to understand how performance changes as the sequences lengthen. A sharp increase in recall time may suggest the athlete is approaching their memory limit. Steady recall times followed by an error may reflect a capacity limit or a lapse in attention; timing alone cannot distinguish between the two.

Results are influenced by fatigue, arousal, familiarity with the drill and gate spacing. Compare an athlete to their own baseline across sessions using the same layout, rather than to an external standard. Allow a familiarisation trial before recording data you intend to track.

Using the Sequence Memory Drill in rehab and performance

In a performance setting, the drill trains the ability to observe, retain and execute a pattern. This reflects game situations where athletes must remember set plays, track the positions of multiple teammates and opponents, or execute a sequence of movements under pressure. Unlike the reaction drills, this drill targets memory rather than speed. Comparing Sequence Memory results with Simple Reaction and Numbers 1-9 results helps separate memory capacity from processing speed and visual search.

In a rehab and return to sport setting, the drill is valuable after concussion, where working memory is commonly affected, and can be introduced before physical load is permitted. Run it with close gate spacing early on to assess memory with minimal movement. As the athlete progresses, widen the spacing so they must hold the sequence while moving. A drop in Max Sequence when movement is added indicates that physical demand is competing with cognitive capacity. Track Max Sequence across sessions to monitor recovery, and use a pre-injury baseline where one exists.