What Is A Good Change Of Direction Test Time?
Change Of Direction or Agility tests serve a vital function in athletic evaluation. They provide objective, quantifiable benchmarks for an athlete's physical capacity to change direction, a quality that is a critical determinant of success in most field and court sports.
5-10-5 Pro Agility Test
The Pro-Agility Test, also known as the 20-yard Shuttle or 5-10-5 Shuttle, is a popular protocol used for combine testing in sports like American football and ice hockey. This test is a comprehensive assessment of lateral speed, acceleration, deceleration, and body control. The test challenges an athlete's ability to maintain a low center of gravity while transitioning between different movement patterns, and it showcases explosive power.
|
Ranking |
Males (seconds) |
Females (seconds) |
|
Excellent |
< 4.0 |
< 4.5 |
|
Good |
4.0 - 4.5 |
4.5 - 5.0 |
|
Average |
4.5 - 5.0 |
5.0 - 5.5 |
|
Poor |
> 5.0 |
> 5.5 |
5-0-5 Change Of Direction Test
The 5-0-5 Change of Direction Test measures an athlete’s ability to quickly perform a single 180-degree turn. In the commonly used modified version, the athlete sprints 5 meters, touches a line, executes a 180-degree turn, and returns 5 meters through a timing gate. This test provides valuable insights when timing gates break down the performance into phases—acceleration, deceleration, the turn, and reacceleration—allowing coaches to identify specific areas for improvement. Research shows the turn and first reacceleration phase make up nearly half the total test time. Heavier athletes typically perform slower in the deceleration, turn, and overall, while height does not impact results, so individual scores should be considered within the context of each athlete’s body type.
|
Test Phase |
Average Time ± SD (s) |
Range (s) |
Percentage of Total Time (%) |
|
Total Time |
2.75 ± 0.16 |
2.55 – 3.03 |
100 |
|
Acceleration |
0.55 ± 0.03 |
0.47 – 0.79 |
19.9 |
|
Deceleration |
0.51 ± 0.03 |
0.47 – 0.56 |
18.7 |
|
180-degree Turn |
0.64 ± 0.08 |
0.53 – 0.79 |
23.1 |
|
Reacceleration 1 |
0.64 ± 0.03 |
0.60 – 0.71 |
23.3 |
|
Reacceleration 2 |
0.43 ± 0.02 |
0.39 – 0.46 |
15.5 |
Agility T-Test
The T-Test measures a valuable combination of athletic qualities, including leg speed, leg power, and efficiency in transitioning between forward, lateral, and backward movements.
|
Ranking |
Males (seconds) |
Females (seconds) |
|
Excellent |
< 9.5 |
< 10.5 |
|
Good |
9.5 to 10.5 |
10.5 to 11.5 |
|
Average |
10.5 to 11.5 |
11.5 to 12.5 |
|
Poor |
> 11.5 |
> 12.5 |
Lane Agility Drill
The Lane Agility Drill is a basketball-specific test that measures speed, body control, and change of direction around the key through sprinting, shuffling, and back-pedaling.
|
Position |
Males (seconds) |
Females (seconds) |
|
Guards |
10.2 - 10.9 |
13.0 - 14.5 |
|
Forwards |
11.0 - 11.4 |
14.6 - 15.5 |
|
Centers |
11.5 - 12.3 |
14.6 - 15.5 |
How to improve poor Change Of Direction speed results.
- Focus on developing key physical qualities, not just practicing change of direction drills.
- Incorporate plyometric training, such as lateral and horizontal jumps and bounds, to boost neuromuscular efficiency and explosive power for rapid direction changes.
- Use resistance training, including loaded squats and lunges, to build the strength needed for effective force absorption and production—especially during cutting or turning movements.
- Add resisted or incline sprint training to improve linear acceleration, which contributes significantly to faster test times.
- Prioritise technical skills—maintain a low stance, optimise body angles, and use efficient foot placement to reduce speed loss during changes in direction.
- Progress training from simple, low-speed drills to advanced, high-speed exercises, gradually integrating more complexity and power.