Pro-Agility (5-10-5) Test
Used for the NFL and NHL combine testing, and for the SPARQ rating for basketball, hockey and American football, the Pro-Agility (5-10-5) test is an extremely popular protocol.
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By Owen Walker
26 Jan 2016 | 5 min read
Contents of Article
Used for the NFL and NHL combine testing, and for the SPARQ rating for basketball, hockey and American football, the Pro-Agility (5-10-5) test is an extremely popular protocol. Despite historic beliefs, this test is not a measure of agility and has instead been deemed an assessment of change of direction speed. However, recent knowledge is now strongly criticising this test ability to measure change of direction speed due to the influence of the sprint distances.
Keywords: agility, change of direction speed, CODs
The Pro-Agility Test, otherwise known as the 5-10-5 shuttle or the 20-yard shuttle test was first developed and administered using the protocol outlined by Harmann et al., (1). It is used as part of the performance testing battery for the US National Football League (NFL) and US National Hockey League (NHL) combine testing, and for the SPARQ rating for baseball, hockey, and American football.
As the pro-agility test is pre-planned and requires no reactive ability, this test is actually a measure of CODs and not agility (2). Given this, perhaps the name ’5-10-5 shuttle test’ is more preferable as this is less misleading and more appropriate.
Click here for more information regarding the difference between agility and CODs.
As direction changes are so common in many sports, identifying an athlete’s ability to change direction can be a valuable asset towards improving their athleticism (3). Sports that include any form of rapid directional changes and short-distance accelerations may benefit from including the Pro-Agility test in their fitness testing battery.
It is important to understand that whenever fitness testing is performed, it must be done so in a consistent environment (e.g. facility) so that it is protected from varying weather types, and with a dependable surface that is not affected by wet or slippery conditions. If the environment is not consistent, the reliability of repeated tests at later dates can be substantially hindered and result in worthless data.
Required Equipment
Before the start of the test, it is important to ensure you have the following items:
Test Configuration
Figure 1 displays the test configuration for the Pro- Agility test. This setup must be adhered to if accurate and reliable data is desired.
Important information for using timing gates
The height of the timing gates has also been proven to significantly affect the performance results (4). When testing, it is therefore imperative that a standardised, consistent protocol is used to reduce variances within the data. For example, it may be suggested that the gates are always set at a consistent height of 1-metre.
Test Procedure
Warm-up
Starting the test
After the test
In addition to watching the video, it is important you read the test procedure detailed in the toggle box above.
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With a minimum of three efforts completed on each leg, the scores are then generated into two mean scores – these provide an overall Pro-Agility score for each direction change. This is done by using the following equation:
When conducting the test there are several factors that need to be taken into consideration before you begin – some being:
Though this test has been deemed a valid and reliable tool for measuring CODs (3), it is however not a valid test for assessing true agility as it does not measure any form of reactive ability (2). Furthermore, as the pro-agility contains two 5m sprints and one 10m sprint, there is speculation whether this test actuals measures CODs, or if there is too much contribution from sprint ability.
Put simply, because there is an abundance of short-distance sprinting involved in the test, they may not clearly demonstrate an athlete’s ability to change direction quickly. This question was raised by Sayers and Killip during their investigation into the 5-0-5 agility test (2). As a result, whilst the pro-agility test remains a reliable protocol, there is little agreement upon its validity to measure CODs.
Some coaches believe that reading one article will make them an expert on Performance Testing. Here’s why they’re wrong…
Performance Testing entails many, many topics. By choosing to simply read up on The Pro-Agility (5-10-5) Test and ignore the sea of other crucial Performance Testing topics, you run the risk of being detrimental to your athlete’s success and not realising your full potential.
To make you an expert coach and make your life as easy as possible, we highly suggest you now check out this article on The 5m Sprint Test.
Disclaimer
All information provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. We do not accept any responsibility for the administration or provision of any testing conducted, whether that results in any positive or negative consequences. As an example, we do not take any responsibility for any injury or illness caused during any test administration. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
Reference List (click here to open)
Owen Walker MSc CSCS
Founder and Director of Science for Sport
Owen is the founder and director of Science for Sport. He was formerly the Head of Academy Sports Science and Strength & Conditioning at Cardiff City Football Club, and an interim Sports Scientist for the Welsh FA. He also has a master’s degree in strength and conditioning and is a NSCA certified strength and conditioning coach.