How the score is built
Each test maps to a published normative table (see sources on this page). Your time is converted into a percentile within your age/sex band. The bands are coarse: well below average / below average / average / above average / well above average. Anything finer is unreliable.
Which test should I use?
- 5-10-5 (Pro Agility) — the shortest and most popular at the NFL Combine. Excellent for change-of-direction speed with a football start. Use for youth and pro scouting.
- T-Test — four 10 m legs including a forward sprint and two side shuffles. Better simulates the multi-directional demand of a football action.
- Illinois — long (~10 s), big course, includes a prone-to-standing flip at the end. A full-body test, not just agility. Hard to set up reliably.
What this tool won’t do
- It won’t make you faster. It just tells you where you stand.
- It won’t compensate for dodgy timing — use two stopwatches, average them, or film with a phone and count frames at 60 fps (16.7 ms / frame).
- It won’t give you a single “agility number”. Agility is task-specific; pick the test that matches the movement you’re trying to develop.
FAQ
My time is way better than the band — is the table wrong?
Maybe, but more likely the test was set up slightly differently (e.g. shorter distance, smaller cones, indoor surface). The tables assume the protocol exactly. Two metres of slack in the course can save ~0.2 s on a T-Test.
I’m a goalkeeper — which test is most relevant?
GK demands are unique: short explosive dives, low-drop scrambles, lateral arcs. The 5-10-5 captures the lateral shuttle best. The T-Test adds a side-shuffle. None capture true diving — for that you need a sport-specific test with a mat.
How often should I re-test?
Every 6–8 weeks for adults in a normal training cycle. More frequent testing shows day-to-day noise, not real change, and the soreness from max-effort tests is real (24–48 h DOMS).