What it measures
Initial acceleration — the athlete's ability to generate horizontal force from a standstill. Heavily influenced by relative strength and starting technique.
Equipment
- 10 m of flat, straight running surface
- Two timing gates (or one gate + handheld backup) at 0 and 10 m
- Cones to mark the start line
Protocol
- Athlete sets up 30 cm behind the first gate to avoid early-triggering the start beam.
- Use a two-point or three-point standing start. No rocking, no false start.
- Athlete sprints maximally through the 10 m mark — do not decelerate early.
- Allow 2–3 minutes between trials. Best of 3.
Scoring
Time in seconds to 0.01. Often paired with a 20- or 40-yard total time so you can isolate acceleration from top speed.
Typical ranges
Elite male sprinters: 1.6–1.8 s. NCAA male soccer / rugby: 1.7–1.9 s. Women's college soccer: 1.85–2.05 s.
References
- Mero A, Komi PV, Gregor RJ (1992). Biomechanics of sprint running. Sports Medicine.
Use this test in Performance House
Performance House supports 10m Sprint as a built-in test metric — log results from any device, see longitudinal trends, and contribute the result to the athlete's Performance Index automatically. Free for up to 5 athletes on the Starter plan.
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