Agility & change of direction

Illinois Agility Test test protocol

A 60 m agility course combining straight sprints, weaving through four cones, and two 180° turns — the classic multi-element agility benchmark.

Last updated May 20, 2026

What it measures

General multi-directional agility under sustained effort. Tests acceleration, deceleration, weaving change-of-direction, and re-acceleration in one course.

Equipment

  • 10 m × 5 m flat course
  • 8 cones (4 outer corners, 4 for the central weaving section spaced ~3.3 m apart along the centerline)
  • Stopwatch or timing gate

Protocol

  1. Mark the course: 10 m long × 5 m wide. Four corner cones; four cones evenly along the centerline.
  2. Athlete starts face-down at the start corner, head behind the start line.
  3. On 'go', athlete jumps up, sprints 10 m to the far end, touches the line, returns 10 m to the start.
  4. Athlete weaves through the four center cones — up the centerline, around the top, back down the centerline.
  5. Athlete sprints 10 m to the far end again, touches, sprints 10 m back through the finish line.
  6. 60–90 s rest between trials. Best of 2.

Scoring

Total time in seconds to 0.01.

Typical ranges

NCAA male field sport: 15.0–17.0 s. NCAA women's soccer: 16.5–18.5 s. Recreational adults: 18.0–21.0 s.

Practical notes

  • The Illinois course can be set up multiple equivalent ways — make sure your version matches the population norms you're comparing against.

References

  • Getchell B (1979). Physical Fitness: A Way of Life, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons.

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