The Agility Cone Drill

What's the Point?

Coaches use a variety of tests as a quick way to assess an athletes key skills. The SPARQ tests, commonly used for soccer and basketball players, include a battery of different tests of key skills, including the Agility Cone Drill.

This test assesses an athletes ability to move laterally, harnessing speed, power, and body control in order to quickly change direction.

What do you need?

• A flat non-slip surface (e.g. basketball court, etc)
• A stopwatch
• Measuring tape or chalk
• 5 cones
• An assistant

How Do You Do The Test?

Lay out the course as follows four marker cones in a diamond shape, the fifth one in the middle. Each cone is 3 meters from the centre.

• Warm up
   
• Stand behind, and with your left hand touching the middle cone (5), facing forwards towards cone 1
   
• Turn and run to the right and touch cone 2 with your hand, back to the centre cone, out to the next cone (3), back to the centre, out to the next cone (4), back to the centre and then finally turn and finish by running through the finish line at cone 1
   
• You must touch each cone with your hand as you turn
   
• Timing starts when your hand comes off the middle cone, and stops when you pass through the line of the final cone
   
• Rest three minutes then repeat the drill, in the opposite direction (i.e. counter-clockwise, cones in order 5-4-3-2-1)
   
• Average your score from the two trials
   

The Results You'll Get

By taking this test at regular intervals you can assess the effectiveness of your training.

What is Being Measured Again?

This is a measure of agility.