Quick Feet Test
The Quick Feet Test is a simple test of foot speed and agility, in which the participants run along a horizontal ladder placing a foot in each space. This test gives an indication of the ability to move the feet quickly and accurately.
purpose: to assess the speed of movement and the coordination of the lower body.
equipment required: a flat, non-slip surface, stopwatch, 21 two-foot (60cm) long sticks or a 20-rung rope ladder. A football field with each yard marked can also be used.
pre-test: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender and test conditions. Measure and mark out the course. Perform a standard warm-up. See more details of pre-test procedures.
set layout: Place the sticks 18 inches apart (or a similar size 20-rung stride rope ladder) on a flat surface, which makes a total distance of 10 yards (9.14m).
rope ladder quick feet test procedure: The participant begins at one end of the ladder, and when ready starts running forwards along the ladder, placing a foot in each space without touching the sticks/rungs. The timing starts when their foot first touches the ground between the first and second stick, and ends when they step beyond the last stick. Rest for two minutes then repeat the test.
results: Record the best result of two trials. Times of less than 2.8 seconds (males) and 3.4 seconds (females) are considered excellent for young adults.
reliability: if you perform this test on grass or some other surface, or use another layout such as the football field yard lines, you should make sure that all the details are recorded with the results, so that they can be replicated next time the test is conducted.
comments: While running you should pump your arms vigorously in a sprint-arm motion, use minimal knee lift, and move forward across the ground as quickly as possible. Performance on this test can be improved with practice.
Similar Tests
- Foot Tapping Speed Test — how many quick foot taps can be performed in 30 seconds.
- Side-step Test
- Hexagon test
- Quadrant Jump Test
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