Agility in field/court sports involves quick changes in direction, often in response to a stimulus (for example, an opponent’s movement). These changes depend on:

• Perceptual-cognitive skills (e.g., reacting to opponents)
• Physical factors (e.g., force production, SSC use)
• Technique for minimizing ground contact time (especially when cutting <75°)
• More aggressive angles (e.g., 180° turns) = greater braking forces
• Tasks with anticipation or reactive demands increase physical challenge

Testing and assessment

Not all agility or change-of-direction (COD) tests measure the same qualities:

• Reactive agility tests include an external stimulus and better reflect sport demands.
• Some traditional COD drills (like the 505 or Illinois Agility Test) may be more reflective of maneuverability or metabolic conditioning rather than true agility or COD ability.

Test	Change-of-direction speed	Maneuverability	Perceptual-cognitive ability	Avg. duration
Reactive agility	Yes	Yes	Yes	< 3 s
505	Yes	No	No	< 3 s
Pro agility	Yes	No	No	< 5 s
T-test	Yes	Yes	No	< 12 s
Illinois agility	Yes	Yes	No	< 12 s
L-run	Yes	Yes	No	> 6 s

Coaching and technique for change of direction

Key cues when coaching COD:

• Keep your eyes/head focused forward to help direct body reorientation.
• Align shoulders, trunk, and hips with the intended direction of movement.
• Maintain a low center of mass during the deceleration and reacceleration phases.

Technical focus areas:

• Leg action: Dissipate or tolerate force through appropriate knee motion; avoid stiff-leg braking.
• Trunk control: During braking, the trunk must rotate and align to support effective redirection.
• Arm action: Use the arms to support powerful leg drive, and avoid arm movements that work against the direction change.

Perceptual-cognitive ability

Agility improvements must include training for:

• Visual scanning, anticipation, decision-making, and reaction time.
• Recognizing patterns, interpreting opponent cues, and adjusting quickly.

These skills are sport-specific and can’t be trained with COD drills alone - they require purposeful stimulus-response integration.

Training goals

To improve agility performance:

• Emphasize visual focus on key body parts (e.g., hips, shoulders).
• Teach reorientation mechanics: transition quickly into the new movement direction.
• Improve braking and reacceleration using neuromuscular and positional strategies.

Methods of developing speed

Speed development relies on:

• Organized programming that develops both acceleration and max velocity traits.
• Integration of rate coding, firing frequency, and stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) adaptations.

Strength and power development

While maximal strength is important, training should emphasize:

• Rate of force development (RFD)
• Speed-strength
• Specificity of transfer (matching movement and velocity patterns)

Weightlifting and plyometric training can enhance neural activation and SSC function.

Assistance and resistance training for speed development

Assistance training (overspeed):

• Examples: bungee runs, downhill sprints
• Pros: Trains supramaximal speed
• Cons: May reduce force output or increase braking needs
• Use: Sparingly and with technical supervision

Resistance training (resisted sprinting):

• Examples: sled pushes, incline sprinting, wind resistance
• Pros: Enhances acceleration mechanics and ground force application
• Cons: Too much resistance may hinder movement quality
• Use: To improve RFD and sprint-specific force

Mobility

Although not a kinetic variable, mobility plays a key role in sprint and agility performance. Mobility refers to an athlete’s ability to move a limb through a desired range of motion, whereas flexibility is a joint’s total ROM.

• Poor mobility can reduce the effectiveness of force application and stride efficiency.
• Tools like foam rolling, massage, and soft tissue release can help optimize dynamic mobility.
• Postural integrity and proper joint mechanics must be established before performance or training.

Methods of developing agility

Agility training must address both:

1. Physical strength and technical capacity
2. Perceptual-cognitive skills (e.g., reaction, anticipation, decision-making)

Use:

• Closed drills for motor pattern development (e.g., planned COD)
• Open drills with varied stimuli to challenge decision-making

Strength development for agility

Agility training should span the force-velocity spectrum:

• Develop rate of force development (RFD)
• Use high-load/low-velocity exercises (e.g., squats) and low-load/high-velocity activities (e.g., plyometrics)

Movements like squat jumps, countermovement jumps and drop jumps can enhance SSC function and sprint-specific strength. Include these alongside traditional weight room work.

Category	Novice (weight room)	Novice (field)	Advanced (weight room)	Advanced (field)
Dynamic strength	Body weight exercises	“Body awareness” drills	Squat, pulls (varied)	High-velocity COD drills
Explosive strength	Box jumps	Acceleration drills	Olympic lifts, loaded jumps	Sled pushes, advanced drills
Eccentric strength	Drop landing	Deceleration drills	Loaded landings	COD at angles/velocity
Reactive strength	-	Beginner plyos	Loaded jumps	Advanced plyos
Multidirectional strength	-	Lunges	Unilateral strength drills	Cutting/small-sided games
Perceptual-cognitive	-	Simple reaction drills	-	High-stimulus games

Agility type	Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
Change of direction	Forward/lateral drills, low velocity COD	Cutting angles ≤ 75°, add stimuli	Cutting >75°, bi-directional drills
Maneuverability	Simple path-based tests (e.g., Illinois)	Transition-focused drills (T-test, Z-drill)	Large spatial/temporal uncertainty drills
Agility	Basic movement drills only	Add visual/verbal cues (arrow, light)	Evasion games, small-sided drills