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Abstract
At present, no agreement on a precise definition of agility within the sports science community exists. The term is applied to
a broad range of sport contexts, but with such great inconsistency, it further complicates our understanding of what trainable
components may enhance agility. A new definition of agility is proposed: ‘‘a rapid whole body movement with change of
velocity or direction in response to a stimulus’’. Agility has relationships with trainable physical qualities such as strength,
power and technique, as well as cognitive components such as visual scanning techniques, visual scanning speed and
anticipation. Agility testing is generally confined to tests of physical components such as change of direction speed, or
cognitive components such as anticipation and pattern recognition. New tests of agility that combine physical and cognitive
measures are encouraged.
Simple No spatial or temporal uncertainty Gymnast’s floor routine: pre planned activity,
initiated when the athlete desires, with movements
that the athlete has pre planned. Stimulus is the
athlete’s own movement and the physical domain in
which they are executing the skill
Temporal Temporal uncertainty, but movement is Athletics sprint start: pre planned activity, initiated in
pre planned (spatial confidence) response to a stimulus (starter’s pistol) wherein there
is no certainty as to exactly when the pistol will fire
Spatial Spatial uncertainty, but timing of movement Volleyball or racquet sport service receive: the umpire
is pre planned (temporal confidence) determines a narrow window of time wherein the
server must serve the ball to the opponent. However,
there is no certainty on the part of the receiver as to
where the service will be directed
Universal Spatial and temporal uncertainty Ice hockey or football: during offensive and defensive
plays, the athletes cannot anticipate with certainty
when or where opposition players will move to
Figure 3. The 505 test of agility (after Draper & Lancaster, 1985).
1998). It has been suggested that elite performers
Cognitive considerations when testing agility
differ from non-elite performers in their ability to use
Chelladurai, Yuhasz and Sipura (1977) examined more clues earlier in the execution of a skill when
the reactions of participants using an apparatus that anticipating an opponent’s movements (Abernethy &
triggered a display of several lights. Upon triggering Russell, 1987). Therefore, tests that involve generic
the activator switch, the participant was exposed to cues are likely to be limited in their ability to
one of several variations in illumination of the light distinguish between elite and non-elite performers
bulbs on the display. The participant had to move in a sport that requires a reaction to highly specific
quickly off the reaction mat to a switch below the stimuli.
bulb, press the switch (which turned the bulb off) It is important to be aware of the information-
and then return to the start area and press the processing demands of tasks in each sport. For some
activator switch again to stop the timer. The tasks, there is no need for a response to a stimulus,
reaction times measured using this apparatus whereas others require that skills be executed in
included total time of the task, forward time (time response to a stimulus. The more complicated the
from leaving the mat to touching the switch below stimulus, the longer the response delay, based on
the bulb) and return time (time taken to return the information-processing demands (Cox, 2002)
from the bulb switch to the mat). Based on the (Figure 4).
classifications provided by Chelladurai (1976), this Specificity of the stimulus presentation is impor-
apparatus tested universal agility, as the timing of tant, as anticipatory expertise appears to be depen-
the stimulus was uncertain, and there was little dent on the specific stimulus used to test this
confidence in where the participant was to move in quality (Abernethy & Russell, 1987; Muir, 1996;
response (indicating both spatial and temporal Tenenbaum, Levy-Kolker, Sade, Lieberman, &
uncertainty). Lidor, 1996). When considering the human informa-
Although this apparatus was a significant step tion-processing model, a stimulus produces specific
forwards in providing a stimulus in agility testing (i.e. mental operations that are based on the individual’s
responding to a light bulb), there is no means of retrieval of stored memory information before ini-
including sport-specific perceptual and decision- tiating a response. The accuracy and speed of this
making components such as recognition of move- response will be dependent on the previously stored
ment patterns. For this reason, the apparatus is information specific to that situation (Cox, 2002). In
unlikely to be valid in differentiating elite and non- other words, if the test stimulus is not adequately
elite sport performers. specific to the sport setting, then the measurement of
Hertel, Denegar, Johnson, Hale and Buckely (1999) response time will not be valid in measuring sporting
assessed the reliability of a commercially available expertise, because the participant will not necessarily
test apparatus for universal agility performance – have memory storage that involves the generic
the Cybex Reactor (Cybex Corp., Ronkonkoma, stimulus (Cox, 2002). Furthermore, if the informa-
NY). The test device consists of 14 target sensors on tion (stimulus) is either overly simple or complex
the floor of the training facility. These sensors are compared with the demands of the sport, the
interfaced with a small video monitor and a response time measurement will also be invalid, as
computer terminal. The computer terminal contains the complexity of the stimulus is also a key deter-
a multitude of pre-programmed scenarios that minant of processing time (Murray, 1996).
require the participant to react to the video prompts Recently, at the Australian Institute of Sport in
on the monitor and move to the corresponding target Canberra, D. Farrow and W. B. Young (personal
on the floor, before being presented with the next communication) have developed an agility test
stimulus. protocol that addresses sport-specific movement
As with any electronic stimulus device, the patterns (Figure 5). This protocol uses pre-recorded
participant is exposed to a two-dimensional and video of various movements in netball as the stimulus
generic stimulus. The light image does not resemble for the participant. The participant triggers the
a stimulus that is present in sport. In addition, the playing of the video when the athlete’s body breaks
generic pattern of targets (14 targets evenly spaced a timing beam on a set of timing lights. The athlete is
with the first two rows containing 4 targets each and then required to make a decision to move either left
the third row containing 6 targets) does not simulate
sporting movements.
Cognitive research suggests that the anticipatory
cues of high-performance athletes are linked directly
to specific cues displayed by opponents within their
sport (Abernethy & Russell, 1987; Abernethy et al.,
1999; Farrow, Chivers, Hardingham, & Sachse, Figure 4. The information processing model (after Cox, 2002).
Figure 5. The reactive agility test for netball (D. Farrow and W. B. Young, personal communication).
. Must involve initiation of body movement, change of . Entirely pre planned skills such as shot put classified by their
direction, or rapid acceleration or deceleration skill function rather than included as a type of agility
. Must involve whole body movement . Running with directional changes classified as change of
. Involves considerable uncertainty, whether direction speed (CODS) rather than agility or quickness
spatial or temporal . Closed skills that may require a response to a stimulus
. Open skills only [e.g. the sprint start in response to the starter’s pistol is
. Involves a physical and cognitive component, such as pre planned (closed), and therefore is not agility]
recognition of a stimulus, reaction, or execution of a
physical response
without cognitive challenges (Baker, 1999a; Draper Besier, T. F., Lloyd, D. G., Cochrane, J. L., & Ackland, T. R.
& Lancaster, 1985; Fulton, 1992; Pyne, 2001), with (2001b). External loading of the knee joint during running and
cutting maneuvers. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise,
a physical measure but generic stimulus (Chelladurai
33, 1168 1175.
et al., 1977; Hertel et al., 1999), or with cognitive Blazevich, T. (1997a). Resistance training for sprinters (part 1):
challenges but with a non-specific or unmeasurable Theoretical considerations. Strength and Conditioning Coach,
performance response (Abernethy et al., 1999; Berry, 4(3), 9 12.
1999; Borgeaud & Abernethy, 1987; Farrow & Blazevich, T. (1997b). Resistance training for sprinters (part 2):
Exercise suggestions. Strength and Conditioning Coach, 5(1),
Abernethy, 2002; Farrow et al., 1998; Muir, 1996;
5 10.
Ritchie, 1999; Tenenbaum et al., 1996). Further Bloomfield, J., Ackland, T. R., & Elliot, B. C. (1994). Applied
research to establish a reliable and valid test of agility anatomy and biomechanics in sport. Melbourne, VIC: Blackwell
involving physical performance measures (speed) Scientific.
and perceptual factors is necessary. Bompa, T. (1983). Theory and methodology of training. Dubuque,
IA: Kendall Hunt.
Booher, L. D., Hench, K. M., Worrell, T. W., & Stikeleather, J.
(1993). Reliability of three single leg hops tests. Journal of Sport
Rehabilitation, 2, 165 170.
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