What the Test Measures
The Illinois Agility Test assesses multi-directional speed, coordination, and the ability to sustain agile movement through repeated direction changes. Unlike the 5-10-5, which captures a single lateral burst, the Illinois requires sustained agility over a longer course — making it a more comprehensive measure of overall agility capacity.
The course is 10 metres long and 5 metres wide. The runner starts face-down at the bottom-left cone, gets up on the signal, and completes the full course as described below. The test is widely used in football, rugby, athletics, and military fitness assessment.
Standard Protocol
- Mark the course: 4 corner cones forming a 10m × 5m rectangle, plus 4 slalom cones in the centre column, evenly spaced 2.5m apart
- Warm up thoroughly — minimum 15 minutes including multi-directional movement preparation
- Start face-down at the bottom-left cone (cone 1), hands at shoulder level
- On signal: get up and sprint 10m up the left side to the top-left cone (cone 2)
- Hairpin left around cone 2, run back down and weave through the 4 central slalom cones going downward
- Hairpin at the bottom, weave back up through the 4 central slalom cones going upward
- At the top, sprint across to the top-right cone (cone 4)
- Sprint 10m down the right side to the finish at the bottom-right cone (cone 5)
- Rest 5 minutes minimum. Two trials. Record the best time.
A note on normative data
Published norms for the Illinois test vary by age, sex, sport, and training status. Use your result as a personal baseline and compare against your own previous scores rather than population tables of uncertain origin. For referenced normative data, consult the BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) testing guidelines at bases.org.uk. As a general guide, times below 15 seconds indicate good agility; elite athletes in field sports typically record times of 12–14 seconds.
Coaching Points
Starting face-down adds a reactive element that catches many people unprepared. The transition from face-down to sprint is a skill in itself — practise it in isolation. The first step should be powerful and forward, not a stumble into a jog. Push explosively off both hands and feet simultaneously.
The slalom through the central cones is where most time is lost. Keep the turns tight — cut as close to each cone as possible without touching it. Lower your centre of gravity into each turn and drive out of it. Wide, upright slalom runs are slow slalom runs.
A very common mistake — runners begin their turn before reaching the cone, effectively shortening the course. This invalidates the trial and gives a falsely fast time. The cone must be passed, not approximated. If in doubt, have someone observe the turns.
