Testing events

The 20-yard shuttle (5-10-5): how to run and time it

The 20-yard shuttle, also called the 5-10-5 or the pro agility test, times how fast an athlete changes direction. Set three lines 5 yards apart: the athlete straddles the middle line, sprints 5 yards to one side and touches the line, sprints 10 yards to the far line and touches it, then sprints 5 yards back through the middle [1].

By Rob Germaine, Founder, Statellite

Published May 25, 2025 · Updated October 14, 2026

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What you need

• Three lines or cones, 5 yards apart, on a flat surface. A marked football field works.
• A tape measure.
• A timer: timing gates if you have them, or a stopwatch. Use the same one every time.

Set it up

1. Mark a middle line, then a line 5 yards to each side of it. The course is 10 yards wide, and the athlete runs 20 yards in all.
2. Test on the same surface, in the same shoes, as last time, so the times compare.

Run it

1. The athlete straddles the middle line in a three-point stance [1].
2. When ready, they sprint 5 yards to one side and touch that line with one hand.
3. They turn, sprint 10 yards to the far line and touch it.
4. They turn again and sprint 5 yards back through the middle line.
5. Run two trials, one starting to the left and one to the right. The faster time counts [1].

If the athlete misses a line, the trial doesn't count. Run it again [1].

Time it

• With a timing gate at the middle line, the time starts when the athlete leaves the beam and stops when they come back through it [1].
• With a stopwatch, start on the athlete's first movement and stop when their torso crosses the middle line. Have one person time every athlete.
• Record to the hundredth of a second: 4.62, not 4.6.

Never compare a stopwatch time with a gate time. Pick one way and keep it.

What's a good time?

These averages come from 62 junior college football players, all men, average age 20, tested at one school with a timing gate, best of two trials. A few missed a test day [1].

Use the table to see where a group sits, not to grade one athlete.

Athletes under 18

Compare each young athlete with their own last test, not with this table. Children and teenagers differ physically from adults, and the NSCA asks coaches to develop young athletes "in an individualized, holistic, and child-centered manner" [3].

Is the change real?

In a study of 16-year-old team-sport athletes, the pro agility test and four other change-of-direction tests varied by about 2% from one trial to the next (1.95 to 2.40%) [2]. So treat a change smaller than about 2% as noise. On a 4.60 shuttle, that's 0.09 seconds.

An example. An athlete runs 4.71 starting left and 4.64 starting right, so their time is 4.64. At the next test they run 4.58. That's 0.06 seconds faster, about 1.3%: inside the noise, so call it no change yet. A 4.53 would be 2.4% faster. That's a real improvement.

Common mistakes

• Missing a line. A hand that doesn't reach the line saves time. Watch both ends and rerun the trial.
• Testing one direction. Most athletes turn better one way. Run one trial each way and keep the faster.
• A rolling start. The athlete must be still before they go. With a stopwatch, start on their first movement, not on your "go".
• Mixing timers. A stopwatch time and a gate time don't compare. Use the same method every time.
• Changing conditions. Wet grass, a new surface or different shoes change times. Test where and how you tested last time.

Questions

Is the 20-yard shuttle the same as the 5-10-5 and the pro agility test? Yes. They are three names for one drill: 5 yards, 10 yards, then 5 yards.

Which way should an athlete start? Both. Run one trial starting each way and keep the faster time [1].

Can I time it with a stopwatch? Yes, if one person times every athlete the same way. Just don't compare those times with timing-gate times.

What's a good time? It depends on age, size and position. For junior college football players, group averages ran from 4.55 to 4.97 seconds [1]. For athletes under 18, compare each one with their own last test.

Sources

1. Lockie RG, et al. Profiling of junior college football players and differences between position groups. Sports. 2016;4(3):41. doi.org/10.3390/sports4030041
2. Stewart PF, Turner AN, Miller SC. Reliability, factorial validity, and interrelationships of five commonly used change of direction speed tests. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 2014;24(3):500-506. doi.org/10.1111/sms.12019
3. Lloyd RS, Cronin JB, Faigenbaum AD, et al. National Strength and Conditioning Association position statement on long-term athletic development. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2016;30(6):1491-1509. doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001387