How to Assess the 40-Yard Dash

The 40-yard dash is used to assess students in a physical education class or when participating in a sport requiring impulsive sprinting. The athlete or student begins from a standstill and sprints as fast as possible for 40 yards. The timed sprint is used to compare athletes to one another or to mark improvement in one athlete over a period of time.

Things You'll Need

  • Stopwatch
  • Video camera
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Instructions

    • 1

      Instruct the athlete to run a 10-yard dash and time him from the moment he starts until he crosses the finish line. The 10-yard sprint reflects the explosiveness of movement in strength and the central nervous system as suggested by Higher-Faster-Sports.

    • 2

      Project the timed 40-yard dash by adding 3.0 seconds if the 10-yard sprint is timed at 1.5 seconds or less, 3.0 or 3.1 seconds if the timed 10-yard dash is between 1.5 and 1.6 seconds, and add 3.1 to 3.25 seconds if the timed sprint is between 1.6 and 1.7 seconds.

    • 3

      Time each athlete running a 40-yard dash. Compare the actual 40-yard dash time with the projected 40-yard dash time calculated in Step 2.

    • 4

      Analyze the results. If the projected and actual times match, the athlete doesn't have any apparent weaknesses. When the athlete is slower than the projected 40-yard dash time, working on speed may assist the athlete that he is likely stronger than he is fast. If the athlete is faster than the projected time, this often means that the athlete is faster than he should be statistically, and can increase his time even more through strength exercises.

    • 5

      Video tape each athlete and analyze the form and technique to find any areas of weakness that are apparent. Correct any technique or form deficiencies and video tape the athlete again to re-analyze.