Testing and Differentiation 

There is no need to test or differentiate recreational players.

Before any testing or differentiation, players must be warmed up and thoroughly stretched out.

Pre-Game Fitness Tests

There are probably as many different fitness evaluations used to determine if an athlete is fully recovered from an injury or illness as there are coaches. Most such tests include running a fixed course one or more times in less than a specified amount of time.

Since it is devastating to the strategy of a coach of a professional team to find out just before a game that a certain team member isn't fit, pre-game fitness tests are held well in advance of (e.g., the day before) a game. For a youth player, it is also quite disappointing to suit up and be driven 20 miles to a game in which he or she doesn't get to play, so even in youth games, such determinations are best done before game day. However, there are times when, just before the game begins, a player will give you reason to doubt that 'everything is okay,' even if the question is answered in the affirmative.

One simple pre-game fitness test is a run from the center circle down the field, around one goal, then back up the field, around the other goal, and returning to the original spot. Fit, uninjured, and recovered players are able to make this run in well under a minute. Younger players playing on smaller fields are held to the same standard: one minute.

Another pre-game fitness test involves some number of 120's. A "120" is a spring from one goal line to the other goal line, followed by a slow jog return. A fit, uninjured, recovered player should be able to run goal line to goal line in under 18 seconds (which is the second fitness criterion) and then return to the starting point before a total time of 60 seconds has elapsed  (which is the second fitness criterion.) Exactly 60 seconds after the first spring began, the player repeats the process of sprinting to one end of the field and then jogging back. It is common to give an extra one-minute "recovery break" rest after the fifth cycle. A coach can easily "calibrate" this test by having all of the players take test at several different practices. All players can usually make the first cycle; unfit or injured players can seldom repeat the cycle more than one or two times. Two late returns in a row retire a player from the test.    

Push-ups/Sit-ups

Push ups and sit-ups are standard exercises that are easily calibrated to a team's fitness. A coach may build ongoing upper-body development into the player's daily routine by regular use of push-up and sit-up tests. The "test" can be calibrated to the team members by determining at one or more practices the number of push-ups and sit-ups that the players can do in a certain amount of time. At the beginning of testing, one minute is usually enough for everybody. As upper body strength develops, however, two minutes is a reasonable amount of time for each event. 

Cooper Test

The Cooper test monitors an athlete's general endurance. The test determines how far the athlete can run/walk in twelve minutes. The Cooper test is held on a standard (oval school running) track of 1/4 mi (400 m). The track is marked with cones marked every quarter of an oval lap - that is, every 1/16 mi (100 m). The coach needs a stop watch and one or more recording/observing assistants. The players taking the test all start together and stop where they are after 12 minutes. The total distance covered is recorded to the nearest 100 m (1/16 mi). Improvement in endurance is determined by comparing results with results from previous tests.

The following table rates performance for young athletes. Keep in mind that goalkeeping is an anaerobic activity, and that goalkeepers in excellent game shape will score slightly lower than field players.
 

Divide distances in meters by 100 to get the number of 1/16th miles.

Divide distances in meters by 400 to get the number of laps.

Divide distance in meters by 1600 to get the distance in miles.

Beep Test

 A generic "Beep Test" uses an audio tape to control timed runs over a measured course; the audio tone
communicates timing information the players taking the test. The test is run continuously until the players start to miss (arrive late at gates). The highest running pace (level) and number of repetitions that the player can accomplish successfully is recoded. For example, a player who was able to run 8 legs at the 16th running speed would be reported as 16-8. In some cases, the rating may be translated into the amount of oxygen that the player can consume per unit of body mass.

In the "standard" Beep Test, also known as the Leger Test, the player covers a 20 meter interval at steadily increasing pace, with several (i.e., 7-15) one-way legs (cycles) to be completed at each pace before moving on to the next pace. In the Birtwell Test, a 40 meter course is used. There are tests for which the running pace varies randomly, in an attempt to more closely simulate game conditions. There are also variations that allow some recovery time between running intervals. There may be up to 20 running speeds, the first of which may be laughably slow.

Players start each leg when the audio tape sounds a beep, and they try to reach the end of the leg and turn before the next beep. A single beep indicates the completion of the previous interval and the start of the next interval. The player starts at one end of the lane, facing the other end. At the start, the player must have one foot between the two cones that define the gate. At each beep from the audio tape, the player must run to the gate at the opposite end, and get a foot between the cones at that opposite end gate before the next beep sounds.
If the player does not arrive early enough to place a foot on the imaginary line connecting the two cones, a miss is recorded. Two misses in a row retire the player from the test.

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