Linear Sprint Test

Players completed two trials of 20-m linear sprints at maximal effort to assess linear speed. Each sprint trial was separated by 120 s of passive, standing rest. Four pairs of photoelectric cells (Microgate™ Polifemo, Bolzano, Italy) were used to record sprint split times at 5, 10, and 20 m. The starting position was placed 0.5 m behind the first timing gate to avoid inadvertent triggering of timing, with players commencing each sprint on their own volition. The fastest time (s) for each split (irrespective of the trial) was used for subsequent analysis. The between-trial ICCs were 0.70, 0.67, and 0.75 for 5, 10, and 20-m sprint times in the current sample of players.