505 Agility Test Norms by Age
What's a good 505 time? Here are 505 change-of-direction norms for boys and girls by age, 5-10-5 pro agility shuttle times, how to run both tests properly, how to work out your COD deficit, and how to turn faster.
Check your 505 How to run the 505 By Allan Smith, head coach at Edinburgh Sprint Coach: 4× British Champion, GB International and UKA Level 3 coach. Updated October 2026.The short answer
For men and boys aged 16+, a 505 time of 2.25–2.38 seconds is very good and under 2.25s is excellent. Around 2.39–2.55s is good. For women and girls 16+, 2.39–2.52s is very good and under 2.39s is excellent. For 14–15-year-old boys, 2.32–2.45s is very good. Players in elite youth football academies are typically around 2.2–2.4 seconds by their late teens.
Check your 505
Enter your best 505 time to see your band. Add your 10m sprint time too and we'll work out your COD deficit.
Your band will appear here.
Important: these are coaching benchmarks built from published studies of youth and adult athletes, not official standards. The 505 is very sensitive to how it's run and timed, so always use the same set-up and compare with your own previous times first.
505 agility test norms by age
Choose boys or girls, find the age row, then the band your best time falls in.
505 test norms: boys and men
Seconds · electronic| Age | Developing | Good | Very Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–9 | 3.06s+ | 2.86–3.05s | 2.70–2.85s | Under 2.70s |
| 10–11 | 2.91s+ | 2.71–2.90s | 2.55–2.70s | Under 2.55s |
| 12–13 | 2.79s+ | 2.59–2.78s | 2.45–2.58s | Under 2.45s |
| 14–15 | 2.63s+ | 2.46–2.62s | 2.32–2.45s | Under 2.32s |
| 16+ | 2.56s+ | 2.39–2.55s | 2.25–2.38s | Under 2.25s |
Best turn, timed over the 10m in and out of the turn (15m run-in). Use your faster side, and record both.
505 test norms: girls and women
Seconds · electronic| Age | Developing | Good | Very Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–9 | 3.06s+ | 2.86–3.05s | 2.70–2.85s | Under 2.70s |
| 10–11 | 2.91s+ | 2.71–2.90s | 2.55–2.70s | Under 2.55s |
| 12–13 | 2.85s+ | 2.64–2.84s | 2.50–2.63s | Under 2.50s |
| 14–15 | 2.73s+ | 2.56–2.72s | 2.41–2.55s | Under 2.41s |
| 16+ | 2.71s+ | 2.53–2.70s | 2.39–2.52s | Under 2.39s |
Best turn, timed over the 10m in and out of the turn (15m run-in). Use your faster side, and record both.
The 8–9 and 10–11 bands are the same for boys and girls. From 12 the girls' bands are gradually slower, reaching about 6% by adulthood, in line with the average sex difference reported across published 505 studies.
How to run the 505 test
- Set up: a turning line, a timing line (gates or cones) 5m before it, and a start line 15m before the turning line.
- Sprint from the start through the timing gate to the line, plant one foot on the line, turn 180° and sprint back through the gate.
- The clock runs only for the 10m in and out of the turn: from first passing the gate to passing back through it.
- Turn off each foot: two runs turning off the left, two off the right, 2–3 minutes' rest. Record the best for each side.
- Hand-timing is hard for such a short test. Use gates, or film it side-on in slow motion and count frames.
Your COD deficit: how much the turn costs you
A fast 505 might just mean you're fast in a straight line. To isolate the turn, subtract your 10m sprint time from your 505 time. That's your change-of-direction deficit. The smaller it is, the less time your turn costs you.
Compare your left and right turns too. A difference of more than about a tenth of a second is worth working on: start the weaker side first in every session.
5-10-5 pro agility shuttle times
The 5-10-5 (also called the pro agility shuttle or 20-yard shuttle) tests two turns in a row and your sideways start. Start straddling the middle line, sprint 5 yards one way, touch the line, sprint 10 yards back, touch, then 5 yards through the middle.
5-10-5 pro agility: boys and men
Seconds · electronic| Age | Developing | Good | Very Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14–15 | 5.16s+ | 4.91–5.15s | 4.70–4.90s | Under 4.70s |
| 16–18 | 4.96s+ | 4.71–4.95s | 4.50–4.70s | Under 4.50s |
| Adult | 4.86s+ | 4.61–4.85s | 4.40–4.60s | Under 4.40s |
Electronic or laser timing. Hand-timed shuttles usually read faster.
5-10-5 pro agility: girls and women
Seconds · electronic| Age | Developing | Good | Very Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14–15 | 5.51s+ | 5.26–5.50s | 5.05–5.25s | Under 5.05s |
| 16–18 | 5.41s+ | 5.16–5.40s | 4.95–5.15s | Under 4.95s |
| Adult | 5.31s+ | 5.06–5.30s | 4.85–5.05s | Under 4.85s |
Electronic or laser timing. Hand-timed shuttles usually read faster.
How to improve your 505 and agility
Most people lose time in the turn, not the sprint. The fixes are mostly technique:
- Brake early, over several steps, not all on the last one.
- Get low before the turn: sit into the hips, chest over the knees.
- Plant the turning foot wide of your body so you can push back the other way.
- Turn your head and hips first, then push out low, like a sprint start.
- Build braking strength: split squats, hop-and-stick landings and Copenhagen planks for the groin.
- Train both sides equally, starting with the weaker one.
Agility: the full program
The full braking, cutting and turning program: test your 505 and 5-10-5 both ways in Week 0, train twice a week, and retest in Week 6.
Agility
Braking, cutting and turning · ages 12 to masters
- Test both sides: the 505 and 5-10-5, left and right, plus your COD deficit.
- Every move drawn: braking, 45° and 90° cuts, 180° turns and drop steps.
- React, don't just run: mirror, Y-drill and 1v1 games.
- Stronger, safer knees: landing control and groin strength.
- Two sessions a week, with logs, cues and a technique scorecard.
Read it on your phone or print it. Written by Allan Smith: UKA Level 3 coach, 4× British Champion and GB International.
40-Yard Dash, Agility (the 5-10-5) and Top Speed: everything a combine tests on the move. Save £18.
Where these norms come from
The bands are coaching benchmarks drawn from published data on youth and adult team-sport athletes, rounded into simple ranges. Studies of elite youth football academies show 505 times falling steadily through the teenage years, and academy players turning clearly faster than amateur players of the same age. Adult reference ranges follow widely used strength and conditioning norms.
Sources: Currie, Performance profiling of elite youth football players (University of Glasgow, 2018); Keiner et al., Sports, 2021; Freitas et al., Traditional and modified 5-0-5 change of direction test: normative and reliability analysis (Strength and Conditioning Journal, 2022); Haff and Triplett (eds), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (NSCA). Benchmarks adapted by Edinburgh Sprint Coach.
Train with us in person
We coach at Meadowbank Sports Centre and venues across Edinburgh. Every first session includes a full technique assessment.
Timed 10m–30m splits, slow-motion video analysis and a written action plan.
Football, rugby, athletics and every sport in between, for all ages.
Every Monday 6–7pm: Peffermill (Oct–Mar) and The Meadows (Apr–Sep). £15 a session or £40 a month.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good 505 agility test time?
For males aged 16 and over, 2.25–2.38 seconds is very good and under 2.25s is excellent. For females 16 and over, 2.39–2.52s is very good and under 2.39s is excellent.
What is a good 505 time for a 12-year-old?
For 12–13-year-old boys, 2.45–2.58s is very good and under 2.45s is excellent. For girls, 2.50–2.63s is very good.
What is a good 505 time for a 14-year-old?
For 14–15-year-old boys, 2.32–2.45s is very good and under 2.32s is excellent. For girls, 2.41–2.55s is very good.
How is the 505 test timed?
Only the 10m in and out of the turn is timed: from first passing a gate 5m before the turning line to passing back through it. The 15m run-in before the gate isn't timed.
What is a COD deficit?
Your 505 time minus your 10m sprint time. It shows how much time the turn itself costs you, separate from your straight-line speed.
What is a good 5-10-5 pro agility time?
For 16–18-year-old boys, 4.50–4.70s (electronic) is very good and under 4.50s is excellent. For girls the same age, 4.95–5.15s is very good.
Should I test turning off both feet?
Yes. Record your best time for each side. A gap of more than about a tenth of a second is worth fixing.
How can I improve my agility quickly?
Learn to brake over several steps, get low before the turn, plant the outside foot wide and push out low. Add single-leg strength and landing control. Our Agility guide is a six-week program for all of it, for £19.
Related guides
Want to turn faster?
Most athletes lose more time in the turn than in the sprint, and the turn is the easiest part to fix. Follow the Agility program at home, or book a session in Edinburgh.
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