HOCKEY
TESTING PROTOCOLS
HEIGHT & WEIGHT •
2- HOP JUMP •
ROTATIONAL POWER BALL THROW •
20-METER SPRINT •
SHUTTLE CROSS PICK-UP •
YO-YO INTERMITTENT RECOVERY TEST LEVEL 1 •
HCKY
HEIGHT & WEIGHT
Athletes’ height and body weight are needed to
classify them relative to their peers.
Height and body weight are needed to classify the athlete relative to his/her peers and correlate with other test variables. Height and weight should be
recorded for all athletes, though these two measures are not required to generate a SPARQ Rating.
Anaerobic energy expressed in the powerful movements of sport is closely related to lean body mass of athletes. Total body weight reflects in part the athlete’s lean mass (muscle, connective tissue and bone).
TESTING PROTOCOL [WEIGHT]
Zero out scale and check to make sure it is calibrated for accuracy.
Remove footwear and any bulky outer clothing.
Record weight to the nearest pound, e.g. 158 lbs., or nearest tenth of kilogram, e.g. 71.7 kg.
TESTING PROTOCOL [HEIGHT]
Remove shoes and stand flat-footed on a level surface. Heels should be firmly planted on floor and torso should be erect while head kept level.
If using measuring tape, measure from base of heel to crown of head.
Measure height to the nearest inch, e.g. 6ft 1in, or nearest centimeter, e.g. 185 cm.
HOCKEY TESTING PROTOCOLS
Please consult your physician before attempting any drills.
Copyright © 2010 SPARQ. All Rights Reserved.
2-HOP JUMP
Reveals horizontal leg power, multi-joint coordination and dynamic stability that
relate to the demands of on-ice skating.
DIAGRAM
TESTING PROTOCOL
Athlete starts in a crouched position with both feet parallel and toes placed on or behind a well-marked take-off line.
Athlete performs two consecutive broad jumps (e.g. 2-footed forward hops for maximum distance) in a straight line with no pause between jumps.
Upon landing the second broad jump, athlete should remain upright with feet stationary to permit accurate measurement from trailing heel.
If athlete is unable to keep balance upon landing second jump and a measurement can not be made, another trial is allowed.
MEASURE
Jump distance is measured from take-off line to the heel of the trailing foot landing nearest the take-off line after second jump. Distance is
recorded in meters to the nearest centimeter, e.g. 4.35m.
DISQUALIFICATION
A trial is disqualified and jump distance not measured if:
Athlete starts with toes beyond the take-off line.
Athlete steps into either hop instead of performing 2-footed hops.
Athlete pauses at least a full second upon landing first hop, prior to initiating second hop.
Athlete fails to land first hop cleanly or performs stutter step prior to second take-off.
Athlete fails to land second hop in such a way that allows clear marking of the landing spot of heel of trailing foot.
BENCHMARKS
For teenage boys, expect jumps of 3.90 to 4.70m (13 – 15 ft) with an average of 4.43m +/- 0.54m.
For teenage girls, expect an average of 3.64 +/- 0.41m.
HOCKEY TESTING PROTOCOLS
Please consult your physician before attempting any drills.
Copyright © 2010 SPARQ. All Rights Reserved.
ROTATIONAL POWER BALL THROW
Measures the rotational power and core strength of the athlete, and is a reflection
of total body power.
In this test, the athlete stands and heaves a SPARQ Power Ball (3kg boys, 2kg girls) using a rotating (corkscrew) motion across the body for maximum
distance. This test measures the rotational power and core strength of the athlete, and is a reflection of total body power. The Rotational Power Ball throw
is a great field test of dynamic core strength and rotational power, two athletic attributes of sound shooting mechanics, skating in traffic and checking ability.
DIAGRAM
TESTING PROTOCOL
Athlete stands perpendicular to the launch line.
Athlete cradles the Power Ball in two hands with back hand (palm facing the launch line) on the back of the ball and front hand under the ball.
Athlete draws the Power Ball back, keeping the Power Ball between knees and chest while crouching down in corkscrew fashion.
In one fluid motion, with arms fully extended while supporting the ball, athlete rotates the body and slings the Power Ball out and forward (optimally
at a 45 degree angle) while elevating back to upright position (reversing the corkscrew).
Finish heave with arms extended and high.
Following through over the launch line is acceptable, but feet should not step in front of the line until after the Power Ball is released.
MEASURE
Mark each throw and measure distance from the release line to the centre of the ball’s mark in meters to nearest tenth (decimetres), e.g. 9.8m.
DISQUALIFICATION
Throws are disqualified and should not be measured or recorded if:
Athlete initiates the throw before ball-marking official is ready to sight the ball and mark its landing.
Athlete steps across line prior to release of the Power Ball.
Athlete throws or puts the Power Ball with one arm.
Note: Athlete will be warned after first disqualification and allowed to redo throw. Any additional trials in which the athlete does not complete
throw as instructed by the protocol will result in a disqualified trial without an opportunity to redo.
BENCHMARKS
For teenage boys expect an average of 10.3m +/- 2.3m.
For teenage girls expect an average of 8.9m +/- 1.7m.
HOCKEY TESTING PROTOCOLS
Please consult your physician before attempting any drills.
Copyright © 2010 SPARQ. All Rights Reserved.
20-METER SPRINT
Measures an athlete’s rate of linear acceleration from a standing start.
High-intensity running ability is something proven to discriminate among athletes of different playing levels. 20m sprint times have also been shown to
correlate to on-ice sprint performance.
DIAGRAM
50 cm
20 METERS
FINISH
START
START (IF USING
ELECTRONIC TIMING)
TESTING PROTOCOL
Athletes begin in a 2-point (standing) athletic stance with the feet staggered on the start line (if using stopwatch) or on a line set 50 cm back (if
using electronic timing).
Timing begins on athlete’s first movement from a set position (if using stopwatch).
Timing stops when athlete’s torso crosses the finish line.
MEASURE
Record the faster of two trials to the 2nd decimal place (e.g. 3.19).
DISQUALIFICATION
Trials will not be counted if:
Athlete false starts (i.e. starts without first being set for 2-3 seconds) or uses a rolling start.
Athlete starts sprint in a 3-point or 4-point stance, with hand(s) on the ground.
Athlete starts sprint with foot across the start line (if using stopwatch) or across 50 cm set-back (if using electronic timing).
There is a timing error or equipment malfunction.
Note: Athlete will receive a warning after first disqualification and be allowed to redo the sprint. Any additional trials in which the athlete does not
complete sprint as instructed will result in a DQ with no opportunity for redo.
BENCHMARKS
For boys of 13-18 yrs, expect 2.95 – 3.70 seconds with an avg of 3.36 +/- 0.25 sec.
For girls of 13-18 yrs, expect an average of 3.60 sec +/- 0.22 sec.
NOTE: Handtimes will generally be 0.15 seconds faster than these hand-triggered electronic times.
HOCKEY TESTING PROTOCOLS
Please consult your physician before attempting any drills.
Copyright © 2010 SPARQ. All Rights Reserved.
SHUTTLE CROSS PICK-UP
Tests the athlete’s ability to change direction, make cuts and maintain body
control at high speed.
Ball retrieval and drop-off are tasks that demand eye-body coordination and agility akin to the movement patterns of a penalty-kill situation. This off-ice
test is designed to reflect some of the on-ice abilities shared by many proficient skaters.
DIAGRAM
TESTING PROTOCOL
Cones + 3 octagonal (SPARQ Agility Web) rings spaced in
Cross Formation as shown.
2ND BALL PICK-UP
E
10m from starting cones (A) to centre (B); 5m from (B) out
to centre of each ring.
5 METERS
SPARQ Reaction Training Balls preferred (tennis balls
also work).
Athlete stands at starting line (A) in two-point athletic
stance, maintaining a set position for 2 sec.
1ST BALL PICK-UP
1ST BALL DROP-OFF
C
D
5 METERS
5 METERS
B
Timing starts upon movement from the set position.
Athlete sprints forward to centre (B) around cone to ring (C)
for ball pick-up.
Sprint back across centre (B) to ring (D) for ball drop-off
in ring.
10 METERS
Sprint back to center (B), around cone to ring (E) for second
ball pick-up.
Sprint back thru start/finish line (A) with 2nd ball in hand.
Timing stops when athlete’s torso crosses the finish line.
Total running distance = 50 meters, requiring both right
and left turns + 3 stop/starts.
Athlete given two timed trials; both are recorded. Best
time counts toward Rating.
A
START / FINISH
MEASURE
Each athlete receives two timed trials. Record the results of both shuttle trials to the nearest 1/100th of a second, e.g. 13.57 sec.
DISQUALIFICATION
Times are disqualified and not recorded if:
Athlete false starts (e.g. does not hold a set position for the 2-3 seconds) or uses a rolling/running start.
Athlete starts with foot across the starting line.
Athlete starts in a 3-point or 4-point stance.
There is a timing system error or hand-timing malfunction that casts doubt on the accuracy of the test results.
Athlete fails to perform left and right-hand turns as instructed by protocol.
Athlete drops the ball or fails to place first ball and have it rest inside the right-hand ring, or fails to carry the second ball through the start/finish line.
BENCHMARKS
For teenage boys expect an average of 12.90 seconds (+/- 0.80s). Expect an average of 13.80 sec. (+/- 0.70s) for teenage girls. Older elite skaters
complete the shuttle in about 11.50 seconds.
HOCKEY TESTING PROTOCOLS
Please consult your physician before attempting any drills.
Copyright © 2010 SPARQ. All Rights Reserved.
YO-YO INTERMITTENT RECOVERY TEST
LEVEL 1 & 2
YO-YO INTERMITTENT RECOVERY TEST LEVEL 1
Reliable indicator of an athlete’s ability to recover from repeated bursts of high-intensity exercise.
The YIRT is a great indicator of an athlete’s capacity to recover and execute repeated bouts of high intensity. Research has shown that distance covered on
the YIRT (as measured by the last stage attained) relates more closely than VO2max to key performance variables like number of high-intensity sprints
performed in a game and a player’s competitive classification (elite, regional/select, recreational). The YIRT is also a great positional discriminator as it is
sensitive to differences in the average recovery capacity of various playing positions, such as forward, defense and goaltender.
DIAGRAM
OUTBOUND LINE
20 METERS
START / FINISH
5 METERS
JOGGING / RECOVERY AREA
TESTING PROTOCOL
The test is divided into stages. Each stage consists of a pair of 20m runs followed by 10 seconds of active recovery.
Athletes line up on the start/finish line.
On the word ‘GO’ (plus a beep), athletes run 20m out, touch the outbound line with their foot, and run 20m back without stopping (DO NOT STAND AT
THE OUTBOUND LINE).
This is followed by 10 seconds of recovery time before the next stage begins (cued by the word ‘GO’ plus a beep). Athletes should return to the start/
finish line and await the cue for the next stage.
Each athlete must keep pace with the audio cues in order to continue the test.
No one may start running before the word ‘GO’ (plus a beep) and each athlete must cross the start/finish line before or in time with the loud beep
that signals the end of the stage.
Halfway through the stage, the athletes will hear the pacing cue “HALFWAY” (plus a beep); no action is required.
If an athlete fails to keep pace with the audio cues, uses a running start on any stage (i.e. fails to be set at the start/finish line before the word ‘GO’)
or fails to touch the outbound line with a foot, they will be assigned a warning.
On the second “warning”, the test is over for that athlete.
MEASURE
For each athlete, record the final stage attained (i.e. started) upon receipt of a second warning or upon voluntary withdrawal from the test.
DISQUALIFICATION
Athletes are disqualified if:
They intentionally sit out a stage in order to rest. Otherwise, a warning is assigned.
Note: This is a maximal test and athletes should be given benefit of the doubt in assigning warnings, dismissals or disqualifications provided the
athlete is making a concerted effort to advance as far as he/she can safely go during the test.
BENCHMARKS
Expect trained teenage male hockey players to cover an average of 920m +/- 360m (with exceptional boys reaching stages in the low 40s).
Teenage female hockey players will cover an average of 560m +/- 200m (with exceptional girls reaching stages in the high 20s).
HOCKEY TESTING PROTOCOLS
Please consult your physician before attempting any drills.
Copyright © 2010 SPARQ. All Rights Reserved.