Cavazos-Oto: Speed domain
Rationale
The purpose of these tests is to assess the athlete’s speed, or the rate at which he can repeatedly cycle identical movements. It is mainly relevant to activities that require the same movement pattern to be executed as rapidly as possible; the primary example of this is footspeed in running.
Speed is therefore measured with two tests: a 30-second alternate-foot rope skip, and a 100-meter sprint. The rope skip requires rapidly moving the feet in a pattern similar to running, and assesses how many times this can be done in a set time period; it also demands some speed of the hands to spin the rope. The sprint, while heavily dependent on power and strength (measured elsewhere), also demands rapid cycling of the stride if top speeds are to be achieved, combined with swinging of the arms at the same pace.
For the purposes of this testing system, speed is operationally defined in the above way. However, more casually it is often understood to mean movement speed in short sprints, and this is also captured effectively with the 100-meter sprint.
Due to the mixed-domain nature of the sprint, the Speed tests are prioritized. Only the rope skip is mandatory.
Guidelines
These tests may be done either warm or cold. A regular jumprope will be needed as well as a solid length of road or track.
Better jumpropes, with quicker lines and faster-rotating swivels, will yield better scores; this is an inevitable consequence of the nature of the test. Jumping can be performed on any non-rebounding surface, although soft or uneven terrain is not advised.
The sprint may be performed anywhere; for best results, spikes or running flats on a standard track surface are advised. It is preferable to use in-place competitive markings to measure your distance; if none are available, a length of exactly 100 meters can be carefully measured and marked on a straight section of track.
If strong winds are blowing, sprints should be done another day.
Test one: 30-second alternate-leg rope skip
Hold a jumprope in your hands, with the line touching the back of one leg. Raise your other foot off the ground. Spin the rope overhead until it describes a full circle, then drop your elevated foot to the ground and lift the other, letting the rope pass. Repeat as many times as possible in exactly 30 seconds. Your score is the number of times the rope makes a complete circle; any partial reps are disregarded.
The test starts on command, and should be timed and scored by an assistant. Each revolution of the rope, and each time a foot leaves the ground, is one rep. If the athlete fails to complete a rep or stops jumping, he may resume at any point, but only complete repetitions, where the rope makes a 360-degree circle, are counted.
Jumps can be as high or low as desired as long as the rope is cleared.
| Sub-athletic | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ranking |
| 0 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 28 | 40 | 52 | 64 | 76 | 88 | 100 | reps |
Test two: 100-meter sprint
Position yourself at the start of a 100-meter course, with both feet completely behind the starting line. At the start of a timer, sprint forward as fast as possible. The clock stops when any portion of your body crosses the vertical plane defined by the finish line. Your score is your time in seconds and fractions of a second.
An assistant is required for this test. He should position himself directly adjacent to the finish line, looking at the athlete. With an audible command, he should start the timer, a stopwatch or similar device with at least 1/100 second precision; the command should either be a single-syllable shout, such as “Go,” or a starting gun or beeper. If he observes the athlete move his feet prior to the command, the attempt is aborted. After the start, the assistant should look directly down the finish line; the moment he sees the athlete’s body break its vertical plane, whether or not his foot has touched down, he should stop the timer.
The race must be started with the athlete touching the ground at only two points, his feet. It is not allowed to begin in a three- or four-point stance, due to the higher level of skill involved. A staggered stance, with the weight leaned forward, is recommended.
The athlete must begin with both feet behind the starting line, but it is permitted for his body to break the vertical plane due to a forward lean.
| Sub-athletic | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ranking |
| 30.00 | 24.25 | 18.50 | 17.38 | 16.25 | 15.13 | 14.00 | 12.88 | 11.75 | 10.63 | 9.5 | seconds |
Total speed score
The below number is the average of the rankings calculated above. Nothing complicated is being done; the numbers output by the above tests are simply being averaged for your convenience. This average is displayed automatically; however, as described in the instructions, the Speed domain is of the “prioritized” type, and as such your combined score will not be valid until you have completed at least the first test (rope skip). With a rope skip, you have a valid Speed score; if you then test a 100m run, you will average both scores and that will become your new Speed ranking. The averaging tool is not smart enough to understand all this, so you must keep it in mind when inputting numbers.
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