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5-10-5 Pro Agility Drill

Evidence-grounded — sourced from Fysiqal's fitness knowledge graph· 2 min read
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In one line

Start in the middle, sprint 5 yards one way, 10 yards back the other way, then 5 yards to finish — a short lateral COD drill and standard combine test.

Detail

The 5-10-5 ("pro agility" or "short shuttle") is a lateral change-of-direction drill on three cones 5 yards apart (a 10-yard span). The athlete:

  1. Straddles the center cone in a two-/three-point stance.
  2. Sprints 5 yards to one side and touches the line/cone.
  3. Sprints 10 yards across to the far cone and touches.
  4. Sprints 5 yards back through the center to finish (total 20 yards).

It tests/develops the ability to accelerate, decelerate sharply, plant, change direction, and re-accelerate in the frontal/lateral plane, with two 180°-type direction changes.

Technique: explode out of the start, decelerate over the last steps before the line (lower the COM, choppy steps), plant the outside foot with the knee over the toe (no valgus), reach to touch the line, and drive out. Use a low body position through the turns and a sharp arm action.

As a drill, run it both directions for balance and progress to faster/reactive versions; as a test, time it (touch the line by hand) and compare to norms. It is a staple of football combines and team COD assessment.

Key facts

  • Three cones 5 yd apart; run 5 yd → 10 yd → 5 yd (20 yd total) from the center.
  • Two sharp ~180° change-of-direction turns; lateral plane.
  • Plant knee over toe (no valgus), low COM, choppy braking, then drive out.
  • Used as both a COD drill and a timed combine/agility test.

Connections

  • cone-drills — a standardized member of the cone-drill family.
  • cod-mechanics / cutting-mechanics — the skills it trains/tests.
  • t-test-drill — companion multi-direction COD test/drill.
  • shuttle-run — related linear shuttle.
  • gluteus-medius — controls the turn plant.
SourceCurrent guideline bodies
Established exercise-science consensus; NSCA Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning. Pages: (general consensus).
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Educational content only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional for individualized guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy, or medical conditions.

Explore related topics

Atlas Connections

Gluteus Medius
A fan-shaped hip abductor under the gluteus maximus, important for balance in walking.
Agility Tests (5-10-5 Pro Agility & T-Test)Closely related
Timed change-of-direction courses — the lateral 5-10-5 and the multidirectional T-test — that measure planned change-of-direction speed (not reactive agility).
Change-of-Direction (COD) MechanicsClosely related
Changing direction is a braking-then-reaccelerating task — decelerate eccentrically, plant with a stable knee/hip, lower the center of mass, and push off explosively into the new direction.
Cone DrillsClosely related
Sprint-cut-and-redirect patterns marked by cones — the core change-of-direction drills (e.g., box, L/W/zig-zag, 3-cone) that train deceleration, cutting, and re-acceleration.
Cutting MechanicsClosely related
A cut is a sharp redirection off a planted foot — done safely with the hip and knee controlling a toe-aligned plant, not an inward-collapsing knee.
Shuttle RunClosely related
Repeated back-and-forth sprints between two marks with a turn at each end — trains acceleration, deceleration, turning, and (with volume) anaerobic conditioning.
T-Test (Agility Drill)Closely related
A T-shaped course combining a forward sprint, lateral shuffles to each side, and a backpedal — trains and tests multidirectional agility (forward, lateral, backward).