Football Training Tests
In Football, you do not want to consume all your time on examinations and fitness, but you do have to measure the fitness level of your players. Then, as an individual player, you prefer to know where you stand compared to other players.
Many colleges will begin fitness tests on the first few days of pre-season camp to approximate the fitness levels of their players - see if they have been following the off-season fitness program.
It's a beneficial idea to examine fitness levels at the start of the season and then at a mid way point, where you can then gauge whether or not a player's fitness has improved or not. Also, after a player has suffered an injury, and is now recovered and ready to return to training, you might want to initiate a test. Beneath are a few good ones.
Speed & Endurance Tests
The Beep Test (Yo Yo test) - 20 meter shuttle run where the player must reach the line before the beep goes off. Initially players will easily be able to reach the line but the beeps will come at faster rates and players will soon fall out as they are unable to keep up.
The Cooper Test - Players run for twelve minutes and the distance covered is recorded. Usually the goal is to run 2 miles under 12 minutes for a player in the late teens. It’s best to do the test at a track so it’s easy to record how far each player has run.
Forty yard dash - good way to measure speed and quickness
Strength Tests
Pushups & Sit ups - count how many push ups a player can do in one minute and then do the same for sit ups.
Pull ups - if you have access to a gym, testing to see how many pull ups a player can do at one time gives you an idea of where that player stands in terms of strength.
Remember: In Football, often a player's quads will become strong from running up and down the field over the years. It's important to balance this out by maintain strength in the hamstrings - to prevent a player from suffereing a muscle strain.