Backs Anaerobic Endurance Test
- Each player in an allocated lane with one tester per player armed with stopwatch
- Each set of the test is a single or multiple laps of the same basic repetition
The backs course is laid out as follows:
The basic repetition is completed as follows :
- The player starts by laying on his front with his chest in contact with the floor and head on the starting line, directly behind the first pole
- He gets up and sprints out around the pole at 5m, and runs backwards to the start line – behind and around the start pole - where he drops down so that his chest is in contact with the floor (always moving anti-clockwise as viewed from above – see video)
- He then repeats this movement, sprinting out and around the pole at 5m, and runs backwards to the start line – behind and around the start pole - where he drops down so that his chest is in contact with the floor
- He then gets up and sprints out and around the outside of the 10m pole, steps left and sprints around the outside of the 20m pole, steps rights and sprint out and around the outside of the 30m pole, and finally, sprints as hard as possible back to the start.
The test format is as follows:
- Set one - 1 x 1 repetition
- Set two - 1 x 1 repetition
- Set three - 1 x 2 consecutive repetitions
- Set four - 1 x 2 consecutive repetitions
- Set five - 1 x 2 consecutive repetitions
- Set six - 1 x 1 repetition
The recovery time between repetitions is dictated by the time taken to complete the required repetition(s) i.e. the start of each set is fixed on a running clock so that the faster the completion time, the more rest the player receives.
Rest And Completion Timing
The table below indicates the times for the running clock and the estimated range of times for each section of the test for the Backs test.
The time for each player's repetition is recorded on the downloadable test results recording sheet (MS Word DOC 1.3MB), and one person should be made responsible for administering the running clock. This person is also responsible for informing players and testers of the content of the next set and the rest time to go. This person should also give the start commands for the whole group.
Backs Test
| Running Clock Time | Event | Estimated Duration of Repetition | Estimated End of Event Time | Average Rest time |
|---|
| 0 |
Start of 1 x 1 repetition |
20-22s |
20-22s |
28-30s |
| 50s |
Start of second 1 x 1 repetition |
20-23s |
1m10s-1m13s |
27-30s |
| 1m40s |
Start of 1 x 2 consecutive repetitions |
45-55s |
2m25s-2m35s |
45-55s |
| 3m20s |
Start of second 1 x 2 consecutive repetitions |
45-55s |
4m05s- 4m15s |
45-55s |
| 5m00s |
Start of second 1 x 2 consecutive repetitions |
47-57s |
5m47s-5m57s |
33-43s |
| 6m30s |
Start of 1 x 1 repetition |
20-25s |
6m50s-6m55s |
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