Performance Screening

Understand your current physical strengths and areas for development

Performance screening is a structured assessment of the physical qualities involved in sport, exercise and higher-level activity.

It can help identify your current levels of strength, power, balance, mobility, movement control and physical capacity. The findings can then be used to guide training, rehabilitation or preparation for a particular sport or event.

Performance screening is not designed to predict exactly who will become injured. Instead, it provides objective information about how you currently perform and highlights areas that may benefit from additional training.

What is performance screening?

Performance screening combines a series of physical tests selected according to your sport, activity level and goals.

Depending on what is relevant, screening may assess:

• Lower-body strength
• Upper-body strength
• Single-leg strength
• Power
• Balance
• Mobility
• Coordination
• Jumping
• Landing
• Hopping
• Running
• Acceleration
• Deceleration
• Changes of direction
• Physical endurance

The aim is to build a useful physical profile rather than simply produce a pass or fail result.

Who may benefit from performance screening?

Performance screening may be useful if you:

• Train or compete regularly
• Want to understand your current physical capacity
• Are preparing for a new sports season
• Want to identify areas for strength development
• Are increasing your training
• Are returning to higher-level exercise
• Have previously experienced sports injuries
• Want baseline measurements before a training programme
• Are preparing for competition
• Want to compare progress over time
• Are a teenage or developing athlete
• Participate in running, jumping or change-of-direction sports

You do not need to have an injury to complete a performance screen.

What happens during the initial assessment?

The session begins with a discussion about your sport and training.

You may be asked about:

• Your main sport
• Position or event
• Competition level
• Weekly training
• Gym programme
• Previous injuries
• Current symptoms
• Training history
• Upcoming events
• Recent changes in activity
• Areas you would like to improve

This information helps determine which tests will provide the most useful information.

A distance runner, football player and racket-sport athlete may require very different screening.

Strength testing

Strength is an important component of many sports.

Testing may look at areas such as:

• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Calves
• Gluteal muscles
• Hip muscles
• Groin muscles
• Trunk
• Shoulders
• Upper body

Assessment may use:

• Resistance exercises
• Repetition-based tests
• Single-leg exercises
• Objective strength-testing equipment where available

Results can help identify whether particular areas need greater focus within your training programme.

Comparing left and right sides

Some tests may compare performance between sides.

This can be useful where there is:

• A previous injury
• A noticeable strength difference
• One-sided sporting demand
• Concern about a particular limb

However, perfect symmetry is not required.

Small differences between sides are common.

It is also important to consider overall performance rather than assuming that equal sides automatically mean enough strength for sport.

Single-leg strength

Running, jumping and many field or court sports involve repeated single-leg loading.

Screening may therefore include movements such as:

• Single-leg squats
• Split squats
• Step-downs
• Single-leg calf raises
• Single-leg deadlift variations

The assessment may consider:

• Strength
• Control
• Repetitions
• Differences between sides
• Fatigue

These findings can help guide strength and conditioning.

Power testing

Strength describes the ability to produce force, while power also considers how quickly that force can be produced.

Power can be important for:

• Sprinting
• Jumping
• Throwing
• Changing direction
• Explosive sporting movements

Testing may include different types of jumps or other explosive movements depending on the athlete.

Jump testing

Jump testing can provide information about lower-body power and control.

Tests may include:

• Vertical jumps
• Broad jumps
• Countermovement jumps
• Repeated jumps
• Single-leg jumps

The assessment may consider:

• Jump height or distance
• Landing control
• Differences between sides
• Ability to repeat the movement

Jump results can be useful for both training and later re-testing.

Hop testing

Hop testing places greater demand on a single leg.

This may include:

• Single hops
• Triple hops
• Repeated hops
• Side-to-side hops
• Timed hopping

The aim is not simply to achieve the greatest distance.

Control, confidence and ability to tolerate repeated impact may also be considered.

Landing assessment

Landing is important in sports involving jumping or repeated impact.

Screening may look at:

• Balance
• Knee and hip control
• Trunk position
• Ability to absorb force
• Ability to move immediately after landing

Later testing may become more demanding by including:

• Single-leg landings
• Direction changes after landing
• Repeated jumping
• Reactive tasks

The level should reflect the athlete's sport and experience.

Balance testing

Balance is important for movement, but balance tests should be relevant to the activity.

Screening may include:

• Single-leg standing
• Dynamic reaching
• Stepping
• Balance during movement

For athletes, static balance may only provide limited information.

More dynamic tasks can often provide a better indication of sporting control.

Mobility screening

Mobility may be assessed where the sport requires particular ranges of movement.

Common areas include:

• Ankles
• Hips
• Shoulders
• Upper back

The aim is not to make every athlete more flexible.

Some athletes already have more than enough mobility and may benefit more from strength and control.

Mobility findings are only useful when considered alongside the demands of the sport.

Movement quality

Performance screening may also observe how you complete common movements.

These might include:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Stepping
• Single-leg movements
• Jumping
• Landing

There is rarely one perfect way to perform every movement.

The assessment looks for patterns that may limit performance, cause symptoms or indicate that a physical quality requires further development.

Running assessment

For running-based athletes, screening may include running observation.

This may consider:

• Running mechanics
• Speed
• Control
• Symmetry
• Response to increasing pace

Depending on the athlete, running may be assessed alongside strength and endurance rather than treated as a separate issue.

Sprint testing

Athletes involved in faster field or track sports may require assessment at higher running speeds.

Testing may involve:

• Acceleration
• Short sprints
• Progressive speed
• Repeated sprinting

The goal is to assess physical capacity relevant to sport rather than relying entirely on slow jogging or gym-based tests.

Acceleration

Acceleration is the ability to increase speed quickly.

It is important in sports such as:

• Football
• Rugby
• Hockey
• Basketball
• Tennis
• Athletics

Testing may look at the athlete's ability to produce force quickly and repeat accelerations.

Training can then be developed around any identified limitations.

Deceleration

The ability to slow down efficiently is important in many sports.

Deceleration places significant demand on the muscles and joints.

Testing may involve:

• Controlled stopping
• Faster deceleration
• Stopping before changing direction

This can be particularly useful for athletes involved in court and field sports.

Change-of-direction testing

Many sports require more than straight-line speed.

Screening may include:

• Cutting
• Side stepping
• Turning
• Pivoting
• Direction-change drills

The assessment may consider:

• Speed
• Control
• Differences between directions
• Confidence

The findings can help guide agility and strength training.

Reactive movement

Pre-planned movement is useful for testing, but sport is often unpredictable.

Where appropriate, later screening may include tasks that require reacting to:

• A visual signal
• A coach
• Another player
• A ball

This helps assess the athlete's ability to move effectively when the next action is not known in advance.

Physical endurance

Performance does not depend only on maximum strength or power.

Athletes also need to repeat movements throughout:

• Training
• Matches
• Races
• Competitions

Screening may therefore look at repeated efforts or general conditioning where relevant.

A player who performs one excellent jump but loses control significantly after repeated efforts may require a different training focus.

Testing under fatigue

Some movement or strength differences become more noticeable once an athlete is tired.

Depending on the sport, screening may therefore include:

• Repeated jumping
• Repeated sprinting
• Movement circuits
• Sport-specific drills

The aim is to understand whether physical performance remains consistent as fatigue develops.

Performance screening for runners

Running-based screening may focus on:

• Calf strength
• Hip strength
• Single-leg strength
• Running mechanics
• Hopping
• Running endurance

The exact tests depend on whether the athlete is:

• A recreational runner
• A distance runner
• A sprinter
• Returning after injury

A marathon runner and a sprinter require different physical qualities.

Performance screening for football

Football requires a combination of:

• Running
• Sprinting
• Kicking
• Cutting
• Jumping
• Repeated high-intensity effort

Screening may therefore assess:

• Hamstring strength
• Calf strength
• Groin strength
• Single-leg strength
• Jumping
• Sprinting
• Changes of direction

The player's position and competition level can also influence which tests are most useful.

Performance screening for rugby

Rugby places significant demands on:

• Whole-body strength
• Sprinting
• Contact
• Power
• Changes of direction
• Conditioning

A screening programme may therefore combine:

• Lower-body strength
• Upper-body strength
• Power
• Running
• Agility
• Physical endurance

More specialised testing can be adapted according to the player's position.

Performance screening for court sports

Sports such as:

• Tennis
• Padel
• Basketball
• Netball
• Badminton

involve repeated short accelerations, stops and direction changes.

Screening may include:

• Single-leg strength
• Calf strength
• Jumping
• Landing
• Lateral movement
• Change-of-direction testing
• Shoulder assessment where relevant

The programme should reflect the actual movements used in the sport.

Performance screening for overhead athletes

Swimming, cricket, tennis, volleyball and other overhead sports place repeated demands on the shoulder.

Assessment may include:

• Shoulder movement
• Rotator cuff strength
• Shoulder blade control
• Upper-body strength
• Trunk strength
• Sport-specific movement

A thrower or racket-sport athlete may also require power and repeated-effort assessment.

Teenage athletes

Performance screening can also be adapted for teenage athletes.

Assessment should take account of:

• Age
• Growth
• Training experience
• Sport
• Competition level
• Previous injuries

Teenagers should not simply be compared with adult standards.

The purpose is to understand their current physical abilities and guide appropriate development.

Screening during growth

Teenagers may experience periods where height and body proportions change quickly.

This can temporarily influence:

• Coordination
• Strength
• Balance
• Movement control

Performance screening can provide a useful picture of current ability during these stages.

Results should be interpreted in the context of development rather than treating every difference as a problem.

Pre-season screening

Pre-season can be a useful time to establish baseline measures before competition begins.

Testing may provide information about:

• Strength
• Power
• Balance
• Running
• Jumping
• Conditioning

The results can guide pre-season training and provide measurements that can be compared later.

Screening should support physical preparation rather than attempt to predict exactly which athlete will become injured.

Mid-season screening

Physical capacity can change during a busy season.

Factors such as:

• Matches
• Travel
• Training volume
• Minor injuries
• Fatigue

can influence performance.

Selected tests may be repeated during the season to monitor areas that are particularly important for the athlete.

This does not necessarily require repeating the entire screening battery.

Post-season screening

The end of a competitive season can provide an opportunity to review:

• Strength
• Physical capacity
• Previous injury areas
• Development priorities

The information can help guide off-season training.

For some athletes, this is a useful period to address physical qualities that are difficult to develop during busy competition schedules.

Screening after injury

Performance screening may also be useful after rehabilitation.

An athlete may feel recovered but still show differences in:

• Strength
• Power
• Hopping
• Balance
• Running ability

These findings can help guide further rehabilitation before full sporting demands are resumed.

For more significant injuries, formal return-to-sport testing may also be required.

Baseline testing before injury

Having baseline performance information can sometimes be useful if an injury occurs later.

For example, previous strength or jump measurements can provide additional information about the athlete's normal level.

However, baseline testing should not be treated as an exact target that must always be reproduced before returning.

Fitness and physical performance naturally change over time.

Screening and injury prevention

Performance screening can help identify physical qualities that may benefit from training.

For example, an athlete may demonstrate:

• Low calf strength
• Reduced hamstring strength
• Limited single-leg power
• Poor conditioning

These findings can guide an injury prevention or strength programme.

However, screening cannot accurately predict every future injury.

Injury risk is influenced by many factors, including:

• Training exposure
• Contact
• Previous injury
• Fatigue
• Recovery
• Sporting situations

The aim is to improve physical preparation, not provide guarantees.

Screening and strength programmes

One of the most useful outcomes of screening is turning test results into a practical training programme.

If testing identifies limited:

• Lower-body strength
• Calf capacity
• Shoulder strength
• Power
• Balance

exercises can be selected specifically for those areas.

The programme can then be progressed and re-tested later.

Screening and training load

Performance results should also be considered alongside how much training an athlete is completing.

Reduced performance may sometimes relate to:

• Heavy competition schedules
• Recent increases in training
• Reduced recovery
• Returning after time away

Adding more training is not automatically the answer.

The screening results need to be interpreted in the context of the athlete's complete training week.

More tests are not always better

A useful performance screen does not need to include every available physical test.

Testing should have a purpose.

Each test should help answer a relevant question about:

• Strength
• Movement
• Power
• Sport-specific capacity

A shorter, focused assessment can provide more useful information than a large number of tests that do not relate to the athlete's sport.

Objective measurements

Where possible, screening may use measurable results such as:

• Repetitions
• Distance
• Height
• Time
• Resistance
• Strength output

Objective measurements make it easier to:

• Establish a baseline
• Set training goals
• Monitor progress
• Compare later testing

Numbers still need to be interpreted alongside movement, symptoms and sporting demands.

Re-testing

Performance screening becomes particularly useful when tests are repeated after a period of structured training.

Re-testing can help identify improvements in:

• Strength
• Power
• Balance
• Hopping
• Running
• Conditioning

If a particular area has not improved as expected, the training programme can be adjusted.

Progress is not always linear

Physical performance can vary according to:

• Fatigue
• Recent training
• Sleep
• Competition
• Illness
• Motivation

A small difference between two testing sessions does not always represent a meaningful physical change.

Results should be interpreted as part of a wider pattern rather than reacting to every individual score.

Performance screening and the gym

Many screening findings can be addressed through structured strength and conditioning.

Exercises may include:

• Squats
• Split squats
• Deadlift variations
• Step-ups
• Calf raises
• Rows
• Presses
• Pulling exercises

The programme should gradually become more demanding as strength improves.

Athletes should not remain on very light rehabilitation exercises indefinitely when their sport requires much higher physical capacity.

Screening for recreational athletes

Performance screening is not only for professional athletes.

It can also be useful for people who participate recreationally in:

• Running
• Football
• Cycling
• Tennis
• Padel
• Gym training
• Other sports

The assessment can be matched to your own level rather than professional sporting standards.

Performance screening and confidence

Testing can also provide useful reassurance when an athlete is uncertain about their physical ability.

For example, seeing improvements in:

• Strength
• Jump performance
• Running
• Balance

may help increase confidence before increasing training.

If a specific task still feels difficult despite good test results, this can also guide more targeted practice.

Screening is not a medical examination

Performance screening is designed to assess physical capacity.

It is not intended to diagnose every medical or musculoskeletal condition.

If you already have:

• Significant pain
• Swelling
• Weakness
• A recent injury
• Unexplained loss of function

a physiotherapy or medical assessment may be more appropriate before completing higher-level performance testing.

When further assessment may be needed

Further assessment may be appropriate if you experience:

• Severe or worsening pain
• Significant swelling
• Repeated joint instability
• New numbness
• Significant unexplained weakness
• Inability to put weight through a limb
• Pain following a significant injury
• Persistent localised bone pain
• Unexplained loss of physical performance
• Symptoms that are rapidly getting worse

These issues should be assessed before focusing on performance scores.

Screening based on your goals

Performance screening should reflect what you want to improve.

Your goals may include:

• Becoming stronger
• Increasing power
• Improving running performance
• Preparing for competition
• Starting a new training programme
• Returning after injury
• Preparing for a sports season
• Monitoring athletic development
• Improving physical confidence
• Identifying priorities for strength and conditioning

The testing battery can then be selected around those priorities.

What happens after performance screening?

Following the assessment, you may receive a summary of the areas tested and recommendations for the next stage of training.

This may include:

• Strength exercises
• Power training
• Balance work
• Running or sprint training
• Jumping and landing exercises
• Mobility exercises where required
• Conditioning
• Further rehabilitation

The recommendations should focus on the areas most relevant to your sport and goals.

How often should performance screening be repeated?

There is no fixed schedule.

Re-testing may be useful:

• After a training block
• During pre-season
• After rehabilitation
• Before returning to higher-level sport
• At selected stages during athletic development

Testing should be repeated when the results are likely to influence training decisions rather than simply because a set amount of time has passed.