Readiness Measures

Readiness measures are objective measures that can give coaches a quantifiable measure of an athlete’s readiness to train. Readiness measures analyse the athlete’s neuromuscular fatigue, which is the reduction in maximal voluntary force production induced by exercise (Beato et al., 2024). Comparing the results of the readiness measure to baseline data of the athlete will tell the coach if the athlete’s performance has decreased, which may indicate fatigue.

Countermovement jump (CMJ) is commonly used to assess readiness to train. The CMJ test has been found to have good test-retest reliability in elite female football players, however, athletes have been known to maintain performance through fatigue by altering jumping strategies (Beato et al., 2024). CMJ can and should be used in conjunction with other readiness measures (including player subjective feedback).

A Countermovement jump test is performed by asking a player to jump upwards as high as they can. The height jumped can be measured using a range of tools and technologies including apps on mobile phones, jump mats and force plate technology which is more expensive. Practical and low-cost ways to test a countermovement jump are to jump and touch premeasured marks onto a wall. Other alternatives include a broad jump, where the athlete jumps forward as far as possible. This test can also be assessed simply using a measuring tape, measuring the distance from the start line to the heels of the landing position after the broad jump.