Master the 40 Yard Dash Increase Speed and Performance

The Key to Speed: Unlocking 40-Yard Dash Potential with Zera

As soccer season winds down, athletes from prestigious schools eager to earn college scholarships or draft picks turn their attention to one key aspect: speed.The 40-yard dash remains one of the most influential metrics for evaluating an athlete’s athletic ability. However, while most coaches can tell at a glance when an athlete is strong, many struggle to implement strategies that truly improve their athletes’ speed.

At Zera, we’re not just content to look at the results; we want to break down the data, analyze it, and make informed training decisions to help athletes perform at their best. After deeply analyzing the last five years of NFL Draft data, we uncovered key insights to guide athletes and coaches in their pursuit of speed. By the end of this article, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the 40-yard dash and actionable strategies to help athletes achieve their goals.

Consistent Data: the NFL Combine’s Standards

The times discussed here are from the NFL Draft Combine only and were recorded at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis using the Zybek timing system. These times were measured at 10, 20, and 40 yards by manually activating the laser gate settings. While the publicly available results come from that system, Zybek also collects fully automated timing (FAT) data, which is often subject to discrepancies due to human factors. As they explained on social media, “If the coach is at the 6-yard line, the average difference [between human timing and fully automated timing] is 0.085 seconds, and the difference ranges from +/- 0.05 seconds or greater.” For more information on these discrepancies, see our guide to Moroccan Fez.

Breaking down the segments

Figure 1 provides segmentation time predictions for the 40-yard dash, specifically labeled with the manual start time measured by laser gate measurements. Please note that these segment times are only predictions due to the lack of official data recorded for the 20-30 and 30-40 yard sprints.

The Three Second Rule

Over the past five meets, a total of 376 athletes have run 40-yard dash times under 4.6 seconds. It is important to note that 97% of these athletes (365 athletes) took less than three seconds in the “30-yard dash” segment. Thus, the 30-yard dash has become an important training metric for high school athletes seeking to excel at speed. While running 30 yards in less than 3 seconds is not difficult for many high school athletes, shortening the distance increases the challenge and emphasizes the acceleration needed to succeed in the 40-yard dash.

As Coach Stokowski puts it: understanding the difference between “How fast can you run?” and “How fast can you run?” the difference between “How fast can you run?” is critical. By identifying an athlete’s unique speed strengths and weaknesses, coaches can customize training programs to meet specific needs. Practical methods like those advocated by Cameron Josse can target various areas of the force-speed curve for optimal results.

Acceleration: a secret weapon for larger athletes

For larger athletes, success begins with a strong burst of power. zera’s most commonly used measure is pounds/inches, a measure of relative size that reveals speed potential for a given body composition. Pro linebackers typically have a lbs/in ratio of 4.0 or higher, and they can easily dominate their position. For reference, these athletes are typically between 72 inches (183 cm) and 79 inches (201 cm) tall and weigh between 293 pounds (133 kg) and 317 pounds (144 kg) (4.07 pounds to 4.01 pounds per inch).

Since 2016, a total of 169 athletes meeting this criteria have been selected, 22 of whom (13%) have run under five seconds in the 40-yard dash. Analyzing their segmentation data reveals contrasting speed curves: pros excel in the 0-20 yard acceleration phase, while novice high school athletes typically perform better in the second half (20-40 yards).

For Coaches and Athletes

Whether you are developing linemen or skill players, the 40-yard dash provides unique insight into an athlete’s speed capabilities. By focusing on the acceleration phase, optimizing speed metrics like the 30-yard dash, and leveraging data-driven strategies, Zera helps athletes turn potential into performance. The quest for more speed is not just about speed, it’s about smart, targeted training that meets the needs of each athlete.

Insights into 40-yard dash times: the Zera approach

Twenty-two pro-level linebackers were tested, and their recorded times for the 40-yard dash ranged from 4.75 to 4.99 seconds. Their average time for the first 20 yards was 2.85 seconds, and their average time for the second 20 yards was 2.06 seconds. It’s worth noting that none of the 169 draftees (excluding Caleb Benenoch because of the possibility of timing errors) ran in the 2.00 seconds in the 20-40 yard range. In contrast, Zera tracked 119 high school athletes with 40-yard dash attempts between 4.75-4.99 seconds. Their average split time was 2.86/2.02 seconds (first 20 yards/last 20 yards), with 38 of those athletes (32%) running within 2.00 seconds in the last 20-yard segment.

Key Observations:

  1. Body Size and Speed Potential
    Maximum speed potential decreases as body size increases. In the pro test, linemen must accelerate effectively within the first 20 yards to achieve competitive overall times. Their sprint speed depends heavily on a strong start.

  2. Early Stage Improvement
    When high school athletes make significant improvements in their performance, they often make their greatest strides on the first 20 yards of the track. While improving maximum speed is important, about one-third of the total time occurs in the first quarter of the distance. This highlights the need to emphasize early acceleration in training.


Comparing apples, oranges and donut timing

When discussing the 40-yard dash, it’s important to recognize that the NFL Draft Combine’s test focuses more on consistency than accuracy. While both fully automated timing (FAT) and manual timing are recorded, only manual timing results are released to the public. It may not be feasible to reproduce the exact conditions of the combine test, but striving to arrive at a consistent, accurate test protocol can provide valuable insight.

Test conditions, such as surface type, footwear, and timing equipment, can all affect test results. At Zera, we advocate a test protocol that provides a comprehensive assessment of an athlete’s ability for both formative and summative purposes. Reporting only an athlete’s total time (e.g. “4.4 seconds”) is often misleading and not conducive to targeted improvement.Detailed segment times in the 40-yard dash can reveal key strengths and areas that need attention.


Zera’s Test Protocol

Zera uses Freelap timing technology on a rubberized track with spiked shoes to ensure consistency. A touchpad is used to lock athletes in at the moment of minimal forward momentum, and segmented transmitters are cleverly placed to capture precise time intervals. Our setup includes segmented measurements at the following points: 0-10 yards, 10-20 yards, 20-30 yards, 30-40 yards, 0-20 yards, 10-30 yards, 20-40 yards, 0-30 yards, 10-40 yards, and 0-40 yards. the Freelap’s 80-cm electromagnetic radius ensures accuracy in all segmented measurements.

In more than three years of timing, Zera has recorded only two athletes running 4.70 seconds in the 40-yard dash – both of whom were skill players who went on to earn NCAA Division I football scholarships. This underscores the importance of running in the 4.6-second range, according to our metrics.


Goals for success

There are two key cutoff points that define success at Zella:

  • 0-20 yards: reach 2.70 seconds
  • 10-40 yards: reach 3.00 seconds

Every second counts, and identifying areas where athletes can improve is critical to maximizing their potential.

Two seasons ago, I had the pleasure of watching two athletes finish in 4.73 seconds on the same day. Athlete A had a 2.71 second first 20 yards and a 3.16 second first 40 yards. In comparison, Athlete B had a 2.80 second first 20 yards and a 2.99 second first 40 yards. Although both athletes had the same times, their speed profiles were very different! Athlete A needs to intervene to achieve maximum speed, while Athlete B has a lot of room for improvement in acceleration.

The Need for Speed

The use of miles per hour (mph) as a simple measure for young athletes is becoming increasingly popular, and I fully endorse this practice. I wanted to delve into the speed of elite NFLSC athletes.

Below is a breakdown of the “20-yard flight” portion of the 40-yard dash, showing the average time, lb/in ratio, and mph for recruits since 2016. It’s worth noting that the Vmax numbers are typically faster than those shown here, as athletes typically run faster at 40 yards than at 21 yards. Additionally, use caution when comparing limited run-in times on a grass field to unlimited run-in times on a track.

  • 2 (3 total ); average: 4.26 seconds; lbs/in: 2.74; flight 20: 1.76 = 23.24 mph
  • 3 (43 total ); Average: 4.36 seconds; lbs/in: 2.77; Flight 20: 1.80 = 22.73 mph
  • 4 (159 total); average: 4.45 seconds; lbs/in: 2.87; flight 20: 1.85 = 22.11 mph
  • 5 (171 total); Average: 4.54 seconds; lbs/in: 2.97; Flight 20: 1.89 = 21.65 mph
  • 6 (131 total); Average: 4.64 seconds; lbs/in: 3.13; Flight 20: 1.94 = 21.09 mph
  • 7 (73 total ); Average: 4.74 seconds; lbs/in: 3.29; Flight 20: 1.98 = 20.66 mph
  • 8 (68 total); Average: 4.84 seconds; lbs/in: 3.44; Flight 20: 2.03 = 20.15 mph
  • 9 (45 total ); average: 4.94 seconds; lbs/in: 3.72; flight 20: 2.07 = 19.76 mph
  • 0 (51 total ); Average: 5.04 seconds; lbs/in: 3.98; Flight 20: 2.12 = 19.30 mph
  • 1 (52 total); Average: 5.15 seconds; lbs/in: 4.11; Flight 20: 2.16 = 18.94 mph
  • 2 (54 total ); average: 5.24 seconds; lbs/in: 4.08; flight 20: 2.21 = 18.51 mph
  • 3 (30 total ); average: 5.34 seconds; lbs/in: 4.13; flight 20: 2.26 = 18.10 mph
  • 4 (6 total ); average: 5.44 seconds; lbs/in: 4.19; flight 20: 2.33 = 17.56 mph
  • 5 (7 total ); Average: 5.55 seconds; lbs/in: 4.18; Flight 20: 2.37 = 17.26 mph

In closing, I hope this information helps you better understand your athlete’s data so that you can provide more effective feedback and training. While not all of the athletes we coach reach their speed goals, if you consistently focus on this aspect of your training program, you may see an increase in your team’s overall speed.The 40-yard dash is a complex puzzle, but mastering it can pay huge dividends. I am confident that these resources will help you unlock this puzzle!

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