4x10 m Shuttle Run with Sponges

A classic speed and agility test: four 10-meter lengths picking up and placing sponges behind marked lines. Students work on short acceleration, braking and turning, and practice the exact protocol used in many academy and college entrance fitness tests.

How to play

1. Use masking tape to mark 4 lanes with two lines 10 m (about 11 yards) apart; sponge A on the far line and sponge B on the start line (2 min).
2. Protocol: standing start, run for sponge A, bring it back and swap it for B at the start, carry B to the far line, pick up A and sprint through the finish.
3. Pairs per lane: one runs while the other times and checks that sponges are placed behind the line. Guided practice at 70% (4 min).
4. First all-out trial in waves of 4 lanes, recorded on the worksheet (5 min).
5. Turn technique: brake in two steps and plant the lead foot next to the sponge, with 3 single lengths (4 min).
6. Second trial and comparison with the teacher's scoring chart (5 min).

Rules

• The sponge is placed behind the line; if it is thrown, the trial is repeated.
• Timing runs from the first movement until the chest crosses the finish.
• Safety: dry floor, shoes tied tight and 3 feet between lanes.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: 4 × 5 m in a wheelchair or on crutches, tapping a cone instead of the sponge.
• Deaf or hard of hearing: start on an arm drop.
• Lower fitness level: two trials with 4 minutes of rest and a personal-best goal.

Learning goals

• Apply an efficient braking and turning technique over short distances.
• Understand and follow a standardized fitness test protocol.
• Record and interpret personal results against a scoring chart.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 8
• sponges: 8
• stopwatches: 4
• masking tape: 1
• worksheets: 25

Teacher tip

Many students turn with three or four choppy steps; cue the lead foot plant next to the sponge. If the gym floor is slippery, take the test outside.

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