Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test
An intermittent endurance test in which students run 20 m out and 20 m back to a recorded beep and then recover for 10 seconds with a jog before the next shuttle. Speed rises by levels. It measures the ability to repeat efforts, typical of team sports.
How to play
- Mark lanes with three cones: start, a turn at 20 m and a recovery zone 5 m behind the start. Explain the recording: beep to start, beep at the turn and beep at the finish (3 min).
- Form pairs: A runs while B records the level and shuttle reached on the worksheet. Do a 1-minute trial of the first two shuttles to learn the rhythm.
- Wave 1: all A partners run out and back, and during each 10-second recovery they jog to the back cone and return to the start (about 6 min).
- If a runner doesn't reach the line in time, they get a warning; on the second warning their test ends, they walk the recovery zone, and the partner records the last completed shuttle.
- Wave 2: partners switch roles and repeat the protocol (about 6 min).
- Each student copies their result to the worksheet and compares it with their previous test or the next one this term (4 min).
Rules
- Touch the line with one foot at each turn, without diving or sliding.
- Every runner stays in their own lane.
- During recovery, jog or walk; never stand still on the line.
- Anyone who isn't feeling well that day says so and takes the recorder role.
Variations
Easier
Start at the slowest opening level and allow three warnings instead of two.
Standard
Level 1 protocol with two warnings and 10-second recovery.
Harder
Use level 2, which starts faster, only with well-conditioned students.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: adapt the course to 10 m in a wheelchair with the same beeps, or have the student run the recording and manage the group.
- Hearing impairment: the teacher or a classmate raises a cone on every beep so the signal is visual.
- Low fitness level: students may stop voluntarily at any time and use their own improvement as the benchmark.
Learning goals
- Complete an intermittent endurance test following its protocol.
- Assess the ability to recover between repeated efforts.
- Record and interpret personal results to set goals.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cones: 39
- music (test recording): 1
- worksheets: 25
Teacher tip
This test requires a full warm-up first: never run it cold. Use an app with the official recording and a strong speaker; outdoor noise easily drowns out the beeps.
PatioLab has "Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test" and 2499 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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