One of the most common questions EPP receives from parents is simple: "Is my child fast enough for a football academy?" The answer depends on age, position and which academy you're targeting — but there are clear benchmarks drawn from our data across 300+ tested youth athletes in Birmingham and Manchester.
Modern Category 1 and Category 2 academies use physical benchmarking as part of their recruitment and retention decisions. This isn't about finding the fastest player — it's about identifying players who are physically capable of handling elite training loads and who have the athletic foundation to develop further.
A technically excellent player who is significantly below age-group physical benchmarks will struggle with the intensity and volume of academy training — particularly in the 14–16 age range when training loads increase significantly.
| Age Group | 0–5m (Good) | 0–10m (Good) | 0–30m (Elite) | T-Test (Good) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| {ag} | {m5} | {m10} | {m30} | {tt} |
Benchmarks represent "academy standard" for Category 1/2 club consideration. EPP data across 300+ tested athletes, Birmingham and Manchester, 2024–2026. Individual variation applies — these are population-level reference points.
Central defenders and goalkeepers are held to slightly lower absolute sprint speed standards than wide players — but are assessed more heavily on explosive power (first 5m) and jump performance. A dominant U14 centre-back who runs 4.8s for 30m but jumps 55cm is more attractive to a Category 1 academy than one who runs 4.5s but jumps 38cm.
Wide midfielders and wingers face the highest sprint speed expectations. Top-end speed (20–30m) matters more for wide players than for any other position — because they face repeated sprinting situations along the touchline in a full-pitch environment.
Central midfielders are assessed on change of direction speed and repeated sprint ability more than absolute top speed. A 505 COD test score under 2.2s at U14 is typically more relevant than a 30m time.
Being below benchmark does not mean your athlete cannot reach academy standard. It means there is a defined gap to close and a defined period of time to close it.
EPP data from athletes who have trained on structured 6-week programmes shows an average 3% improvement in sprint times and 15% improvement in change of direction scores within a single 6-week block. For a U14 player running 4.65s for 30m, a 3% improvement brings them to 4.51s — within the benchmark range.
The key is testing first to identify exactly where the deficit is, then training specifically to address it. If the deficit is in acceleration (0–10m), strength and hip extension training drives the improvement. If the deficit is in change of direction, deceleration mechanics and lateral power training is the focus. Without data, the training is generic. With data, it's targeted.
Sprint testing, agility analysis and force-velocity profiling at Alexander Stadium Birmingham and Platt Lane Manchester. Full written report within 48 hours.