40-Yard Dash Benchmarks by Sport, Gender, and Level
This post covers 40-yard dash benchmarks across 8 sports for both genders, at competition levels from middle school through professional. Every range is reported as fully electronic timing from a standing start.
A coach testing athletes regularly with timing gates can use the tables below to interpret a single 40-yard result against population norms for the athlete's sport, gender, and level.
A note on the numbers. The benchmarks in this post are drawn from peer-reviewed literature, published combine data, and established normative datasets. Where direct data exists for the sport, we used it. Where data is limited (particularly at the middle school level, for women's sports, and for sports without standardized combine testing), figures are extrapolated from peer-reviewed youth percentile data, position-equivalent sports with similar power demands, and age-adjusted development curves. All numbers should be treated as reference ranges, not absolute targets, and interpreted alongside the athlete's sport, position, training age, and testing protocol.
Timing standard. The ranges assume fully automated timing with a standing start with a short lead-in, set close enough to the beam that forward momentum is minimal when the clock starts. OVR Sprint uses infrared timing accurate to 0.001 seconds, which matches that standard. Conversions for hand timing, combine-style starts, and 40-meter times are in the Understanding Your Numbers section.
Where the Average Athlete Actually Stands
The tables below cover the full range from average to elite, for both males and females, from middle school through professional. Start here before going sport by sport. Average reflects the typical athlete at each stage, and Elite is reserved for the very top.
Males
| Stage | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School (12–14) | 5.65–6.15 s | 5.42–5.64 s | 5.04–5.41 s | Sub-5.04 s |
| High School (14–18) | 5.16–5.62 s | 4.95–5.15 s | 4.62–4.94 s | Sub-4.62 s |
| College (18–22) | 4.92–5.30 s | 4.76–4.91 s | 4.50–4.75 s | Sub-4.50 s |
| Professional | 4.72–5.18 s | 4.58–4.71 s | 4.40–4.57 s | Sub-4.40 s |
Females
| Stage | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School (12–14) | 5.90–6.42 s | 5.70–5.89 s | 5.38–5.69 s | Sub-5.38 s |
| High School (14–18) | 5.66–6.15 s | 5.44–5.65 s | 5.08–5.43 s | Sub-5.08 s |
| College (18–22) | 5.40–5.90 s | 5.18–5.39 s | 4.94–5.17 s | Sub-4.94 s |
| Professional | 5.22–5.75 s | 5.04–5.21 s | 4.76–5.03 s | Sub-4.76 s |
Sport-by-Sport 40-Yard Dash Benchmarks
Most sports rarely run a full 40, so many of these ranges are converted from shorter sprint distances in published studies, including testing of national-team athletes across 20 sports [6] and academy athletes aged 12 to 16 [7]. Football draws on its own combine data [1][2]. Where a sport or level has no direct data, figures are extrapolated from published norms, sex-based sprint research, and age-adjusted development curves.
Football
No sport has produced more 40-yard dash data than American football. The NFL and High School rows come from large combine datasets [1][2][3], and the College row sits between them, in line with published Division I testing [4]. The Middle School row is extrapolated from academy athletes of the same age [7]. Recreational youth teams that include every player tend to test slower [8].
Football (Men)
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.58–6.07 s | 5.36–5.57 s | 4.99–5.35 s | Sub-4.99 s |
| High School | 4.98–5.42 s | 4.82–4.97 s | 4.55–4.81 s | Sub-4.55 s |
| College | 4.77–5.20 s | 4.65–4.76 s | 4.42–4.64 s | Sub-4.42 s |
| Professional | 4.55–4.98 s | 4.47–4.54 s | 4.29–4.46 s | Sub-4.29 s |
Position creates a wider spread than level does: receivers and defensive backs test fastest and linemen slowest, with other positions in between [1]. Women's tackle and flag football have no published normative 40-yard dataset.
Basketball
Basketball rarely tests the full 40, so these ranges are converted from shorter sprints in professional, national-team, and youth testing [6][7][14].
Men's Basketball
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.62–6.06 s | 5.42–5.61 s | 5.08–5.41 s | Sub-5.08 s |
| High School | 5.26–5.57 s | 5.14–5.25 s | 4.96–5.13 s | Sub-4.96 s |
| College | 5.14–5.42 s | 5.02–5.13 s | 4.84–5.01 s | Sub-4.84 s |
| Professional | 5.02–5.30 s | 4.90–5.01 s | 4.72–4.89 s | Sub-4.72 s |
Women's Basketball
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.89–6.23 s | 5.70–5.88 s | 5.41–5.69 s | Sub-5.41 s |
| High School | 5.77–6.11 s | 5.58–5.76 s | 5.29–5.57 s | Sub-5.29 s |
| College | 5.65–5.97 s | 5.46–5.64 s | 5.17–5.45 s | Sub-5.17 s |
| Professional | 5.53–5.83 s | 5.34–5.52 s | 5.05–5.33 s | Sub-5.05 s |
Guards typically test faster than forwards and centers.
Soccer
Soccer testing centers on 10 to 30 meter splits, and a 10-yard dash test often captures match acceleration better than the full 40. Professional rows come from national-team and professional testing [6][9], and women's high school and college rows from a direct 40-yard test [10].
Men's Soccer
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.59–6.03 s | 5.39–5.58 s | 5.04–5.38 s | Sub-5.04 s |
| High School | 5.16–5.57 s | 4.98–5.15 s | 4.75–4.97 s | Sub-4.75 s |
| College | 4.96–5.27 s | 4.83–4.95 s | 4.63–4.82 s | Sub-4.63 s |
| Professional | 4.76–4.96 s | 4.67–4.75 s | 4.51–4.66 s | Sub-4.51 s |
Women's Soccer
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.84–6.27 s | 5.64–5.83 s | 5.31–5.63 s | Sub-5.31 s |
| High School | 5.63–6.02 s | 5.46–5.62 s | 5.18–5.45 s | Sub-5.18 s |
| College | 5.45–5.78 s | 5.30–5.44 s | 5.06–5.29 s | Sub-5.06 s |
| Professional | 5.27–5.55 s | 5.15–5.26 s | 4.94–5.14 s | Sub-4.94 s |
Forwards and wide midfielders typically test faster than center backs and goalkeepers.
Baseball and Softball
Baseball has long used the 60-yard dash, and teams increasingly track baseball's 30 and 10-yard dashes as well. The Professional row is converted from pro scouting speed grades [11][17]. Softball speed is most often tested home to first, where college recruiting standards put Division I players at about 2.9 to 3.0 seconds over that 60 feet [16].
Baseball
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.80–6.36 s | 5.54–5.79 s | 5.11–5.53 s | Sub-5.11 s |
| High School | 5.24–5.75 s | 5.06–5.23 s | 4.87–5.05 s | Sub-4.87 s |
| College | 5.08–5.45 s | 4.95–5.07 s | 4.77–4.94 s | Sub-4.77 s |
| Professional | 4.95–5.15 s | 4.84–4.94 s | 4.67–4.83 s | Sub-4.67 s |
Softball
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 6.15–6.58 s | 5.95–6.14 s | 5.62–5.94 s | Sub-5.62 s |
| High School | 5.93–6.31 s | 5.76–5.92 s | 5.47–5.75 s | Sub-5.47 s |
| College | 5.74–6.07 s | 5.59–5.73 s | 5.34–5.58 s | Sub-5.34 s |
| Professional | 5.55–5.82 s | 5.43–5.54 s | 5.22–5.42 s | Sub-5.22 s |
Outfielders and middle infielders typically test faster than catchers and corner infielders.
Track and Field
Track sprinters produce the fastest 40-yard times of any sport [6]. Youth rows come from academy athletes across all event groups [7].
Men's Track and Field
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.43–5.88 s | 5.23–5.42 s | 4.88–5.22 s | Sub-4.88 s |
| High School | 5.10–5.49 s | 4.93–5.09 s | 4.63–4.92 s | Sub-4.63 s |
| College | 4.83–5.10 s | 4.70–4.82 s | 4.44–4.69 s | Sub-4.44 s |
| Elite / National | 4.56–4.70 s | 4.47–4.55 s | 4.25–4.46 s | Sub-4.25 s |
Women's Track and Field
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.75–6.08 s | 5.60–5.74 s | 5.35–5.59 s | Sub-5.35 s |
| High School | 5.63–5.97 s | 5.47–5.62 s | 5.20–5.46 s | Sub-5.20 s |
| College | 5.27–5.54 s | 5.15–5.26 s | 4.95–5.14 s | Sub-4.95 s |
| Elite / National | 4.90–5.10 s | 4.82–4.89 s | 4.70–4.81 s | Sub-4.70 s |
Sprinters and jumpers set the top of these ranges. Distance runners and throwers typically test slower, since top speed is not their training focus.
Rugby
Men's rows come from players tested from youth through senior club level [12]. Women's rows are extrapolated from the men's using the published sex difference at 40 meters [6], and league-level data suggests many women's club players will test slower [13].
Men's Rugby
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School / U14 | 5.62–6.08 s | 5.40–5.61 s | 5.04–5.39 s | Sub-5.04 s |
| High School / U16–U18 | 5.03–5.43 s | 4.85–5.02 s | 4.53–4.84 s | Sub-4.53 s |
| College / Club | 4.90–5.27 s | 4.74–4.89 s | 4.45–4.73 s | Sub-4.45 s |
| Professional | 4.78–5.12 s | 4.63–4.77 s | 4.37–4.62 s | Sub-4.37 s |
Women's Rugby
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School / U14 | 5.95–6.42 s | 5.72–5.94 s | 5.36–5.71 s | Sub-5.36 s |
| High School / U16–U18 | 5.50–5.94 s | 5.30–5.49 s | 4.95–5.29 s | Sub-4.95 s |
| College / Club | 5.36–5.76 s | 5.18–5.35 s | 4.86–5.17 s | Sub-4.86 s |
| Professional | 5.23–5.59 s | 5.06–5.22 s | 4.77–5.05 s | Sub-4.77 s |
Backs typically test faster than forwards at the same level [12].
Lacrosse
Peer-reviewed lacrosse sprint research informs the tables below, including direct 40-yard testing of NCAA women's players [10][15].
Men's Lacrosse
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.63–6.07 s | 5.43–5.62 s | 5.08–5.42 s | Sub-5.08 s |
| High School | 5.20–5.61 s | 5.02–5.19 s | 4.79–5.01 s | Sub-4.79 s |
| College | 5.00–5.31 s | 4.87–4.99 s | 4.67–4.86 s | Sub-4.67 s |
| Professional | 4.80–5.00 s | 4.71–4.79 s | 4.55–4.70 s | Sub-4.55 s |
Women's Lacrosse
| Level | Average | Good | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School | 5.87–6.30 s | 5.67–5.86 s | 5.34–5.66 s | Sub-5.34 s |
| High School | 5.67–6.04 s | 5.50–5.66 s | 5.22–5.49 s | Sub-5.22 s |
| College | 5.48–5.82 s | 5.33–5.47 s | 5.08–5.32 s | Sub-5.08 s |
| Professional | 5.29–5.59 s | 5.16–5.28 s | 4.93–5.15 s | Sub-4.93 s |
Attack and midfield players typically test faster than defenders.
Understanding Your Numbers
Every timing method measures something slightly different, and hand timing creates the biggest gap. In 81 NCAA Division I football players, experienced hand timers read 0.22 seconds faster than electronic timing on the same runs, and novice timers 0.26 seconds faster [4]. That is why laser 40 times run slower than stopwatch times: a hand-timed 4.50 is closer to a 4.72 on gates.
The start procedure matters almost as much. Over 40 meters, a three-point hand-release start (the NFL Combine method) read 0.17 seconds faster than a block start reacting to a gun, and a standing start triggered by a photocell at the line read 0.27 seconds faster than the block start [5]. The same study gives a 0.92 factor for converting a 40-meter time to 40 yards [5]. Compare a result only against a table built on the same start and timing method.
Surface and body size matter as well. A track usually runs faster than turf or grass. In football, a 310-pound lineman running 4.85 is producing far more momentum than a 175-pound receiver running the same time [1]. Warm-up state and time of season move the number too, so a single test is a snapshot, not a fixed value.
Using a 40-Yard Benchmark Across a Season
The number is a starting point, not an endpoint. A 5.05 means something different for a high school receiver than for a high school lineman, so match the reference point to the athlete's sport, position, and level before drawing conclusions. After that, what changes across a training block matters more than where one result lands on a table.
The 40 is sensitive enough to track that change. With electronic timing, the smallest worthwhile difference in trained college athletes is about 0.12 seconds [4], so a drop of more than that between tests is likely real. That only holds if the start position, surface, footwear, warm-up, and gate placement stay the same from session to session.
Coaches who test the same group every few weeks begin to see patterns. A 40 that slows mid-season can be an early sign an athlete is carrying too much load, and an improvement after a dedicated acceleration block shows the work transferred. Paired with 10-yard splits and vertical jump testing, a trend in the 40 gives a clear read on how an athlete's speed is developing across the year.
Sources
- Gillen, Z. M. (2023). Percentile rankings and position differences for absolute and allometrically scaled performance measures from the National Football League Scouting Combine (n = 3,015). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 37(12), e613–e624. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2023/12000/percentile_rankings_and_position_differences_for.26.aspx
- McKay, B. D., et al. (2020). Normative reference values for high school-aged American football players: Proagility drill and 40-yard dash split times (n = 7,478). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(4). https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2020/04000/normative_reference_values_for_high_school_aged.38.aspx
- Leutzinger, T. J., et al. (2018). Anthropometric and athletic performance combine test results among positions within grade levels of high school-aged American football players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(5). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29389695/
- Mann, J. B., Ivey, P. J., Brechue, W. F., & Mayhew, J. L. (2015). Validity and reliability of hand and electronic timing for 40-yd sprint in college football players (n = 81). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(6), 1509–1514. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25785707/
- Haugen, T. A., Tønnessen, E., & Seiler, S. K. (2012). The difference is in the start: Impact of timing and start procedure on sprint running performance (n = 25). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(2), 473–479. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22233797/
- Haugen, T. A., Breitschädel, F., & Seiler, S. (2019). Sprint mechanical variables in elite athletes: Are force-velocity profiles sport specific or individual? (n = 666). PLOS ONE, 14(7), e0215551. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0215551
- Larkin, P., Sortino, B., Carlon, T., Saunders, T., & Pane, C. (2023). Gender- and sport-specific normative anthropometric and physical values in talent-identified high school athletes (n = 794). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 37(3), 606–615. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35836319/
- Caswell, S. V., et al. (2016). Anthropometrics, physical performance, and injury characteristics of youth American football. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 4(8). https://mars.gmu.edu/handle/1920/10509
- Haugen, T. A., Tønnessen, E., & Seiler, S. (2013). Anaerobic performance testing of professional soccer players 1995–2010 (n = 939). International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 8, 148–156. https://uia.brage.unit.no/uia-xmlui/handle/11250/139059
- Vescovi, J. D., & McGuigan, M. R. (2008). Relationships between sprinting, agility, and jump ability in female athletes (n = 213). Journal of Sports Sciences, 26(1), 97–107. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17852692
- Glaser, K. (2026). Explaining the 20-80 baseball scouting scale. Baseball America. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/explaining-the-20-80-baseball-scouting-scale/
- Zabaloy, S., et al. (2021). In-season assessment of sprint speed and sprint momentum in rugby players according to the age category and playing position (n = 158). Journal of Human Kinetics, 77. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8008306/
- Scantlebury, S., et al. (2022). The anthropometric and physical qualities of women's rugby league Super League and international players; identifying differences in playing position and level. PLOS ONE, 17(1). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0249803
- Stojanović, E., et al. (2022). A systematic review on fitness testing in adult male basketball players: Tests adopted, characteristics reported and recommendations for practice. Sports Medicine, 52(7). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9213321/
- Vescovi, J. D., Brown, T. D., & Murray, T. M. (2007). Descriptive characteristics of NCAA Division I women lacrosse players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 10(5). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16962826/
- Next College Student Athlete (NCSA). Softball recruiting guidelines: home-to-first base standards by division, based on National Fastpitch Coaches Association testing. https://www.ncsasports.org/softball/recruiting-guidelines
- High School Baseball Web. Pro scouting rating system: 60-yard dash times by grade. http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/pro-scouting/rating_system.htm
