Every year the National Football League (NFL) hosts a combine for eligible prospects to showcase their talents, with a big emphasis on speed, specifically the 40-yard dash. Speed is a specific characteristic that is required in football and can make a difference between a multimillion dollar contract and not getting a contract at all.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of front foot placement on the ability to maximize take-off velocity. The emphasis of this study was to determine if front foot placement influences ground reaction forces during the start.
Eighteen Division I male football players (age 20.62 ± 1.61 years; height 1.85 ± 0.07 m; weight 97.54 ± 16.23 kg) performed 3-point sprint starts without blocks on two force platforms. The current study observed that a 12-inch front foot placement from the starting line generated a greater peak resultant force (Fr) and lower angle of peak Fr vs. 6-inch front foot placement (t17= -2.929, P = 0.009; t17 = 3.365, P = 0.004, respectively). No difference was observed between conditions in horizontal impulse, horizontal take-off velocity, or time to 5 yards.
Further research should look at the role of sprint start experience, which front foot placement distance will elicit the greatest horizontal impulse, and how valid 5-yard time are on different surfaces such as turf, grass and force platforms.