Invasion sports require offensive and defensive agility, but rarely CODS. Agility and CODS
are different tasks due to the unpredictability and cognitive elements of agility, which are
absent in CODS tasks. Evidence exists that agility tests are better able to discriminate higherstandard
from lower-standard athletes than CODS tests, and therefore training and
assessment of athletes should focus on agility. However, the majority of past research that
has recommended physical training and testing, has been restricted to CODS tasks, and
therefore may have limited application to agility in invasion sports. Accordingly, coaches and
sport scientists are advised to develop training programs and tests that target the multidimensional
nature of agility as required in sport, which includes a reactive element. In
relation to testing, the challenge is to develop reliable tests that use sport-specific agility
scenarios that capture the complexity of movement and decision-making aspects of on-field
agility. This requires the inclusion of a ball or other sport-specific equipment, a variety of
views (not just front-on), multiple players, different movements and some deceptive actions.
Current agility tests have been restricted to the defensive role, and it is not known whether
offensive agility is unique.