A planned, pre-cued shift in running direction, typically tested by cutting or shuttle drills.
Change of Direction describes an athlete's ability to decelerate, reorient, and re-accelerate along a new pathway, usually assessed with closed-skill tests like the 505 or T-test where the movement pattern is known in advance. It is often distinguished from agility, which adds an unanticipated perceptual-cognitive stimulus (reacting to a stimulus or opponent), though in practice the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in the literature. COD performance is influenced by braking strength, hip/ankle stiffness, and technique, and is commonly used both as a physical quality and a return-to-sport benchmark after lower-limb injury.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.