Rugby Bleep Test

OBJETIVE: To assess fitness levels of players
GEAR: Audio file Or Tape Or Cd + Cones
PLAYERS: Whole team

The Bleep Test or Multi Stage Fitness Test is a test that is a commonly used to assess aerobic fitness. It is also known as the 20 meter shuttle run test, beep test or bleep test. The test involves running continuously between two points that are 20 m apart. These runs are synchronized with a pre-recorded audio tape or CD, which plays beeps at set intervals. As the test proceeds, the interval between each bleep reduces, forcing the participants to increase velocity over the course of the test, at the point in which the participant cannot keep up they must drop out – and their score is recorded using the level table below.

Shuttle Set Up
The recording is typically structured into 23 ‘levels’, each of which lasts around 63 seconds. Usually, the interval of beeps is calculated as requiring a speed at the start of 8.0 km/h, increasing by 0.5 km/h with each level. The progression from one level to the next is signaled by 3 rapid beeps.

Level
Shuttles
Speed (km/h)
Seconds per shuttle
Total level time (s)
Distance (m)
Cumulative Distance (m)
Cumulative Time (min and seconds)

1 7 8.0 9.0 63 140 140 1:03
2 8 8.5 8.47 67.8 160 300 2:11
3 8 9.0 8 64 160 460 3:15
4 8 9.5 7.58 60.64 160 620 4:15
5 9 10.0 7.2 64.8 180 800 5:20
6 9 10.5 6.86 61.74 180 980 6:22
7 10 11.0 6.55 65.5 200 1180 7:27
8 10 11.5 6.26 62.6 200 1380 8:30
9 11 12.0 6.0 66.0 220 1600 9:36
10 11 12.5 5.76 63.36 220 1820 10:39
11 11 13.0 5.54 60.94 220 2040 11:40
12 12 13.5 5.33 63.96 240 2280 12:44
13 12 14.0 5.14 61.68 240 2520 13:46
14 13 14.5 4.97 64.61 260 2780 14:51
15 13 15.0 4.8 62.4 260 3040 15:53
16 13 15.5 4.65 60.45 260 3300 16:53
17 14 16.0 4.5 63.0 280 3580 17:56
18 14 16.5 4.36 61.04 280 3860 18:57
19 15 17.0 4.24 63.6 300 4160 20:00
20 15 17.5 4.11 61.65 300 4460 21:02
21 16 18.0 4.0 64 320 4780 22:06

Advantages: Large teams can perform this test all at the same time – using the free audio file provided the costs are little to none.

Disadvantages: Practice and motivation levels can influence the score participants attain. As the test is often conducted outside, the environmental conditions can also affect the results.