Validity and reliability of field tests to assess performance of wheelchair rugby athletes: A preliminary study

Quality field tests of athletic performance are important tools for coaches and athletes to evaluate athlete capabilities and changes over time. Current field tests for wheelchair rugby have not been well evaluated. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of five wheelchair rugby field tests (ball passing, two sprint tests, two agility tests). Wheelchair rugby players (n = 12) performed the field tests on 2 occasions, separated by 2 weeks, and performed a maximal isokinetic upper-extremity strength test (shoulder flexors and extensors). Spearman correlation was used to examine the relationship among the different field tests as well as to study the relationship with upper-extremity strength and athlete classification. Field test scores were evaluated for reliability across time with intraclass correlation (ICC) and the smallest detectable differences were determined. All tests, except passing, were highly correlated with each other (ρ > 0.85). Test-retest reliability (ICC) ranged between 0.89 – 0.99. Only the long sprint clockwise showed a good correlation with average upper-extremity force production (ρ > 0.75). All wheeling field tests had moderate to excellent correlation with athlete classification (ρ = 0.75 – 0.90). Based on these results, these wheelchair rugby field tests were deemed reliable and have discriminative validity (based on classification), though it may not be necessary to perform all tests to gauge an athlete’s overall rugby skill level. Although the results are promising, a full validation should be conducted with a larger sample size.