ArenaGear University · Buyer's Guide

Athletic Speed Testing Equipment: What Coaches Actually Need (and What You Can Skip)

A coach's buying breakdown of the speed testing gear that matters, and the add-ons programs pay for but rarely use.

What you actually need

1. Electronic timing gates

Speed testing starts with a trustworthy number. Look for 0.001-second accuracy, wireless gates, and a beam mounted at waist height so it triggers near the athlete's center of mass. A 2-gate system covers sprints; a 1-gate system handles flys and laps.

2. Eye-safe detection

Ask what light source the gates use. Many systems use Class 3R lasers, which are not eye-safe. ArenaGear uses eye-safe infrared. Why it matters.

3. Fast, one-person setup

Self-aligning gates mean no reflectors and no aiming. If setup takes a crew, testing won't happen as often as it should.

4. Batteries you can replace anywhere

ArenaGear runs about 80 hours on AA batteries, with live battery status in the app.

5. Software that keeps the data

The timer is half the system. TEAMS, ArenaGear's free cloud data management service, stores every rep for unlimited athletes and gives you lifetime records, consistency, trends, and exports sorted by class, athlete or drill.

6. Vertical jump

Most programs test jumps alongside sprints. ArenaGear's vertical jump is $99, one time, measured by flight time from the gate.

Worth adding as you grow

• Split gates for 10- and 20-yard acceleration splits
• NFC wristbands for fast athlete ID at camps and combines ($0.99 disposable event bands)
• A large display board (15" or 30") so athletes see times instantly
• Automatic video with a second phone or iPad; clips are security watermarked with each athlete's name and time

What you can skip

• Per-athlete roster fees. You shouldn't pay to type in a name. ArenaGear charges $0.
• Subscriptions for features you already bought. Look for one-time pricing.
• Stopwatches as your record of truth. Fine for a quick check, not for data you'll compare or send to recruiters.
• Short warranties. Timing gear lives outdoors. ArenaGear's warranty is 3 years.

A complete starting kit

The RM-510 System + Vertical Jump is $798 total, compared with $1,940 over five years for a comparable competitor system. ArenaGear is the most cost-effective professional timing system on the market, used by thousands of schools and professional teams. See the full cost breakdown.

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