Sportreact as Laser Beam Timing Gates: Everything you Need to Know
- Ivan Josipović
- Nov 12, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 24
Explore how Sportreact functions as a powerful alternative to traditional timing gates laser beam systems, and why it’s a game-changer for athletes and coaches alike. I'll walk you through standard speed and change of direction test templates, how to create custom ones, and the full range of metric and analytics you can gather—for a data-driven progress of your athletes.
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Why are Sportreact Gates Unique?
These are three main differences:
Pod-to-Pod Lasers: Instead of using an old-fashioned system where a device emits a laser beam and a reflector panel reflects it back, Sportreact uses electronic devices on both sides of the gate, with each pod emitting and receiving the lasers. This setup makes gate alignment fast, precise, and reliable. See more about gates alignment below.
Versatile, Durable, and Lightweight Design: Sportreact’s crash, water, and sun resistant 3-gate system weighs only 14 lbs, making it easy to carry, set up, and reposition during sessions.
Real-Time Testing Software: User-friendly mobile app makes it easy to drag and drop athletes to set and reset sequences, track individual data, and display leaderboards. Save and show athletes their progress over time in key performance metrics.
Test Standard Speed and Change of Direction Drills
Sportreact makes it quick and easy to test athletes with more than 50 standardized speed and change of direction (CoD) tests. You can either choose from the pre-created templates already available in the app, templates created from other users, or create your own using the easy test builder.
Some of the pre-created tests are listed below:
Sprint test 0-15-30 meters
Use for: Explosive power, sprint mechanics, acceleration, maximum velocity, overall speed, performance tracking, speed optimization.
5-10-5 Test (Pro Shuttle)
Use for: Lateral quickness, change of direction, balance, reaction time, body control, acceleration, deceleration.
Short Shuttle
Use for: Change of direction, acceleration, deceleration, lateral movement, reaction time, body control.
Cone CoD Test (L CoD Test)
Use for: Change of direction, footwork, body control, reaction time.
Illinois CoD Drill
Use for: Change of direction, speed, body control, reaction time.
Arrowhead CoD Drill
Use for: Change of direction, speed, footwork, body control.
505 CoD Test
Use for: Change of direction, speed, body control, reaction time.
T CoD Test
Use for: Change of direction, footwork, speed, body control.
Zigzag Test
Use for: Speed, change of direction, quickness, body control, agility.
Each pre-created template in the app provides a clear testing scheme, showing exact gate positions. All templates are available with a single click, and you can adjust certain test parameters, which we’ll cover next.
Create Your Custom Timing Drills
To start creating a custom test, decide which gates you want to include. With Sportreact, you can add up to 6 gates simply by connecting to 12 pods.
Each Sportreact gate consists of two pods devices, marked with odd and even numbers, on each side of the gate.
Selecting gates works in three easy steps:
Step 1: Add timing gates you want to include in the test. Selecting a gate is easy—just press the gate you want to include, and it will appear in the order below.
Step 2: To add distance between gates for measuring velocity, simply click the 'Add Distance' button and enter the required distance for your test.
Step 3: To reorder gates, simply drag and drop the gate to your desired position. You can see more in our video tutorials.
Align Sportreact Timing Gates
How do Sportreact gates work? To form a laser beam, simply place two Sportreact pods facing each other. It's important to use pods labeled with odd and even numbers when setting up the gate.
When the odd and even numbers are aligned correctly, the LED screen will show a green indicator, signaling that the gate is ready. You will see the same indicator in the app. That's it - gates are aligned! Learn more about gate alignment here.
Why are Sportreact gates unique? This is the first gate system that doesn't use an old-school emitter device and receiver reflector. Sportreact has a device on both sides, and each pod acts as both a receiver and an emitter. This makes gate alignment super easy, as the laser operates more precisely, seamlessly, and intuitively than traditional laser-reflector systems.
Sportreact doesn't use an old-school emitter device and receiver reflector. Each pod acts as both a receiver and an emitter.
Why is this important?
By using a receiver device instead of a reflector, you can align gates faster and more intuitively in various settings. Reflector panels are often challenging to work with because they must be perfectly aligned with the emitter. With Sportreact, the receiver intercepts the beam and then emits it back, so you’re not reliant on "reflections". Here are some key benefits:
⏰ Save time: Align gates in a matter of minutes.
☀️ No sun interference: Direct sunlight won’t affect the devices, unlike with reflectors.
📐 Flexible angles: Sportreact gates can even operate at different heights or widths. Ideally, keep the angle between 0–5 degrees, but the laser beam can still form up to 30 degrees difference.
By using a receiver device instead of a reflector, you can align gates faster and more intuitively in various settings.
Add Athletes, Teams, and The Whole Roasters
With gates selected and aligned, you can start your testing session. Sportreact functions as a basic athlete management system, allowing you to add teams, coaches, and athletes to the app. Before starting a session, you can select specific athletes or teams to perform the tests.
Use the Sportreact Scan & Start NFC bands to automate athlete identification via bracelets. Since Sportreact is a cloud-based service, all results are saved to athlete profiles, enabling later access for detailed analytics.
Get Instant Data and Results
Start the run
Depending on the specific testing requirements, you can start timing either by running through the first gate or after a countdown with a beep signal.
Starting speed tests with a sound or visual signal
Mimic real game scenarios where athletes often rely on auditory or visual cues, such as whistles, guns, or shouts, to react. This method not only improves the realism of the test but also helps assess an athlete’s reaction time to auditory stimuli, an essential component of reactive agility in sports.
Starting a speed test by passing the first gate
Allow athletes to build momentum and better reflects running mechanics from a moving start. This method minimizes reaction time as a variable, focusing instead on pure sprint speed, which can be useful in tests where initial acceleration isn’t the primary focus.
Track the results
When the test starts, you'll see three key data points:
Total time and velocity for the drill: Reveal an athlete’s speed, acceleration, and ability to sustain performance. Assess both peak speed and endurance, pinpointing strengths and areas needing improvement
Time and velocity for each split: Reveal an athlete’s acceleration, deceleration, and consistency, whether in initial acceleration, maintaining speed, or finishing strong
Cumulative time for each split: Show overall progress throughout the drill, helping identify pacing and endurance across each test phase
We've designed the system to be seamless for use on the field. Check out some of the interesting extras on the feature list:
Leaderboard
View the exact timing of the current athlete compared to all athletes in the session.
Cycles
See who is next in the sequence. To rearrange athletes, simply drag and drop.
Next Athlete
When the next athlete is ready, simply press the start button to begin timing
Data display on a big-screen leaderboard
If a screen is available, display a live leaderboard during testing to provide real-time performance updates for coaches, athletes, parents, and spectators. This feature not only keeps everyone engaged but also elevates the competitive spirit among athletes.
XLSX Export
If you need to export results for research or to build a database for your club or academy, you can easily export the data for further analysis.
Get More With Data Analytics
Whether you're looking to track athletes' results across multiple sessions, compare differences through time, or analyze team performance, Sportreact timing gates laser beam system analytics provides valuable insights to support your decision-making.
Explore some of the most common use cases with Sportreact analytics:
Compare athletes' results over time
Select multiple sessions an athlete has completed over time to compare their time and velocity metrics.
Use case example: You're testing your team during pre-season, mid-season, and post-season. By comparing results across these periods, you can gain insights into factors like fatigue and performance trends that align with seasonal periodization.
Compare team results across testing session
Select the results from the testing session you want to compare.
Use case example: You're testing multiple athletes in the same session. By comparing their results side-by-side, you can identify performance variations and benchmark each athlete’s metrics. This allows you to assess individual strengths, highlight areas for improvement, and foster healthy competition within the team.
Compare team results across testing sessions through the time
Select the results from different testing sessions through the time that you want to compare.
Use case example: You want to compare summer camp results for multiple athletes over the years. Select the test and results from different years to analyze the performance trends and identify improvements or areas for growth
Disclaimer: We just dropped a new Analytics features. Check out more around it here.
Check the Gates Specs
Check out some tech specs of Sportreact Starter Kit:
Hardware
Starter Kit Package | 6 pods & tripods (3-gates), 6 add-on docks, 6 suctions cups, strap, 2 bags |
Pod dimensions (per unit) | 93 mm (3.6in) x 93 mm (3.6 in) x 22 mm (0.9 in); 180 g (0.4 lb) |
Tripod dimensions (per unit) | 460 mm (17.7 in) x 50 mm (2 in) x 50 mm (2 in); 450 g (1 lb) |
Charger | 82 mm (3.2 in) x 200 mm (7.9 in) x 29 mm (1.2 in); 315 g (0.7 lb) |
Pods case | 365 mm (14.4 in) x 220 mm (8.7 in) x 90 mm (3.5 in); 2000 g (4.4 lb) |
Tripods case | 490 mm (19.3 in) x 200 mm (7.9 in) x 200 mm (7.9 in); 4500 g (9.9 lb) |
Shipping package | 500 mm (19.7 in) x 300 mm (11.2 in) x 300 mm (11.2 in); 6500 g (14.3 lb) |
System
Laser beam sensor | Infrared pod-to-pod signal detection 10m (11yd) |
Proximity sensor | Distance Ranging Time-of-Flight sensor 100m (110yd) (50Hz, FoV 27 deg) |
Vibration sensor | 3-Axis Digital Accelerometer (1.6g to 16g, resolution - 1.6g) |
Display screen | 7 x 7 matrix RGB LED (49 pixels); 8-bit RGB specter; 231 predefined signs |
Time unit | 1/1000th of a second |
Communication
Inter-unit | 60 m (65.6 yd) (primary unit to furthest unit) |
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) | 30 m (32.81 yd) (primary unit to mobile device) |
Wireless | IEEE Std. 802.11-2012 |
Maximum connections | 12 pods - 12 reaction lights or 6 gates |
Power
Battery power | +3.7V 2500mAh Li-Ion rechargeable battery |
Battery life | 10h idle use (default settings), 8 active use (default settings) |
Charging time | 3.5 hours |
Connectivity | USB-C port |
Enclosure
Durability | Durable & high environmental stability Polyamide 12 nylon material |
Water resistance | Dust tight and water resistant (IP66) |
Working temperature | 0°C - 35°C (32°F - 95°F) |
[USE CASE] Test a Large Group of Soccer Players
Whether you’re a club S&C coach or an individual coach, testing dozens or even hundreds of youth athletes can feel overwhelming. To efficiently test soccer players’ speed and CoD, we started by preparing for the session, selecting the appropriate tests, and executing them consistently. We compiled an actionable report based on the data, and conclude with a feedback summary for the athletes and their parents.
Check out how Sportreact timing gates enhance on-field performance, streamline session organization, and facilitate comparisons between the 30-Yard Dash and Illinois Agility Test results against normative data. Read the full article here.
What’s Next? Add a Reactive Component To Your Tests
Standard speed and COD testing are just the beginning. The real progress occurs when we add reactive stimuli, which trains athletes to respond quickly and accurately to visual cues. To be truly agile, athletes need to execute various psychomotor activities simultaneously. Reactive agility involves skills like visual scanning, pattern recognition, and situational awareness.
With Sportreact, you can introduce cognitive stimuli like arrows, numbers, letters, or colors, creating game-like scenarios while tracking speed with timing gates. Try integrating tests like the Stop'n'Go, Y-test, Reactive T-test, or other sport-specific agility drills to enhance performance.
Ready For Testing With Pro Laser Beam Timing Gates
For every athlete and coach pursuing top performance, measuring and improving speed change of direction, and agility are essential. While traditional timing gates have long been a staple, innovations like Sportreact are transforming performance assessment with added dimensions of cognitive agility.
If you're interested in seeing Sportreact timing gates in action, book a demo call with one of our experts to elevate your testing sessions to the next level.
IVAN JOSIPOVIC
Meet Ivan: co-founder of Sportreact, brings 5 years of expertise in sports technology, exploring innovations in performance training, testing tools, and gym equipment.
A regular at events like NSCA conferences, FIBO, ISPO, and CES, Ivan shares insights on Sportreact updates, how-to guides, and inspiring testimonials from the sports world.
