What is force plate testing?

Force plate testing measures the force an athlete applies to the ground — the ground reaction force — as they jump, land, push or stand, and turns it into objective numbers about how they produce and absorb that force. It has become a standard tool in sport and rehabilitation because it reveals how a movement is performed, not just the outcome: the power, left–right asymmetry and day-to-day readiness that the eye and a tape measure miss.

This is a short overview of what force plate testing is, what it measures, who uses it, and the main tests involved. For the deeper mechanics — how a plate works and the metrics in detail — see our force plate basics guide.

What is force plate testing?

A force plate is a precise, fast instrument that records the force pressing down on it hundreds of times a second, producing a force-time curve for whatever the athlete does on it. Force plate testing is the practice of using that curve to assess an athlete: how much force they produce, how quickly, how evenly between limbs, and how it changes over time. Stand still and the plate reads bodyweight; jump, land or pull and the rising and falling force tells the story of the movement.

What does force plate testing measure?

From the force-time curve, the software derives the metrics that matter — peak force (strength), rate of force development (how fast force is produced), jump height and power (explosiveness), left–right asymmetry, and balance (centre of pressure). You don’t need all of them; a few reliable numbers cover most decisions. Our force plate basics guide walks through the full metric set and how to read each one.

Who uses force plate testing?

• Strength & conditioning and performance. Profile power and explosiveness, screen left–right asymmetries before they become problems, and monitor readiness and fatigue across a training block.
• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Support return-to-play decisions with objective limb-symmetry data, and track both limbs through recovery — replacing a calendar date with evidence the injured side is ready.
• Research. Quantify neuromuscular performance reliably enough to publish, without a lab full of equipment.

The main force plate tests

Most force plate testing is built on a handful of tests, each exposing a different quality:

• Countermovement jump (CMJ) — lower-body explosive power and neuromuscular readiness; the single most widely used test.
• Drop jump and RSI — reactive strength: how quickly an athlete turns a landing back into a take-off.
• Isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) — maximal strength, measured safely and with almost no fatigue.
• Athletic Shoulder (ASH) test — isometric shoulder strength for overhead and contact athletes; the upper-body test on the plates.
• Balance, repeated hops, general movement, and more — see the full Test Library for every test type and how to run it.

Getting started

You don’t need a lab. A portable dual force plate like the PlateMate runs these tests in seconds, gives you power, asymmetry and the full force-time curve in ForceMate, and tracks every athlete’s trend over time — the same lab-grade measurement, on a gym floor or in a clinic. See the validation studies for how it compares to reference systems, or start with the force plate basics guide to go a level deeper.

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Want to see how force plate testing could fit your setup? Get in touch with the CC Athletics team.