Reliability and Validity of the BlazePod System for Measuring Pre-Planned Agility in Soccer Players

BlazePod is a portable visual-cognitive training tool that uses light modules and a Bluetooth-connected app to assess and train sport-specific skills such as agility, reaction time, and balance. Despite its increasing use, limited evidence exists on its psychometric properties in standardized agility tests. This study examined the reliability, validity, and agreement of BlazePod during a T-Test of agility in competitive soccer players. Thirty players (mean age 22.1 ± 4.7 years) completed three T-Test trials per device (BlazePod and photocell timing systems) in a crossover design on separate testing days. Test – retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and repeated measures ANOVA; Pearson correlations and Bland – Altman analysis evaluated validity and agreement. BlazePod showed excellent reliability (ICC = 0.97), strong correlation with photocell measures (r = 0.88–0.92, p < .001), and a positive bias (0.75 s) with limits of agreement ranging from −0.46 to +1.96 s. These results indicate that BlazePod is a reliable and valid tool for assessing preplanned agility in soccer players, providing a practical portable alternative to photocell systems. However, due to the systematic bias, caution is warranted when using BlazePod to monitor subtle longitudinal changes in performance.