Reliability, validity, and feasibility of a method for assessing sport-specific reactive agility in badminton players

Background Reactive agility is a critical determinant of badminton performance, reflecting an athlete’s ability to rapidly perceive, decide, and execute movement responses under dynamic conditions. However, there is a lack of standardized and sport-specific assessment tools to evaluate this multidimensional skill in badminton. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the reliability, validity, and feasibility of a badminton-specific reactive agility test (B-RAT). Methods Nine technical and three strength coaches assessed the content validity of the B-RAT using a four-point scale. A total of 201 professional athletes (119 male, 82 female) from provincial and national teams participated in the testing. Test-retest reliability was examined in 58 athletes across two sessions separated by seven days. Criterion validity was assessed in 28 single players by correlating B-RAT performance with simulated match outcomes, while construct validity was evaluated by comparing B-RAT results with established change of direction speed (CODS) tests and among athletes of different competition levels. Feasibility was assessed based on experts’ ratings of practicality, clarity, and resource requirements. Results The B-RAT demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.90, CV = 5.82%), strong content validity (S-CVI = 0.93), and correlations with match ranking ( r = 0.65 − 0.76, p < 0.05). In addition, B-RAT was significantly associated with five conventional CODS tests ( r = 0.52 − 0.71, p < 0.01), and effectively differentiated athletes by competition level ( d = 1.39 − 1.67; η 2 = 0.29 − 0.43, p < 0.05). The feasibility score exceeded the required threshold (≥ 35/50). Conclusions The B-RAT is a reliable, valid, and feasible test for assessing sport-specific reactive agility in badminton players. It effectively integrates perceptual-cognitive and motor components, providing a practical and standardized tool for evaluating performance, guiding individualized training, and monitoring agility development in competitive badminton contexts.