Y Balance Test Lower Quarter Reliability, Validity, Procedure, & Normative Data

By Rolando (Ro) Rodriguez, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS & Phil Plisky, PT, DSc, ATC, CSCS

Overview of the Y Balance Test

The Y Balance Test Lower Quarter (YBT-LQ) is a widely studied, reliable, and quantitative assessment that is considered a gold standard for testing dynamic single-leg balance at the limit of stability. It has been studied across various populations and prominently featured in many professional and collegiate sports combines. Unlike traditional return-to-sport tests and risk assessments, which are often limited to a single plane of motion, the YBT-LQ evaluates performance across multiple planes—reflecting the reality of sports and daily activities, which typically involve multiplanar movements.

The practicality and versatility of the YBT-LQ make it a widely used tool in both sports and rehabilitation settings.  It is used to test physical readiness, as a return to sport/performance battery, for injury risk reduction, and in pre- and post-intervention studies.

Individuals may fail the YBT-LQ, which is associated with an increased risk of injury, for a variety of reasons, including pain that alters motor control, poor static balance, limited mobility, or suboptimal lower extremity capacity. The YBT-LQ works well in conjunction with other rehabilitation tools—such as mobility assessments, movement screens, and strength and capacity testing—which can help identify the specific factors contributing to an individual’s performance or failure, as the YBT-LQ itself only measures dynamic neuromuscular control. 

A standardized approach (outlined in the next section) guides clinicians on how to explain the YBT-LQ and how participants should perform the test. The straightforward instructions contribute to the test’s high intrarater and interrater reliability, enabling confidence in assessing injury risk and measuring improvement after interventions. For injury prevention, it is important to assess performance against specific thresholds: comparing side-to-side reach distances within an individual and referencing standardized norms (composite score) that account for variables such as gender, age, sport (if applicable), and limb length. Meeting these thresholds reduces the risk of lower extremity injuries and enhances injury prevention efforts.

What is the reliability of the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter?

The reliability of the YBT-LQ has been extensively studied ^{9,25,33,40,46,53-56}  across various populations, with nine studies evaluating its consistency and reproducibility (see Table 1). Intrarater reliability, measured using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), ranged from 0.57 to 0.82 in adolescent populations,⁴⁰ (moderate to good reliability) and from 0.85 to 0.91 in adult populations⁹  (good to excellent reliability). Interrater reliability demonstrated higher ICCs, ranging from 0.81 to 1.00^9,33,46,53 (good to excellent reliability). Test-retest reliability, assessed in five studies, reported ICCs ranging from 0.63 to 0.93 (moderate to excellent reliability), further emphasizing the reliability of the YBT-LQ across various settings and populations.^25,33,54-56

What is the SEM of the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter?

What is the MCID of the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter?

Division I collegiate athletes (Chimera et al 2015)

• MCID: 3.5%

What is the MDC of the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter?

Service members maximal reach (Shaffer et al., 2013)

• Anterior: 8.7
• Posteromedial: 10.3
• Posterolateral: 11.5

College-aged individuals with chronic ankle instability (Hall et al., 2015)

• Composite, normalized to limb length: 7.7

What is the Predictive Validity for the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter? 

Star Excursion Balance Test as a predictor of lower extremity injury in high school basketball players (Plisky et al., 2006)

• Logistic regression models showed that players with an anterior right/left reach distance difference greater than 4 cm were 2.5 times more likely to sustain a lower extremity injury.
• A composite reach score below 94% is associated with an increased risk of injury in high school basketball players.
• Athletes with scores below this threshold had a 6.5x higher probability of injury risk.

Dynamic Balance Performance and Noncontact Lower Extremity Injury in College Football Players: An Initial Study (Butler et al., 2013)

• A study of male collegiate football players found that a composite reach score below 89% was linked to a higher risk of non-contact lower extremity injuries.
• Athletes with scores below this threshold had a 3.5x higher probability of injury risk.

Association of Y Balance Test Reach Asymmetry and Injury in Division I Athletes (Smith et al., 2015)

• An anterior reach asymmetry greater than 4 cm for a collegiate athlete was found to be associated with future injury risk, reporting an odds ratio (OR) of 2.20.

Relationship Between the Y Balance Test Scores and Soft Tissue Injury Incidence in a Soccer Team (Gonell et al., 2015)

• Logistic regression models indicated that players with a posteromedial direction lower limb difference of ≥4 cm were 3.86 times more likely to sustain a lower extremity injury.

Using the Y-balance Test as a Predictor Tool for Evaluating Non-contact Injuries in University League Football Players: A Prospective Longitudinal Study (Alkhathami, 2023)

• A posteromedial reach score of less than 97.89 cm for a university soccer player was associated with a higher risk of sustaining a lower extremity injury.
• A posterolateral reach score of less than 92.88 cm for a university soccer player  was associated with increased injury risk. 

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Y-Balance Test Lower Quarter: Reliability, Discriminant Validity, and Predictive Validity (Plisky et. al, 2021)

• The predictive validity of the YBT-LQ varies based on factors such as age, sex, and sport. Therefore, it's crucial to consider these variables when interpreting test results

Identification of Risk Factors Prospectively Associated With Musculoskeletal Injury in a Warrior Athlete Population (Teyhen et al., 2020) 

• The YBT-LQ provides valuable insights into balance and potential injury risk; however, it should be used alongside other assessments and risk factors for a more powerful injury risk evaluation.
• Given that injury risk is multifactorial, YBT risk factors should be integrated with other movement patterns and musculoskeletal risk factors for a more comprehensive assessment.

What is the Normative Data for the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter based on age, gender, sport or activity? 

Male Normative Values 

Male Professional Soccer 

Male Collegiate Soccer 

Male High School (H.S.) Soccer 

Male Youth Soccer

Professional Baseball

College Baseball

High School (H.S) Baseball

Male Professional Basketball

Male College Basketball 

Male High School (H.S) Basketball

Male Middle School (M.S) Basketball

High School (H.S) Football 

Middle School (M.S) Football 

Male Professional Ice Skating

Male Professional Golf

Male College Golf

Male High School (H.S) Golf

Male Middle School (M.S.) Golf

Male Military

Male College Athlete

Male College Student

Male High School (H.S.) Athlete

Male Middle School (M.S.) Athlete

Female Normative Values 

Female Professional Soccer

Female Professional Basketball

Female Professional Ice Skating

Female College Athlete

Female College Volleyball

Female College Field Hockey

Female High School (H.S.) Athlete

Female Military

Healthy Adults normalized reach distance percentage (Keng et al., 2015)

• Anterior: 58.58 ± 5.26 (95% CI:57.61-61.54)
• Posteromedial: 100.44 ± 7.98 (95% CI:97.46-103.42)
• Posterolateral: 98.79 ± 10.00 (95% CI:95.06-102.53)

Female high school athletes reach distance in centimeters (Plisky et al., 2006)

• Anterior: 73.1 ± 5.8
• Posteromedial: 98.9 ± 9.3
• Posterolateral: 93.0 ± 9.7

Male high school athletes reach distance in centimeters (Plisky et al., 2006)

• Anterior: 82.3 ± 7.6
• Posteromedial: 113.6 ± 8.9
• Posterolateral: 106.4 ± 10.3

Male collegiate athletes normalized reach distance percentage (Plisky et al., 2009)

• Anterior: 76.7 ± 4.4
• Posteromedial: 122.5 ± 4.3
• Posterolateral: 105.7 ± 3.4 

Service members normalized reach distance percentage (Shaffer et al., 2013)

• Anterior: Left: 63.6 ± 7.2, right: 63.5 ± 7.7
• Posteromedial: left: 102.7 ± 8.6 , right: 102.7 ± 9.4
• Posterolateral: left: 97.2 ± 9.4, right: 98.2 ± 10

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What is the testing procedure for the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter?

Reach Directions And Testing Order 

The leg that is being measured is the stance leg. This simply represents the pattern and does not imply the functional ability of a body part or side. Reach is named in terms of directional relationship to the stance leg. 

Once you are ready to complete the formal testing, have the client start with the right foot on the center of the footplate and perform three attempts while reaching anteriorly. The best of the three reach attempts is recorded as the score for the right anterior reach. Then the participant will place the left foot on the center foot plate and repeat with the opposite limb. Alternating stance legs between trials will ensure adequate rest for accurate results. 

The specific testing order is— 

1. Right anterior reach (3 trials) 
2. Left anterior reach (3 trials) 
3. Right posteromedial reach (3 trials)
4. Left posteromedial reach (3 trials) 
5. Right posterolateral reach (3 trials) 
6. Left posterolateral reach (3 trials) 

Three trials in each direction for each foot will be collected and the maximal reach in each direction will be included for analysis.

Test Faults 

Any of the following test faults invalidate a reach attempt: 

• kicking push box 
• not returning to starting position under control 
• touching down during reach 
• foot on top of stance plate

Practice Trials 

After you give the testing procedure instructions, have the client perform six practice trials in each of the three directions prior to formal testing. The Y Balance Test is a novel movement for most and it takes multiple trials for the client’s learning effect to maximize. 

In order to ensure that the maximal learning has taken place, once the testing starts the person should repeat the reaches at least 3 times or until a maximal reach is obtained. The reaches should be continued until at least two consecutive reaches are equal to or less than the greatest reach. 

Measuring Lower Limb Length 

Determine the client’s limb length by measuring the distance from the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS) to the most distal aspect of the medial malleolus. Have the individual lie supine on a table, without socks and shoes. Start with both knees bent, feet flat on the table as if standing. Ask the client to raise the hips off the table, and return to the resting position. Straighten the individual’s knees to fully extended. Pull on the legs at the malleoli to ensure legs are fully extended. On the client’s right limb, palpate the most inferior distal surface of the ASIS and align it with the "0" zero line of a cloth tape measure. While holding the tape on the ASIS, extend the tape to the inferior distal surface of the medial malleolus of the right ankle. Record the measurement to the nearest 0.5 cm.

What do we look for on the YBT-LQ? 

Researchers indicate that there should not be greater than four centimeter right and left reach distance difference in the anterior reach direction. There should not be greater than a six cm. reach distance difference in the posteromedial and posterolateral directions. Also, the composite score—the sum of three reach directions divided by three times limb length, then multiplied by 100—should not be less than the cut points specific for the age, gender and sport/activity of the individual.  

Don’t Forget the Dorsiflexion Clearing Test is part of the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter

How does the Y Balance Test Lower Quarter Compare to the Star Excursion Balance Test?

The Y Balance Test (YBT) and Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) are both extensively  studied clinical tools that measure dynamic single-leg stability. Both tests require participants to stand on one leg and reach in multiple directions. The YBT assesses three directions (anterior, posterolateral, and posteromedial), which form a "Y" shape, whereas the SEBT involves eight directions (anterior, anterolateral, lateral, posterolateral, posterior, posteromedial, medial, and anteromedial), forming a "star" pattern. The YBT was developed based on the SEBT, selecting the three most prominent directions with the highest injury risk association, with the objective of capturing the greatest  amount of information in the shortest amount of time  It was then developed into a standardized approach using a portable device with a standardized platform, making it suitable for use in clinical or training settings. In contrast, the SEBT is typically performed using tape on the ground. The adoption of the three most relevant directions, along with a standardized approach and the creation of the YBT testing unit, has decreased testing time, improved feasibility for clinicians and researchers, and enhanced reliability

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Rolando (Ro) Rodriguez, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS

Ro is a Minor League professional baseball physical therapist with a passion for teaching, mentoring, and helping patients and athletes return to doing what they love. He graduated from Rutgers University’s Physical Therapy program and completed the ProRehab & University of Evansville Sports Residency, as well as the Hospital for Special Surgery & New York Mets Upper Extremity Sports Fellowship.