Improving Base Running Diagnostics With Foot Pod Technology: Intersession Reliability of Linear and Curvilinear Running Performance

Abstract Martínez-Rodríguez, JA, Crotin, RL, Neville, J, Barcelo, RA, and Cronin, JB. Improving base running diagnostics with foot pod technology: Intersession reliability of linear and curvilinear running performance. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2026—The purpose of this study was to determine the intersession reliability of foot pod technology for quantifying kinematic measures over the 54.7-m straight-line sprint (linear) and home-to-second base sprint (curvilinear). Twelve, trained male high school baseball position players, performed 3 identical sessions separated by at least 2 days. Eight kinematic measures (maximum speed, average speed and right and left ground contact time, stride length, push-off, and impact) were quantified over 2 linear and 2 curvilinear trials, which were divided into segments—home to first, first to second, and home to second, for a total of 60 comparisons across 3 testing occasions. There was no evidence ( p > 0.05) of systematic change in any of the variables between sessions, with 91% of the mean percent changes <2%. In terms of absolute consistency, 94% of coefficients of variation (CVs) were under 10%, with 63% of the CVs under 5%. Regarding relative consistency, for the curvilinear segments 1 and 2, and total segment, 80, 56, and 80% of the between-session comparisons had intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) greater than 0.74, respectively. The nonsignificant small percentage changes in the mean, low CVs, and good to excellent reliability of the ICCs for the most part indicate that foot pod technology can be used to reliably quantify linear and curvilinear base running performance measures with confidence. Consequently, this information can be used to better quantify base running efficiency and inform exercise prescription to improve base running performance.