What is a good 40 yard dash time for high school?

A good 40-yard dash for a high school male skill position player such as wide receiver or defensive back is under 4.7 seconds. For high school running backs, under 4.75 seconds is considered good. Linemen average 5.2 to 5.6 seconds. For high school females, under 5.5 seconds is considered athletic for skill positions.

What is the average NFL 40 yard dash time?

The average 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine across all positions is approximately 4.77 seconds. Skill positions average significantly faster — wide receivers average around 4.48 seconds, cornerbacks average 4.47 seconds, and running backs average 4.49 seconds. Offensive linemen are the slowest, averaging around 5.10 seconds.

What is a good 40 yard dash for a running back?

At the high school level, under 4.7 seconds is excellent for a running back. At the college level, under 4.55 seconds is considered good. At the NFL combine, the average running back runs a 4.49, with elite backs running 4.3 to 4.4 seconds. A 4.6 running back can still play college football but would need exceptional other attributes to be drafted.

Average 40 Yard Dash Times by Sport and Position

Q: What is a good 40 yard dash for a 14 year old?

A good 40-yard dash for a 14 year old male is around 5.2 to 5.5 seconds. Under 5.0 seconds is considered fast for that age and would stand out at most youth athletic evaluations. For 14 year old females, under 6.0 seconds is considered athletic.

Q: Is a 4.6 40 yard dash fast?

Yes, a 4.6 second 40-yard dash is genuinely fast. It places an adult male in approximately the 80th to 85th percentile of the general population and is considered good speed at the high school level. At the college level it is average to slightly below average for skill positions, and at the NFL level it would be considered slow for most skill positions.

NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash Times by Position

The NFL combine is the most data-rich source of sprint speed benchmarks in American sports. Every draft prospect runs the 40-yard dash under standardized conditions, giving us reliable averages across every position over decades of testing.

NFL Combine Average 40-Yard Dash — by Position (faster = longer bar)

Cornerback

4.47s

Wide Receiver

4.48s

Running Back

4.49s

Safety

4.53s

Linebacker

4.68s

Defensive End

4.74s

Defensive Tackle

4.99s

Offensive Lineman

5.10s

Position	Average 40 Time	Fast (Top 25%)	Elite (Top 10%)
Cornerback	4.47s	4.38s	4.30s
Wide Receiver	4.48s	4.38s	4.30s
Running Back	4.49s	4.40s	4.33s
Safety	4.53s	4.44s	4.37s
Quarterback	4.71s	4.58s	4.48s
Linebacker	4.68s	4.56s	4.46s
Tight End	4.70s	4.58s	4.50s
Defensive End	4.74s	4.60s	4.50s
Defensive Tackle	4.99s	4.80s	4.65s
Offensive Guard/Tackle	5.10s	4.95s	4.80s
Center	5.15s	5.00s	4.85s

💡

Context matters: NFL combine times are the fastest in the world at each position. The same time that's average for an NFL cornerback would be exceptionally fast for a high school linebacker. Always compare yourself within your level, not just your position.

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High School 40 Yard Dash Times by Position

High school times vary more than college or pro times because athletic development at this level is less consistent. A 15-year-old sophomore and an 18-year-old senior have fundamentally different physical capacities. The numbers below reflect varsity-level high school athletes in their junior and senior years.

Position	Average HS Varsity	Good (Scholarship Radar)	Elite HS
Wide Receiver / CB	4.70–4.85s	4.55–4.65s	Under 4.50s
Running Back	4.75–4.90s	4.60–4.70s	Under 4.55s
Quarterback	4.85–5.05s	4.70–4.80s	Under 4.65s
Safety / Linebacker	4.80–5.00s	4.65–4.75s	Under 4.60s
Tight End	4.85–5.05s	4.70–4.82s	Under 4.68s
Defensive End	4.85–5.10s	4.72–4.85s	Under 4.70s
Defensive Tackle	5.10–5.40s	5.00–5.10s	Under 4.95s
Offensive Lineman	5.20–5.60s	5.05–5.20s	Under 5.00s

🏈

Recruiting context: College scouts pay close attention to 40 times for skill positions. Under 4.6 seconds at a skill position in high school puts you on the radar for D1 programs. Under 4.5 seconds makes you a priority recruit at most schools.

College Football 40 Yard Dash Times

College athletes fall between high school and NFL combine times, with significant variation by division. D1 skill players approach NFL combine speeds, while D3 and NAIA skill players are closer to elite high school times.

Position	D3 / NAIA Avg	D2 Avg	D1 Avg	D1 Elite
WR / CB	4.65–4.75s	4.55–4.65s	4.45–4.55s	Under 4.40s
Running Back	4.65–4.80s	4.55–4.68s	4.48–4.58s	Under 4.42s
Safety	4.70–4.85s	4.60–4.72s	4.52–4.62s	Under 4.46s
Linebacker	4.80–5.00s	4.70–4.85s	4.60–4.72s	Under 4.55s
Defensive End	4.85–5.05s	4.75–4.90s	4.65–4.78s	Under 4.60s
OL / DT	5.10–5.40s	5.00–5.20s	4.90–5.10s	Under 4.85s

40 Yard Dash Times for Other Sports

The 40-yard dash is primarily a football metric, but sprint speed is tested and tracked across many sports. Here's how comparable speed benchmarks translate across athletics.

Soccer / Football

Soccer doesn't use the 40-yard dash, but speed is measured in km/h during matches. Elite forwards and wingers typically reach top speeds of 32–36 km/h (about 20–22 mph), equivalent to a 40-yard dash of approximately 4.3–4.6 seconds. Most outfield players average 28–32 km/h at top speed.

Basketball

NBA players are rarely tested in the 40-yard dash, but based on player tracking data their peak in-game speeds suggest most NBA guards and wings would run approximately 4.4–4.7 seconds in a standardized 40. Point guards tend to be the fastest, with elite speed guards approaching 4.3 seconds equivalent.

Track and Field

For pure sprinters, the 40-yard dash is a stepping stone to 100m performance. Here's how they relate:

Elite / Olympic qualifying range

40-Yard Dash	Equivalent 100m Time	Level
5.0s	~13.6s	Recreational athlete
4.7s	~12.8s	Good high school sprinter
4.5s	~12.2s	Good college sprinter
4.3s	~11.7s	Competitive college / sub-elite
4.15s	~11.3s
Under 4.0s	~10.8s	World-class sprinter

Baseball

The 60-yard dash is the standard sprint test in baseball. For conversion reference, a 6.5 second 60-yard dash (considered average for college prospects) is roughly equivalent to a 4.4 second 40-yard dash. Elite college and pro outfielders run sub-6.3 in the 60, translating to approximately 4.25 seconds for 40 yards.

What Counts as Fast by Age Group

If you're not a football player, here's how to contextualize your 40-yard dash time by age for the general male population:

Age Group	Below Average	Average	Athletic	Elite
13–15 years	Over 6.5s	5.8–6.4s	5.2–5.7s	Under 5.0s
16–18 years	Over 6.0s	5.4–5.9s	4.9–5.3s	Under 4.75s
19–25 years	Over 5.8s	5.1–5.7s	4.7–5.0s	Under 4.5s
26–35 years	Over 6.0s	5.2–5.9s	4.8–5.1s	Under 4.6s
36–50 years	Over 6.5s	5.7–6.4s	5.2–5.6s	Under 5.0s
51+ years	Over 7.5s	6.5–7.4s	6.0–6.4s	Under 5.8s

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How to Improve Your 40 Yard Dash Time

Most athletes who run a 4.7 or slower have significant room to improve through targeted training. The 40-yard dash is primarily an acceleration test — the first 10 yards account for the most variance between fast and slow times.

The Fastest Ways to Drop Your 40 Time

Sled pushes (0.2–0.3s improvement in 8 weeks) — Resisted sprinting with 10–20% of your bodyweight on the sled is the single most effective tool for acceleration. 3 sets of 20-yard sled pushes twice per week produces dramatic first-step improvements.
Build your squat to 1.5× bodyweight — Ground force production is the foundation of acceleration. Athletes who squat under 1.0× bodyweight consistently underperform in the first 10 yards of their 40.
Fix your stance and first step — A proper 3-point stance with a forward lean of 45 degrees and an explosive first step can alone improve your 40 by 0.1–0.15 seconds without any fitness changes.
Flying sprints for top-end speed — After building acceleration, work on top-end velocity with 10m build-up sprints into 20m full-effort runs. This develops the second half of your 40.
Reduce unnecessary bodyweight — Every pound of fat you lose improves your power-to-weight ratio. Losing 10 lbs while maintaining strength can improve your 40 by 0.1–0.15 seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 4.6 40-yard dash fast?

Yes — for the general adult male population, 4.6 seconds is genuinely fast and puts you in approximately the 80th percentile. At the high school level it's good speed at most positions. At the college level it's average for skill positions and good for linebackers. At the NFL level, 4.6 is slow for skill positions but acceptable for many linebacker and tight end roles.

What is a good 40-yard dash for a 14 year old?

For a 14-year-old male, a good 40-yard dash is around 5.2–5.5 seconds. Under 5.0 seconds is considered fast for that age and would stand out at most youth athletic evaluations. At 14, natural physical development is still ongoing — times typically improve by 0.3–0.5 seconds naturally between 14 and 17 even without speed-specific training.

What is the fastest 40-yard dash ever recorded?

The fastest officially recorded 40-yard dash at the NFL combine is 4.22 seconds, run by John Ross in 2017. Bo Jackson reportedly ran a 4.12 at his 1986 combine, though timing methods were less standardized then. Among active players in the modern era, John Ross's 4.22 stands as the gold standard.

What is a good 40-yard dash for a woman?

For adult women, a good 40-yard dash is under 5.5 seconds. Athletic women who play sports typically run 5.0–5.4 seconds. Elite female athletes — college and professional sprinters and soccer players — run 4.6–4.9 seconds. Under 4.8 seconds for a female is genuinely exceptional.

How accurate are hand-timed 40-yard dashes?

Hand-timed 40s are typically 0.2–0.3 seconds faster than electronically timed results due to reaction time and human error. Most high school and some college combines still use hand timing. When comparing your time to NFL combine averages — which are electronically timed — add 0.2–0.25 seconds to your hand-timed result for an apples-to-apples comparison.

Does a faster 40 time guarantee success in football?

No — but speed creates opportunity. A fast 40 time opens doors at combine events and gets scouts interested. Once in the door, football intelligence, technique, strength, and work ethic determine success. Many of the best NFL players ran average combine 40 times. Speed is an asset, not a guarantee.

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