Quick check for the coaches: what anterior reach asymmetry on the Y-Balance test correlates with higher lower-extremity injury risk in field athletes? I screen my soccer squads each August and treat >4 cm as the trigger for targeted ankle/hip work to optimize mechanics before we ramp load.
Yep, ‘≥4 cm’ anterior asymmetry is the red flag for higher LE injury risk. I also peek at composite <94% and posteromedial deficits; a quick knee-to-wall check plus a couple sets of ankle DF mobs before retesting often tightens the gap. Are you normalizing to limb length or just using raw cm?
4 cm’s a fair cut, but I’ve seen it over-call when the stance knee locks; I cue “soft knee, tall torso,” give one practice rep, then retest before programming. If it’s still ≥4 cm, especially on the plant leg, I treat it as a true flag.
I treat 4 cm as a flag too, but I always re-test after a 45–60s ankle dorsiflexion mobilization and cue “hands on hips, no toe-tap” — I see a lot of false highs from little toe grazes. Do you normalize to limb length or stick with raw cm for your squads?