Reactive agility mode- How to

The Reactive Agility System, also called RAGS, allows you to create fully customizable reactive agility drills by combining timing gates and reaction pods into one structured sequence.

 

In RAGS mode, the drill is built from stations. Each station gives the athlete a task to complete. Once the athlete completes one station, the next station activates automatically.

This allows you to create drills where athletes need to sprint, cut, scan, react, make decisions, and move based on live visual cues.

RAGS is ideal for agility training, change-of-direction training, reaction time, decision-making, cognitive-motor training, return-to-sport rehabilitation, neurologic rehabilitation, and sport-specific performance training.

Before you start

Before creating a RAGS drill, make sure your Sportreact pods are turned on, connected, and synced with the app.

You cannot create or run a Reactive Agility System drill without connected pods.

Also, keep in mind that pods can only be used once inside the same setup. For example, if a pod is already being used as part of a timing gate, it cannot also be used as a reaction pod in another station.

How RAGS works

RAGS drills are created by adding stations.

There are two types of stations:

Gate stations

A Gate station uses a timing gate.

The athlete runs through the gate, and this action triggers the next station in the sequence.

Gate stations are useful when you want to measure movement time, create sprint sections, add change-of-direction points, or make the athlete complete a running task before the next cue appears.

Only one gate can be added per station.

Pod stations

A Pod station uses one or more pods that display visual cues.

The athlete reacts to the cue shown on the pod. The cue can be a color, arrow, number, letter, symbol, or another selected sign.

Pod stations are useful when you want the athlete to make a decision before moving. For example, the pod can show an arrow that tells the athlete which direction to cut, or a color that tells the athlete which task to perform.

 

How to create a RAGS drill:

Open the Sportreact app.

Tap Create Workout.

Select Reactive Agility System.

Tap Add Station.

Choose the type of station you want to add: Gate station or Pod station.

After you add the first station, you can continue adding more stations to build the full drill sequence.

You can combine gates and pods in the same drill. For example, the athlete can start by running through a timing gate, then react to a pod cue, then run through another gate, and continue through the full sequence.

How to add a Gate station

Tap Add Station.

Select Gates.

Choose the gate setup you want to use. The available options depend on how many pods are connected and available.

Select the gate.

Tap Done.

The gate station will now appear in the RAGS overview.

In the RAGS overview, you can see the full drill structure and all stations you have added.

How to add a Pod station:

Tap Add Station.

Select Pods.

Setting up a Pod station has four main steps: Pods, Signals, Durations, and Subtasks.

Step 1: Choose pods

In the Pods step, select which pods you want to use for this station.

At the top of the screen, you will see the Pods pool. This shows the pods that are connected to the system and available to use.

Tap the pods you want to include in the station. Once selected, they will move into the Signal area.

Only available pods can be selected. If a pod is already being used in Gate mode, it cannot be selected again for the Pod station.

Step 2: Set signals

In the Signals step, you choose what each pod will display.

You can use different types of visual cues, including colors, arrows, numbers, letters, symbols, and signs.

You can choose between Random mode and Non-Random mode.

If Random mode is turned on, the selected pods will show the selected signs and colors in a random sequence. This is useful when you want the athlete to react without knowing what cue will appear next.

If Random mode is turned off, each pod will keep its assigned sign and color. This is useful when you want each pod to have a specific meaning, such as one pod always showing a specific direction, color, or task.

Step 3: Set durations

In the Durations step, you can adjust how long each pod displays its signal.

This controls how much time the athlete has to see and react to the cue.

Shorter durations make the drill faster and more challenging. Longer durations give the athlete more time to process the cue and respond.

Step 4: Create subtasks

In the Subtasks step, you can create If-Then rules for each pod.

This means you can decide what should happen when a specific cue appears.

For example, if a pod shows a right arrow, the athlete cuts to the right. If a pod shows a blue color, the athlete moves to a specific cone. If a pod shows a number, the athlete performs the task assigned to that number.

The options in the If section depend on whether you are using Random mode or Non-Random mode.

You can also add Else If rules to create more than one possible task inside the same station. This allows you to build more complex decision-making drills.

 

Example RAGS drill sequence:

The athlete starts by running through a timing gate.

After the gate is triggered, a pod lights up with a directional arrow.

The athlete reads the arrow and moves in the indicated direction.

After completing that task, the next gate or pod station activates.

The sequence continues until the full drill is completed.

This type of setup creates a reactive agility course where the athlete does not simply follow a memorized pattern. Instead, they must react to live cues, make quick decisions, and move accordingly.

Common use cases:

Reactive Agility System can be used for agility and change-of-direction training, sport-specific movement drills, reaction time training, cognitive-motor training, return-to-sport rehabilitation, neurologic rehabilitation, and performance testing.

It is especially useful when you want to make drills more game-like. In real sport situations, athletes rarely know exactly what will happen next. RAGS helps recreate that by forcing athletes to scan, react, decide, and move in real time.

Important notes:

Pods must be connected and synced with the app before creating a RAGS drill.

A pod that is already being used as part of a gate cannot also be used as a reaction pod in another station.

Only one gate can be added per station.

You can add multiple stations to create longer and more complex reactive agility sequences.

Use Random mode when you want unpredictable cues.

Use Non-Random mode when you want each pod to have a specific assigned cue or task.