Kinematics and Kinetics of Pick-Up Acceleration

In team sports, linear acceleration is a fundamental skill defining success at a competitive level. While maximal acceleration capability from a static start has been studied extensively, team sport athletes often accelerate from a submaximal speed. This ability to maximally accelerate from a non-static start, in coaching terms “pickup acceleration,” is largely unexplored. In this narrative review, pickup acceleration is defined, and a framework for step analysis is presented. The kinematics, kinetics, and technical demands of pickup acceleration are discussed, and normative data around the pickup steps are highlighted. The practical applications of the findings are then discussed, and future research directions are outlined.