Functional Movement Screen (FMS): Tests, Scores & Guide

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a quick, standardized way to spot movement hiccups before they become bigger problems.

Think of it as a 10–15 minute “movement checkup” that highlights where mobility or stability is holding you back—so you can fix it with smart training, not guesswork. It was developed by Gray Cook and Dr. Lee Burton to place people in simple but revealing positions that expose compensations you might miss in regular workouts (Cook et al., 2014).

Educational only: If any movement provokes pain, stop and refer to a qualified clinician. The FMS is a screen, not a diagnosis. People with pain should be assessed with the SFMA (Selective Functional Movement Assessment) pathway (FMS system overview).

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• TL;DR (what most people are searching for):

• What it is: A 7‑test screen that scores movement from 0–3 and flags asymmetries, mobility limits, and control issues (FMS overview PDF).
• The seven tests: Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, In‑Line Lunge, Shoulder Mobility, Active Straight‑Leg Raise, Trunk Stability Push‑Up, Rotary Stability.
• “Good” score: Many consider 17–21 with no pain/asymmetries a solid baseline. ≤14 has been linked to higher injury odds in some groups, but results vary by sport and study (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2019).
• How to use it: Identify your lowest patterns/asymmetries, apply targeted correctives, and re‑screen in 4–6 weeks.
• Bonus: Pair the FMS with a BodySpec DEXA to objectively track lean mass balance and body fat changes over time.

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Table of contents

• Quick definition: What the FMS measures
• How to perform and score each test (with common compensations)
• Clearing tests: when to use them
• Scoring rubric and composite interpretation
• What the research says (reliability and validity)
• Implementation templates (fast, consistent, scalable)
• How FMS data pairs with BodySpec DEXA
• FAQs

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Quick definition: What the FMS measures

The FMS evaluates seven foundational patterns to highlight asymmetries and limitations in mobility and motor control—not sport‑specific performance and not medical diagnosis (FMS overview PDF). It’s designed to:

• Set a common baseline for movement quality
• Flag pain, asymmetries, and compensations
• Prioritize training focus (what to fix first)

It does not replace a clinical exam or perfectly detect joint‑by‑joint range of motion; task scores correlate only modestly with specific ROM when examined individually (Hincapié et al., 2022).

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How to perform and score each test (with common compensations)

Use a dowel, a hurdle or string at tibial tuberosity height, measuring tape, and an FMS board if available.

1) Deep Squat

• What it screens: Total‑body mechanics; ankle/hip/shoulder/thoracic mobility and core control (FMS overview PDF).
• Setup:
  1. Stand on the board with feet at shoulder width.
  2. Hold the dowel overhead with hands wider than shoulders; elbows locked.
  3. Descend to the deepest squat with heels down; keep the dowel stacked over the feet.
• Scoring criteria:
  • 3: Hips below knees; heels down; knees track; torso upright; dowel stays over feet.
  • 2: Performs the movement correctly with heels elevated on the board.
  • 1: Cannot reach depth or maintain alignment even with heel lift.
  • 0: Pain.
• Common compensations: Heels rise (limited ankle dorsiflexion), torso collapses forward (limited thoracic or shoulder flexion), knees cave.
• Corrective strategies: Consider ankle dorsiflexion rocks and thoracic extensions from our Mobility Drills guide, plus calf raises from the Ankle Strengthening routine.

2) Hurdle Step

• What it screens: Single‑leg stance stability and step mechanics (pelvis control) (FMS overview PDF).
• Setup:
  1. Set the hurdle/string to the height of the individual’s tibial tuberosity.
  2. Place the dowel across the shoulders (back rack).
  3. Step over the hurdle to lightly touch the heel down, then return without contacting the string.
• Scoring criteria:
  • 3: Hips/knees/ankles stay aligned; pelvis level; dowel stays parallel to floor.
  • 2: Alignment or balance loss, or contact with hurdle.
  • 1: Cannot complete without support or multiple faults.
  • 0: Pain.
• Common compensations: Hip drop, trunk sway, toe catches the string.
• Corrective strategies: Build single‑leg balance and lateral hip strength (e.g., hip airplanes, lateral band walks) and see our Agility Training drills for progressions.

3) In‑Line Lunge

• What it screens: Split‑stance stability with rotational control; hip/ankle mobility (Cook et al., 2014).
• Setup:
  1. Measure tibial length (tibial tuberosity to the floor) and place the back toe at “0” on the board with the front heel at the corresponding tibial‑length mark.
  2. Hold the dowel with three points of contact: head, upper back, and sacrum.
  3. Descend into the lunge and return without losing alignment.
• Scoring criteria:
  • 3: Perfect alignment; heel‑to‑toe balance; dowel remains on all three contact points.
  • 2: Wobbles or alignment loss but completes the rep.
  • 1: Unable to perform or loses balance.
  • 0: Pain.
• Common compensations: Trunk rotation, knee valgus, heel lift.
• Corrective strategies: Use split‑squat isometric holds and ankle rockers, plus anti‑rotation presses; for core stability progressions, see the McGill Big 3.

4) Shoulder Mobility (+ Clearing)

• What it screens: Bilateral shoulder range and thoracic mobility (FMS overview PDF).
• Setup:
  1. First, measure your hand length (wrist crease to tip of longest finger) to use as a reference for scoring.
  2. Make fists; one hand reaches up the spine, the other down the spine.
  3. Measure fist‑to‑fist distance.
• Scoring criteria:
  • 3: Fists within one hand length.
  • 2: Within 1.5 hand lengths.
  • 1: More than 1.5 hand lengths.
  • 0: Pain.
• Clearing test: Shoulder impingement pain → final score = 0.
• Common compensations: Excessive lumbar extension, rib flare.
• Corrective strategies: Add thoracic extension mobility and scapular control drills with cuff ER/IR at the side; see our Shoulder Stability routine.

5) Active Straight‑Leg Raise (ASLR)

• What it screens: Active hip flexion with contralateral hip extension and pelvic control (FMS overview PDF).
• Setup:
  1. Lie supine with legs straight and toes up; arms at your sides.
  2. Keep pelvis neutral; raise one heel while the opposite leg stays down.
• Scoring criteria:
  • 3: The raised ankle crosses the mid‑thigh landmark (the midpoint between the ASIS—the bony point at the front of the hip—and the top of the kneecap) without pelvic rotation.
  • 2: The raised ankle passes between the knee joint line and the mid‑thigh landmark.
  • 1: The raised ankle does not reach the knee joint line.
  • 0: Pain.
• Common compensations: Knee bend, pelvis rotation, ankle plantarflexion.
• Corrective strategies: Combine hamstring strap mobilizations with core bracing and hip‑flexion drills; for trunk control, see our Core Strength guide.

6) Trunk Stability Push‑Up (+ Clearing)

• What it screens: Sagittal‑plane trunk stabilization during upper‑body push (FMS overview PDF).
• Score‑3 setup: Start with thumbs at forehead (men) or at chin (women). Perform a single push‑up with the body moving as one unit.
• If a Score‑3 rep isn’t possible: Adjust hand position (to the chin for men or clavicle for women) and attempt again for a Score‑2.
• Scoring criteria:
  • 3: Clean rep at standard hand position with no lag.
  • 2: Clean rep at the modified hand position.
  • 1: Unable to maintain body alignment.
  • 0: Pain.
• Clearing test: Spinal extension (cobra) pain → final score = 0.
• Common compensations: Hips sag, head jut, rib flare.
• Corrective strategies: Start with RKC planks and tempo push‑ups, then add dead‑bug variations; progress with our Core Strength guide.

7) Rotary Stability (+ Clearing)

• What it screens: Multi‑plane trunk control with coordinated upper and lower limb movement (FMS overview PDF).
• Score‑3 setup (contralateral pattern): Begin on hands and knees (quadruped). Extend the opposite arm and leg, bring the elbow and knee together under the body without shifting, then return to the extended position—maintaining control throughout.
• If the contralateral pattern does not score a 3: Attempt the ipsilateral pattern (same arm and leg). A clean ipsilateral rep scores a 2. Alternatively, minor faults on the initial contralateral attempt also score a 2.
• Scoring criteria:
  • 3: Perfect contralateral control without loss of balance.
  • 2: Minor faults on contralateral OR a clean ipsilateral pattern.
  • 1: Unable to perform either pattern without significant weight shift/loss of control.
  • 0: Pain.
• Clearing test: Rock‑back/child’s pose pain → final score = 0.
• Corrective strategies: Use bird‑dog progressions with a dowel and anti‑rotation presses (Pallof), plus side planks—as detailed in the McGill Big 3.

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Clearing tests: when to use them

Three FMS patterns include pass/fail clearing tests (Shoulder Mobility, Trunk Stability Push‑Up, Rotary Stability). A positive clearing test (pain) makes the final score for that pattern a 0—even if the raw movement looked good—because pain changes the plan and calls for clinical evaluation (FMS scoring guidance). Recent updates add an ankle clearing element in some materials (recent FMS updates).

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Scoring rubric and composite interpretation

Each pattern scores 0–3 for a maximum composite of 21. Record Raw right/left, then the lower side as Final for bilateral tests. Note any asymmetry.

• 3 = Performs movement with no compensations
• 2 = Performs with compensations/imperfections
• 1 = Cannot perform even with compensation
• 0 = Pain during movement or positive clearing test

A quick word on the “≤14” cutoff: A 2019 meta‑analysis found people scoring ≤14 had higher odds of injury (pooled OR≈1.86) (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2019). But included studies differed by sport, exposure, and how they defined “injury,” so results weren’t consistent across the board. Other cohorts don’t show predictive value—e.g., collegiate dancers (Hoover et al., 2020). Treat the composite as context; your lowest‑scoring patterns and asymmetries usually offer the best training returns.

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What the research says (reliability and validity)

• Reliable scoring (even with minimal training): In a 2023 study of the updated FMS, minimally trained raters produced excellent agreement on total scores (interrater ICC ≈ 0.95) (Morgan et al., 2023).
• Clinical reliability holds up: Among young adults with and without low back pain, the composite score showed excellent inter‑ and intra‑rater reliability (ICC 0.93–0.99), and the low‑back‑pain group scored lower on average—supporting discriminant validity (Alkhathami et al., 2021).
• Construct validity is modest for joint ROM: Higher task scores tend to come with more ankle/hip/shoulder ROM, but there’s a lot of overlap—so don’t treat a task score like a precise ROM test (Hincapié et al., 2022).
• Injury prediction is mixed: A low composite (≤14) links to higher injury odds in some analyses, but findings vary widely by sport and definition (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2019). Other cohorts show no predictive value (e.g., collegiate dancers) (Hoover et al., 2020). Bottom line: use the FMS to standardize observation and guide training, not as a stand‑alone injury predictor.

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Implementation templates (fast, consistent, scalable)

For strength & conditioning coaches (teams or groups)

• Equipment: FMS kit or DIY (dowel, tape measure, string, low hurdle).
• Time: 10–15 minutes per athlete in a 2‑rater flow; or 20–30 minutes for small groups of 3–4.
• Protocol:
  1. Brief warm‑up (2–3 minutes of light cardio + dynamic mobility) to standardize conditions.
  2. Run the seven tests in order; add clearing tests as indicated.
  3. Document Raw R/L, Final, asymmetries, and any positive clearing tests.
  4. Triage: Start correctives on lowest patterns and asymmetries first.
  5. Re‑screen in 4–6 weeks.
• Telehealth/remote variant: Use a phone tripod and a standardized camera position per test. Provide a one‑page visual checklist and a 3‑minute video demo per pattern. A second rater can verify scores asynchronously.

For clinicians (PT/ATC/rehab professionals)

• Standardize scoring: Align on visual criteria to improve interrater reliability; consider brief rater training and practice sets (Morgan et al., 2023).
• Documentation: Capture Raw/Final/Total per FMS score sheet guidance. A positive clearing test yields Final = 0 (FMS scoring guidance).
• Algorithm: If pain → SFMA pathway. If asymmetry → prioritize that pattern. If multiple 1s → start with ASLR or rotary stability to improve proximal control before loading.
• Retest cadence: Every 4–6 weeks or after a focused corrective block.

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How FMS data pairs with BodySpec DEXA

An FMS can reveal where to work, while a BodySpec DEXA scan shows what changed. Use DEXA to track total and regional lean mass (e.g., left‑right limb balance), body fat distribution, and visceral fat—objective markers that complement movement‑quality notes during an intervention block. Learn how we keep scans consistent in our DEXA Accuracy Guide and how to interpret your DEXA results. Ready for data you can act on? Book a BodySpec scan.

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FAQs

What’s a “good” FMS score?

A composite of 17–21 with no asymmetries and no pain suggests broadly competent patterns, but the most useful insights are your lowest patterns and any asymmetry. Treat the composite as context, not a diagnosis.

Is ≤14 a hard cutoff for injury risk?

No. Some groups show higher odds of injury at ≤14 (pooled OR≈1.86) (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2019), but others do not (e.g., collegiate dancers) (Hoover et al., 2020). Use the screen to guide training focus; don’t rely on the number alone.

Can I self‑administer the FMS?

You can record video and approximate scores, but trained raters improve reliability (Morgan et al., 2023). If pain appears, stop and seek a clinician.

How often should I perform the FMS?

Re‑screen every 4–6 weeks after a targeted corrective block or at key training phases (pre‑season, mid‑season, return‑to‑play checkpoints).

FMS vs. SFMA—what’s the difference?

Both come from the same system, but the FMS is for screening people without pain; the SFMA is a clinical assessment pathway for people with pain (Physiopedia, FMS system overview).