# The NFL and the Wonderlic Test **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-the-wonderlic-test/229069 "2004-02-13T17:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-the-wonderlic-test/229069/1 "2004-02-13T17:35:32Z")
Why is the NFL allowed to use an IQ Test (The Wonderlic Test) as one of the factors considered in their hiring decisions. As I understand, all prospective NFL draftees are required to take the Wonderlic test, a test that is supposed to be a test of _general_ cognitive abilities. Since this goes to general intelligence and not specific abilities – why doesn’t the holding found in _Griggs v. Duke Power_ ban the use of Wonderlic testing being a part of hiring decisions? This is a factual question – I mean there is a case out there – right? For those interested – here’s a link to the _Griggs_ case synopsis – [http://www2.law.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/foliocgi.exe/historic/query=[Group+401+U.S.+424:]([Level+Case+Citation:]|[Group+citemenu:])/doc/{@1}/hit\_headings/words=4/hits\_only](http://www2.law.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/foliocgi.exe/historic/query=%5BGroup+401+U.S.+424:%5D(%5BLevel+Case+Citation:%5D%7C%5BGroup+citemenu:%5D)/doc/%7B@1%7D/hit_headings/words=4/hits_only) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-the-wonderlic-test/229069/2 "2004-02-13T18:18:58Z")
From your link: > [@](#): > > The Act requires the elimination of artificial, arbitrary, and unnecessary barriers to employment that operate invidiously to discriminate on the basis of race, and if, as here, an employment practice that operates to exclude Negroes cannot be shown to be related to job performance, it is prohibited, notwithstanding the employer’s lack of discriminatory intent. Pp. 429-433 . > > 1. The Act does not preclude the use of testing or measuring procedures, but it does proscribe giving them controlling force unless [p\*425] they are demonstrably a reasonable measure of job performance. Pp. 433-436 . > > 420 F.2d 1225, reversed in part. > > BURGER, C.J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which all members joined except BRENNAN, J., who took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. Note: underlining is mine. Since this case goes to the use of arbitrary test to discriminate against certain groups, I’d say the first part is that it’s pretty clear that the test is not used to discriminate or screen out certain racial/ethnic subgroups. It is used as an indication of whether (a) the athelete is smart enough to understand an NFL rulebook and (b) potentially whether an athelete is _too_ smart to be in the NFL (You want me to do _what_, Coach? Are you out of your freakin’ mind!?!) ---
**Author:** ![hroeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@hroeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hroeder)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-the-wonderlic-test/229069/3 "2004-02-13T18:25:09Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > From your link: > > (b) potentially whether an athelete is _too_ smart to be in the NFL Which is exactly what this type of test was used for by the Army. ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-the-wonderlic-test/229069/4 "2004-02-13T18:51:15Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > From your link: > > …Since this case goes to the use of arbitrary test to discriminate against certain groups, I’d say the first part is that it’s pretty clear that the test is not used to discriminate or screen out certain racial/ethnic subgroups. It is used as an indication of whether (a) the athelete is smart enough to understand an NFL rulebook and (b) potentially whether an athelete is _too_ smart to be in the NFL (You want me to do _what_, Coach? Are you out of your freakin’ mind!?!) I suppose I understand and probably agree with your post **ShibbOleth** but I still have to wonder if the NFL administration of this test squares with _Griggs_. Since the test is used to measure _specific_ abilities, (i.e. understanding/applying NFL rules) it would appear that a more direct test would be to have the draftee actually ear/read and understand the football rules, apply the football rules, or show their history of applying those rules ----- rather than take a test of general mental abilities. Yet, in the NFL potential draftees are required to take a _ **general** test of cognitive abilities_ that may either 1) lower the draft position of the draftee – potentially costing millions to that draftee OR 2) preventing that football player from being drafted. After doing some research however – that except for quarterbacks, I doubt that a Wonderlic score has ever really barred that many prospects since the base standard (if one exists) appears pretty low – players with scores of 5 out of 50 have been drafted. A Wonderlic score of 21 is considered ‘average.’ ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-and-the-wonderlic-test/229069/5 "2004-02-13T19:15:02Z")
A couple of things: in my first post I said “rulebook”, I meant “playbook”. The rules are fairly simple, some of the playbooks are fairly complex and there may not be a simple, quick way to test on real playbooks. Second, I was going to say that if you can score somewhere above “Spanish moss” on the Wonderlic you can probably get drafted. Even then, undrafted players do frequently make squads, so even the draft is not a pure barrier to employment. I’d guess that some of the lower scores go to higher draft choices who know that they are not going to be skipped over, probably scarcely ever took a test in school, and really didn’t give a damn. FWIW, the Fortune 50 company that I used to work for has their own version of the Wonderlic known as the “M test”. It is used to weed out prospective employees and even though I did recruiting I never heard anything about it being potentially illegal to use it. So it’s also possible that if a test can be proved to be race “blind” that it’s not illegal to use it.