<Tr> <Th> World </Th> <Td> Christian Coleman 4.12 (2017) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Women's records </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> World </Th> <Td> Christie Pearce 4.70 </Td> </Tr> <P> The 40 - yard dash is a sprint covering 40 yards (36.58 m). It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting . A player's recorded time can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football . This was traditionally only true for the "skill" positions such as running back, wide receiver, and defensive back, although now a fast 40 - yard dash time is considered important for almost every position . The 40 - yard dash is not an official race in track and field athletics and is not an IAAF - recognized event . </P>

Who ran the fastest 40 yard dash in the nfl combine ever