The idea (to state the obvious) is that FMS is a screen, not a diagnosis. It checks seven fundamental movements, each scored 0-3:
Deep squat
Hurdle step
In-line lunge
Shoulder mobility
Active straight-leg raise
Trunk stability push-up
Rotary stability
A 0 means pain, and three clearing tests (shoulder, spinal flexion, spinal extension) look only for pain. Asymmetries matter as much as (if not more than) the score. The guiding principle is not to add strength on top of poor movement: move well, then move often.
How to use it:
Screen with a coach, physio, or trained practitioner, and if there’s pain see a healthcare professional before loading that pattern. A limited (pain-free) pattern gets a regression until it improves, with the understanding that most athletes will have, and in many cases, need, some degree of asymmetry.
Re-screen every 6-8 weeks or at the end of a block, not in the final ten days before a competition.
It is worth noting again, that this is a screen, and as such has limits; for example, some studies linked low composite scores (the commonly cited cutoff is 14 out of 21) to higher injury risk, but later reviews are mixed, so use it as a structured prompt about pain, asymmetry and limits, not as a pass/fail test.