Velocity

The amount of work a team completes during a sprint, measured in story points. Velocity is calculated by summing the story points of all user stories that reach 'done' by the end of the sprint. It is an empirical measure — teams look at the last three to five sprints to establish a stable average. Velocity is not a performance metric to optimize in isolation; it is a forecasting tool. When combined with backlog size, velocity helps predict when a product increment will be ready. It also surfaces process problems: a suddenly dropping velocity signals blockers, scope creep, or team disruption that needs attention.