The testing device (100) has a testing unit (12) and a testing plate element (38) with a football bar element and a needle element. A drive motor unit (34) moves the device or the unit and the plate element. A measuring unit (36) determines test variables, where variable resistance, an angle of rotation around which the device is rotated, a length around which the device is moved in an axial direction and/or a time period within which the device is moved are determined as the test variables. The testing unit and the plate element are rotatably mounted in a bearing housing (58). An independent claim is also included for a method for testing a ground element with a ground element-testing device.
