What is Broad Jump?

What is Broad Jump?

The broad jump, also called the standing long jump or standing broad jump, is one of the oldest field tests of lower-body power still in regular use. You start behind a takeoff line with your feet roughly hip-width apart, dip into a quick countermovement, swing your arms back and then forward, and drive off both feet at once to project your body as far forward as possible.

You land on both feet, and the distance counted is measured from the takeoff line to your nearest point of contact on landing, usually the back of your heel, or a hand or hip if you fall backward. Because the test needs no equipment beyond a tape measure and a flat surface, it has been part of physical education and military fitness batteries since the 1800s and remains an event at the NFL Scouting Combine. Unlike the vertical jump, which measures how high you project your center of mass, the broad jump measures how far you project it horizontally, which makes it a closer proxy for skills like sprinting and change of direction, where force has to be applied forward, not just upward.

How it works

The broad jump works through a countermovement-and-triple-extension sequence, the same sequence you use in a vertical jump, a sprint start, and a change-of-direction cut. First you dip: your hips and knees flex quickly, stretching the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps and loading elastic energy into the Achilles and patellar tendons. That dip has to be fast; a slow, deep squat bleeds off the stored energy before you can use it, which is why coaches cue a short, quick countermovement rather than a full squat.

As you reverse direction, your arms swing from behind your hips up and forward, adding momentum you transfer into the jump. A biomechanics study of arm motion in the standing long jump found jumpers traveled 21% farther with arm swing allowed (2.09 m) than with arms restricted (1.72 m), with about 71% of that gain coming from a faster takeoff velocity of the center of mass and the rest from better positioning through the air.

At takeoff, the hips, knees and ankles extend together, the same triple-extension pattern that drives a sprint start and an Olympic-lift pull, with the glutes and hamstrings producing hip extension, the quadriceps producing knee extension, and the gastrocnemius and soleus producing the final ankle plantarflexion that leaves the ground last. Research on jump takeoff mechanics puts the most efficient projection angle at roughly 30 to 38 degrees; horizontal velocity at takeoff, not the angle itself, is what most strongly predicts how far you land.

The scale

Field-testing norms for the standing broad jump, best of three attempts, adult, no running start. A rough rule of thumb: you should be able to clear roughly your own standing height.

How to apply it

• Set a stable stance: Stand with feet shoulder- to hip-width apart, toes just behind the takeoff line. A stance that's too wide or too narrow limits how much force your hips and ankles can put into the ground on the way up.
• Load with a fast countermovement: Dip into a quarter- to half-squat in well under a second. A quick, shallow dip keeps the elastic energy stored in your tendons; a slow, deep squat lets that energy leak away before you reverse direction.
• Swing your arms back, then whip them forward: Drive your arms behind your hips during the dip, then swing them forward and up hard as you leave the ground. Arm swing alone has been shown to add roughly 20% to jump distance versus jumping with hands on hips.
• Extend hips, knees and ankles together: Drive through triple extension: glutes and hamstrings straightening the hips, quads straightening the knees, calves finishing with a hard plantarflexion, so the ankle is the last joint to leave the ground.
• Bring your knees up and reach with your feet: In the air, pull your knees toward your chest and extend your legs forward before landing, so your heels, not your hips, become the farthest point of contact when you land.
• Stick the landing and take your best of three: Land on both feet with bent knees and absorb the impact without falling backward or stepping back, since distance is measured to your nearest point of contact. Rest 60-90 seconds between attempts and record your longest jump.

Worked example

Say you jump 205 cm cold, with no jump-specific training. Here is a realistic 8-week block that improves the distance by fixing one part of the movement at a time.

A 20+ cm improvement over eight weeks is realistic once technique is the limiting factor. Once your dip, arm swing and landing are clean, further gains come slower and depend more on raw leg strength and rate of force development.

Broad jump vs vertical jump

The two tests correlate strongly with each other, roughly r = .70 to .91 across studies, because both reflect lower-body power. But broad jump distance tracks more closely with maximal sprint speed, while vertical jump height tracks more closely with reactive, straight-up power.

By goal

• Team-sport and field athletes: Test broad jump every 4-6 weeks alongside a sprint time. Because broad jump correlates more strongly with maximal sprint velocity than with acceleration, use it to track whether your horizontal power is translating into top-end speed, not just early acceleration.
• General fitness or baseline testing: Take your best of three jumps as a baseline, then retest after 8-12 weeks of jump-squat or plyometric training. Compare your result to the norm table above for your sex rather than to combine numbers, which reflect elite, position-specific athletes.
• Return-to-sport and rehab: Broad jump is a common single-leg or double-leg return-to-play benchmark after ACL reconstruction and other lower-limb injuries. Clinicians typically want the injured side within about 90% of the uninjured side's distance before clearing sport participation.

Common misconceptions

• "Swinging your arms is just showboating." Arm swing is mechanical, not cosmetic. A controlled biomechanics study found jumpers traveled 21% farther with arm swing allowed than with arms restricted, with most of that gain coming from a faster takeoff velocity of the center of mass.
• "The broad jump only tests your legs." It also demands core bracing to transfer force through the trunk, ankle mobility to reach a deep dip, and coordination to time the arm swing with the leg drive, which is why it correlates with sprinting and change-of-direction skill, not just squat strength.
• "Jump as high as you can, like a vertical jump." Distance comes from horizontal velocity at takeoff, not jump height. Research on jump mechanics puts the most efficient takeoff angle around 30-38 degrees, noticeably flatter than the near-vertical angle you would use for a max vertical jump.
• "Only the flight distance counts." Distance is measured to your nearest point of contact on landing, so a backward stumble, a hand touching down behind your heels, or stepping back all shorten your recorded score even if you flew forward further.
• "Combine numbers are a normal target." NFL Combine and pro-day testing reflect elite, position-specific athletes; cornerbacks have averaged around 3.25 m (10'8"). A good result for an average adult male is above 250 cm and for an average adult female is above 200 cm.

Related terms

Broad Jump FAQ

What is a good broad jump distance?

For an untrained adult male, anything above 250 cm (8'2") rates as excellent and 221-230 cm as average. For an untrained adult female, above 200 cm (6'7") is excellent and 171-180 cm is average. Trained team-sport athletes and NFL Combine testers routinely clear 280-370 cm.

How is the broad jump measured?

You jump forward from a two-foot stance behind a takeoff line, landing on both feet. The distance is measured from the takeoff line to your nearest point of contact on landing, usually the back of your heel, and the best of three attempts is recorded as your score.

What muscles does the broad jump work?

The broad jump is driven by the glutes and hamstrings extending the hip, the quadriceps extending the knee, and the gastrocnemius and soleus finishing with ankle plantarflexion. Your core braces to transfer that force through the trunk, and your arms add momentum through the swing.

Why do NFL players do the broad jump at the combine?

The broad jump estimates horizontal lower-body power and explosiveness, which translate to blocking, tackling and change-of-direction ability on the field. Cornerbacks have averaged around 3.25 m (10'8") at the combine, and Byron Jones set the combine record at 3.73 m (12'3") in 2015.

What is the difference between a broad jump and a vertical jump?

A broad jump projects your body forward and is driven mainly by hip extension and arm swing. A vertical jump projects you straight up and relies more on knee and ankle extension. Broad jump distance correlates more closely with maximal sprint speed, while vertical jump height better reflects reactive power.

Does arm swing count in the broad jump test?

Yes, nearly every broad jump protocol, including the NFL Combine's, allows and expects arm swing. Research shows swinging your arms adds roughly 20% to jump distance compared with jumping with your hands on your hips, so restricting arm swing would badly understate your power.

How can I improve my broad jump distance?

Shorten and speed up your countermovement dip, time your arm swing so it whips forward right as you leave the ground, and add loaded jump squats or box jumps twice a week. Most untrained lifters can add 15-25 cm within 8-12 weeks of focused technique and power work.

Is the broad jump the same as the standing long jump?

Yes. Broad jump, standing long jump, and standing broad jump all describe the same test: a maximal-distance jump for horizontal distance from a stationary, two-foot start, with no running approach allowed and both feet landing together.

How many attempts do you get on the broad jump test?

Standard protocol allows three attempts, with 60-90 seconds of rest between jumps so each one is a fresh maximal effort. Only your longest jump of the three is recorded as your official score, and fouls (stepping over the line) do not count.

What is the NFL Combine record for the broad jump?

Byron Jones set the NFL Combine broad jump record of 12 feet 3 inches (3.73 m) in 2015. It remains the benchmark other combine invitees are measured against, roughly 80 cm farther than the average combine or pro-day tester manages.

References

1. Role of arm motion in the standing long jump. J Appl Biomech, 2002. PubMed 12445616
2. Acute Effects of Handheld Loading on Standing Broad Jump in Youth Athletes. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021. PMC8126242
3. Correlations Between Horizontal Jump and Sprint Acceleration and Maximal Speed Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med Open, 2023. PMC9899053
4. Criterion-related validity and reliability of the standing long jump test in adults: The Adult-Fit project. Eur J Sport Sci, 2024. PMC11369318
5. Combine events: Broad jump. NFL.com
6. Standing Long Jump Test (Broad Jump). Topend Sports
7. Standing long jump. Wikipedia