What is a good broad jump (standing long jump) for your age and sex?

Standing Long Jump Standards by Age Group (inches)

The tables below show representative broad jump percentiles for men and women, based on standard fitness testing references and published muscular fitness norms. To convert to centimeters multiply by 2.54.

Note: these standards describe the general adult population. Athletes jump substantially farther: varsity football and track athletes commonly reach 8-9 feet (96-108 inches) from a standstill, and the broad jump at the NFL Combine averages about 120 inches (10 feet) across all positions.

How to Read Your Percentile

Your percentile ranks your horizontal jumping power against other adults of your age and sex. Below the 10th percentile is rated Poor, the 10th-25th Fair, 25th-75th Average, 75th-90th Good, and above the 90th Excellent.

• Poor to Fair: common in sedentary adults and linked to low leg strength and power. This group improves fastest with strength and plyometric training.
• Average: typical for a healthy, recreationally active adult. About half of adults your age land in this band.
• Good to Excellent: reflects strong explosive power. The standing long jump and the vertical jump share the same underlying muscle qualities, so a good broad jump usually pairs with a good vertical jump.

Broad Jump vs Vertical Jump: What Each One Tells You

The two jumps are often tested together because they reveal different things about the same muscle system. The vertical jump measures pure upward force production, with landing control playing almost no role. The broad jump adds two extra demands: horizontal projection angle and the ability to stick the landing without falling backward.

In practice, the broad jump is a better predictor of sprint acceleration than the vertical jump, because both require pushing the body forward quickly. Research on youth athletes shows correlations between broad jump distance and short sprint times around 0.70 to 0.85, depending on age and training status. That is why the NFL Combine pairs the 40-yard dash with the broad jump: coaches use the broad jump as a proxy for a player's explosive starting power without risking a pulled hamstring in the first drill of the day.

Your two jumps should move together as you train. If your vertical jump is improving but your broad jump is stuck, work on horizontal plyometrics like bounds and sprint starts. If the reverse is true, shift toward vertical drills like box jumps and depth jumps. The vertical jump calculator tracks the other half of the pair.

The Research Behind the Broad Jump

The standing long jump is one of the most-studied field tests of muscular fitness. Castro-Piñero et al. (2010) showed that the standing long jump is a valid general index of muscular fitness in youth, correlating strongly with measures of leg power and overall strength. Their work supports using the broad jump in school fitness batteries as a cheap, reliable screen for muscle fitness that does not require equipment.

Ortega et al. (2008) found that field-based fitness tests like the broad jump are powerful markers of health across the lifespan, predicting cardiovascular risk and future physical fitness in young people. The broad jump is not just a sports drill; it tracks the same muscle qualities that support independence in later life.

The movement relies on the same explosive leg extension as the vertical jump. Markovic and Jaric (2007) demonstrated that jumping performance is governed by mechanical output at high velocity, which is why the best broad-jump training combines heavy squats with plyometric and sprinting work. Bosco et al. (1983) provided the flight-time physics that also underpin modern jump measurement, whether vertical or horizontal.

What Determines Broad Jump Distance

• Leg strength and power: hip and knee extension strength set the ceiling for how far you can project your body.
• Takeoff angle: the optimal projection angle for a broad jump is about 30 degrees above horizontal. Jump too high and you lose distance; too flat and you land short. Most people naturally find roughly the right angle with practice.
• Technique: a full arm swing, a coordinated countermovement, and a forward-leaning takeoff add several inches. Landing with soft, balanced feet improves the measurement too.
• Body weight: you project your whole mass horizontally. A lower body fat percentage improves distance at the same power output (see your strength-to-weight ratio for context).
• Age and sex: men average about 12-14 inches farther than women, and distance peaks in the early 20s before declining with age.
• Testing conditions: footwear, surface, and fatigue all affect the number. Test on a non-slip surface with athletic shoes and fresh legs.
• Ankle and calf strength: the final push at takeoff comes from the ankles. Weak calves cap horizontal distance even with strong hips and knees.

Sport-Specific Broad Jump Standards

Competitive benchmarks put the general norms in perspective:

• NFL Combine: the average broad jump is about 120 inches (10 feet), with top cornerbacks and receivers reaching 126-132 inches (10.5-11 feet). A 10-foot broad jump is the informal threshold that scouts like to see from skill positions.
• College football: recruiting services treat a broad jump of 108-114 inches (9-9.5 feet) as solid for a skill prospect, and 120 inches as elite.
• Track and field: national-level long jumpers reach standing broad jumps of 132 inches (11 feet) or more, since the standing jump is a core warm-up and test for the event.
• Youth fitness batteries: the FitnessGram and European fitness tests use the broad jump as a marker of muscle fitness in schoolchildren, with average distances of 130-160 cm for boys and 110-140 cm for girls at ages 10-14.
• Volleyball and basketball: horizontal power matters for lateral defense and approach jumps; combine testers in these sports look for broad jumps of 96 inches (8 feet) or better in male athletes.

How the Broad Jump Changes With Age

Like the vertical jump, broad jump distance peaks in the early 20s and declines with age, with untrained adults losing roughly 10-15% per decade after 30. The rate of loss tracks the decline in fast-twitch muscle fibers and rate of force development. By 70, an untrained man who jumped 84 inches in his 20s may manage only 54-60 inches.

Sex differences persist at every age: women jump about 12-14 inches shorter than men on average, which reflects both lower absolute muscle mass and differences in lean body mass. Relative to body weight, the gap narrows considerably.

The broad jump is rarely trained specifically by older adults, but it responds to the same strength and plyometric work as the vertical jump. Maintaining horizontal power supports fall recovery and quick stepping, both of which decline with age. Related functional measures, such as gait speed and grip strength, show the same pattern: power fades without training, but training slows the fade.

How to Improve Your Standing Long Jump

• Train your legs heavy: squats, trap-bar deadlifts, and split squats build the force foundation (2-3 sessions per week).
• Add plyometrics: broad jumps, box jumps, and depth jumps teach the fast stretch-shortening cycle that produces horizontal power.
• Practice the skill: repeated broad jumps with technical cues (full arm swing, triple extension, balanced landing) sharpen coordination.
• Improve sprint speed: short sprints and bounds transfer directly to broad jump distance.
• Drill the landing: reaching back with the legs at landing rather than pitching forward adds 3-6 inches. Film your landings to see where you leave distance.
• Cut excess body fat: you are projecting your full body weight forward. Losing fat while keeping power raises your distance for free.

Many of the same exercises improve your vertical jump. Follow the how to increase your vertical jump guide for a plan that builds both, or run the full 8-week vertical jump training program, which includes broad jumps and bounds in the plyometric days.

How to Measure Your Standing Long Jump Accurately

1. Mark a start line on a flat, non-slip surface and place a tape measure alongside it
2. Stand with toes just behind the line, feet shoulder-width apart
3. Swing your arms and jump forward as far as possible, landing on both feet
4. Measure from the start line to the nearest point of contact (heels or hands)
5. Take 3 attempts with rest between jumps and record the best distance
6. If you fall backward on any attempt, that attempt does not count; the measurement is the nearest point of contact behind you

For consistency, always measure the nearest point of contact, wear the same shoes, and allow full recovery between attempts. See how to measure vertical jump at home for testing tips that apply to both jumps.