A vertical jump tester measures how high you can jump by comparing two points: how high you can reach standing still, and how high you can reach at the peak of a jump. The difference between those two numbers is your vertical jump height. Getting an accurate result depends on how you set up, how you measure your standing reach, and how you execute the jump itself.
Types of Vertical Jump Testers
The most common device is a Vertec, a metal pole with a stack of colored plastic vanes (like small flags) that rotate when you touch them. It’s what you’ll see at the NFL Combine and most athletic testing facilities. You jump and swat the highest vane you can reach, and the device tells you exactly how high that point was.
The other main option is a jump mat, like the Just Jump system. You stand on an electronic mat, jump, and it calculates your height based on how long your feet are off the ground. When researchers compared the Vertec and Just Jump systems side by side, the average difference was less than one inch, so both are reliable for practical purposes. The key difference is that a Vertec requires you to measure standing reach first, while a jump mat handles the calculation automatically.
Measuring Your Standing Reach
This step matters more than most people realize. Research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that how you measure standing reach has a large effect on the final jump height number. If you do it wrong, your vertical jump score will be artificially inflated.
The most accurate method is a one-hand reach with plantar flexion, meaning you stand on your toes and extend one arm as high as possible. This was the method closest to laboratory measurements using force plates. Here’s how to do it correctly:
- Stand directly under the device. Position yourself so your reaching hand is aligned with the Vertec’s vane stack.
- Keep your dominant hand closest to the device. You’ll jump and reach with this same hand.
- Rise onto your toes and extend one arm straight up, pushing the highest vane you can touch.
- Don’t shrug or lean. Your shoulder should rise naturally, but your torso stays vertical and your feet stay planted beneath you.
If you measure your reach flat-footed or with both hands overlapped (a common shortcut), your standing reach will be lower than it should be. That gap gets added to your jump score, making it look better than it actually is. Using the one-hand, toes-up method eliminates that error.
Executing the Jump
The standard test is a countermovement vertical jump. That means you start standing, dip down, and immediately explode upward in one fluid motion. No pausing at the bottom, no stepping into it.
Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart in a parallel position. When you’re ready, swing your arms back as you bend your knees, then drive your arms forward and up as you push off the ground. At the top of the jump, reach with one hand and swat the highest vane you can. The timing of your arm swing matters: your arms should start moving upward right as you begin accelerating out of the bottom of the dip, roughly two-thirds of the way through the total jump motion.
Most testing protocols allow three to five attempts, and your best score counts. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between jumps so fatigue doesn’t drag down later attempts. Reset the vanes (or step off the mat) between each trial.
Calculating Your Score
Vertical jump height is simply peak reach minus standing reach. If your standing reach was 96 inches and you touched a vane at 120 inches, your vertical jump is 24 inches. On a Vertec, the vanes are spaced in half-inch increments, so reading the result is straightforward: find the highest vane you displaced and note its marked height.
If you’re using a jump mat, the device displays your jump height directly on a screen. No subtraction needed.
Common Mistakes That Skew Results
The biggest source of error is a sloppy standing reach measurement. Measuring flat-footed or with two hands stacked will inflate your jump score by one to three inches depending on your body proportions. Always use the one-hand, plantar-flexed method described above.
Another frequent mistake is tucking your knees during the jump. Pulling your feet up in the air doesn’t make you jump higher, but on a jump mat it increases your flight time, which inflates the reading. On a Vertec this doesn’t matter as much since you’re reaching for a fixed target, but it’s still a habit worth avoiding for consistency.
Finally, watch your foot position. Stepping forward or to the side during takeoff can change your angle of reach. Both feet should leave the ground from the same spot where you measured your standing reach.
What Your Score Means
Average vertical jump height for adult men falls between 16 and 20 inches. For women, the average range is 12 to 16 inches. Here’s how scores break down across fitness levels:
- Excellent: Over 28 inches for men, over 24 inches for women
- Above average: 20 to 24 inches for men, 16 to 20 inches for women
- Average: 16 to 20 inches for men, 12 to 16 inches for women
- Below average: 12 to 16 inches for men, 8 to 12 inches for women
For context, NBA players average 28 to 32 inches, with top performers clearing 35 inches or more. Elite male volleyball players typically land in the 32 to 36 inch range, and NFL athletes range from 25 to 42 inches depending on position. If you’re testing yourself for the first time and land in the “average” range, that’s genuinely normal. Most recreational athletes do.
Retesting every four to six weeks gives you a reliable way to track whether your training is improving your explosiveness. Just make sure you use the same device, the same reach method, and the same warmup each time so the comparison is meaningful.