The Vertical Hop Test assesses how high a person can reach during a maximal single-leg vertical jump and whether they can land on the same limb with control. It is useful for side-to-side comparison and monitoring lower-limb rehabilitation or performance progress.
This is a low-equipment wall jump-and-reach protocol. It does not require a force plate, contact mat or AI video analysis. The vertical distance between the standing-reach mark and the highest jump-touch mark is measured with a wall-mounted tape or ruler and entered manually into Measurz.
Measurement note: A jump-and-reach result is not identical to centre-of-mass jump height. It is influenced by reach technique, shoulder movement, arm swing and touch timing. Compare results only with the same method.
The primary measurement is the increase in reach height achieved during a single-leg vertical jump:
Jump-and-reach height = highest jump-touch mark − standing-reach mark
The result reflects single-leg vertical-jump performance combined with reach coordination. It is not a direct measure of mechanical power, joint loading, isolated quadriceps strength or centre-of-mass displacement.
The landing hold provides a simple task-completion requirement. It does not provide a validated numerical landing-quality score.
The wall jump-and-reach method is inexpensive, portable and easy to repeat in clinics, gyms and field settings. Research has shown a strong relationship between jump-and-reach measurements and laboratory motion analysis, although the absolute values can differ between systems.
Single-leg vertical jumping may expose performance asymmetries that are less apparent during bilateral jumping or horizontal hop tests. However, equal results between limbs do not establish normal biomechanics or readiness to return to sport.
- smooth wall with adequate height and no nearby obstacles;
- rigid wall-mounted measuring tape, ruler or marked measurement strip;
- chalk, washable marker or removable adhesive tabs;
- the MAT or floor tape to standardise foot position;
- flat, dry and non-slip surface;
- Measurz app for manual result entry; and
- consistent footwear.
The measurement scale must be fixed vertically and checked against a rigid tape measure. Do not rely on an uncalibrated image or AI-derived height.
Use the same reaching hand for the entire assessment—preferably the client's preferred reaching hand.
- Stand side-on to the wall with the reaching shoulder closest to it.
- Place both feet flat and together or at a standardised narrow stance.
- Keep both heels on the floor.
- Keep the knees and hips extended without rising onto the toes.
- Face forward with the head neutral.
- Keep the trunk upright without side-bending or rotating toward the wall.
- Elevate the reaching shoulder and fully extend the elbow.
- Extend the wrist and fingers to place the highest fingertip mark possible.
The distal tip of the middle finger is the measurement landmark. Use the same finger for standing reach and jump touch.
- Place the test foot on a marked floor position beside the wall.
- Align the second toe forward, or record the person's natural foot-progression angle.
- Align the centre of the calcaneus behind the second-toe axis.
- Keep the patella facing approximately toward the second toe.
- Begin with the pelvis level and trunk upright.
- Flex the non-test knee to approximately 90° with the heel behind the body.
- Keep the non-test foot clear of the floor.
The client must be close enough to touch the wall at peak height without jumping sideways, but far enough away that the shoulder, arm or body does not strike the wall. Mark and reproduce the horizontal foot-to-wall distance.
Use a maximal single-leg jump only when the client can tolerate single-leg squatting, submaximal hopping and same-leg landing without unacceptable pain, swelling, instability or apprehension.
For postoperative or injured clients, follow the treating clinician's loading and return-to-jump criteria. The test should not be introduced solely because it appears in an app.
Use the same warm-up at every assessment:
1. Complete approximately five minutes of light aerobic activity.
2. Perform dynamic ankle, knee, hip and shoulder movements.
3. Complete progressive squats and calf raises.
4. Perform several submaximal bilateral jumps.
5. Perform two practice single-leg jump-and-reach attempts on each side.
6. Rest for approximately one minute before measurement.
- Fix the measuring scale vertically to the wall.
- Confirm that zero and the centimetre markings are accurate.
- Open the client's Vertical Hop Test in Measurz.
- Set the unit to centimetres.
- Record the reaching hand, footwear, surface and limb order.
1. Position the client side-on to the wall using the standing-reach posture described above.
2. Ask the client to reach as high as possible with the selected hand.
3. Keep both heels flat, knees extended and trunk upright.
4. Mark the height reached by the distal tip of the middle finger.
5. Measure the mark from the floor to the nearest available increment.
6. Label this value standing reach.
Repeat the reach measurement if the client rises onto the toes, bends sideways or cannot maintain the required posture. Use one standing-reach value for both limbs so that a change in reaching technique does not create an artificial side difference.
- Place the test foot on the recorded floor mark.
- Stand quietly on the test limb.
- Hold the non-test knee at approximately 90° flexion.
- Keep the pelvis level and eyes forward.
- Allow both arms to hang naturally before the countermovement.
Use the same wording for every attempt:
“Start on this leg. Dip quickly and jump straight up as high as possible. Use your arms naturally and touch the highest point you can with your middle fingertip. Land on the same foot and hold your balance for two seconds.”
- Begin from a stationary single-leg stance.
- Use one rapid countermovement to a self-selected depth.
- Swing the arms naturally and consistently.
- Jump vertically rather than toward the wall.
- Touch the wall at the highest achievable point using the selected middle fingertip.
- Avoid using the non-test leg as an exaggerated upward swing.
The reaching hand, arm-use rule and non-test-leg position must remain the same for both test limbs.
- Land on the same test foot within the marked area.
- Keep the non-test foot clear of the floor.
- Hold the landing for two seconds without an additional hop, step or wall contact.
- Identify the highest clear fingertip mark.
- Measure its vertical height from the floor.
- Label this value jump touch.
- Calculate jump-and-reach height by subtracting standing reach.
Example:
- Standing reach: 228 cm
- Highest jump touch: 251 cm
- Jump-and-reach height: 23 cm
- Perform three measured attempts on the first side.
- Allow 30–60 seconds of rest between maximal attempts.
- Repeat the identical procedure on the other side.
- Use the highest successful jump-and-reach result for each side.
- Reproduce the limb order at retest.
Accept the attempt when the client:
- starts from stationary single-leg stance;
- takes off from the designated test foot;
- touches with the selected middle fingertip;
- does not contact the wall with the body;
- lands on the same test foot;
- keeps the non-test foot off the floor; and
- holds the landing for two seconds without hopping or stepping.
Repeat an attempt if the client jumps sideways, changes the reaching hand, uses a different starting position, misses the wall, touches down with the other foot or cannot control the landing.
Stop testing for sharp or increasing pain, instability, unexpected swelling, neurological symptoms, dizziness or loss of safe landing capacity.
For each successful attempt:
Jump-and-reach height = jump touch − standing reach
Record the best result for each side. If a clearly involved limb exists:
Limb symmetry index = involved-limb result ÷ uninvolved-limb result × 100
Record the absolute result for both limbs as well as symmetry. A high symmetry percentage can conceal reduced performance in both limbs, and the uninvolved limb may also change during rehabilitation.
Interpret the result with symptoms, strength, other hop tests, landing capacity, psychological readiness and sport demands. Do not use a single symmetry threshold as stand-alone return-to-sport clearance.
Measurz stores the manually measured wall result; it does not calculate jump height through AI in this protocol.
Enter:
- test: Vertical Hop Test – Wall Jump-and-Reach;
- side tested;
- standing reach in centimetres;
- highest jump touch in centimetres;
- calculated jump-and-reach height;
- reaching hand;
- foot-to-wall distance and starting-foot position;
- natural arm swing permitted;
- footwear and surface;
- pain, apprehension or instability; and
- whether the two-second landing hold was completed.
The jump-and-reach method has shown a strong correlation with motion-analysis measurement, but studies have also found systematic differences in absolute height. A systematic review concluded that jump-height calculation methods should not be treated as interchangeable.
The wall method measures the difference between standing reach and highest touch. It is influenced by shoulder flexibility, arm length, coordination, arm swing, fingertip-mark accuracy and how close the client stands to the wall. These influences are reduced—not eliminated—by using the same reaching hand, stance, foot-to-wall distance and instructions at every session.
Evidence specifically validating a single-leg wall-touch version is limited. The protocol combines the established jump-and-reach measurement method with peer-reviewed single-leg vertical-hop procedures requiring a countermovement, same-leg take-off and landing, and a controlled landing hold. Results should therefore be interpreted as protocol-specific clinical measurements.
- No force plate, contact mat or AI video analysis is required.
- Measure the difference between standing reach and highest jump touch.
- Use the same middle fingertip and reaching hand throughout.
- Permit the same natural arm swing on both limbs.
- Standardise foot position, wall distance, countermovement and non-test-leg position.
- Require same-leg landing and a two-second hold.
- Compare only with previous results obtained using the identical wall protocol.
Leard, J. S., Cirillo, M. A., Katsnelson, E., Kimiatek, D. A., Miller, T. W., Trebincevic, K., & Garbalosa, J. C. (2007). Validity of two alternative systems for measuring vertical jump height. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21(4), 1296–1299. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18076265/
Xu, J., Turner, A., Comfort, P., Harry, J. R., McMahon, J. J., Chavda, S., & Bishop, C. (2023). A systematic review of the different calculation methods for measuring jump height during the countermovement and drop jump tests. Sports Medicine, 53(5), 1055–1072. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01828-x
Zarro, M. J., Stitzlein, M. G., Lee, J. S., Rowland, R. W., Gray, V. L., Taylor, J. B., Meredith, S. J., Packer, J. D., & Nelson, C. M. (2021). Single-leg vertical hop test detects greater limb asymmetries than horizontal hop tests after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in NCAA Division 1 collegiate athletes. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 16(6), 1405–1414. https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.29595
