A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping up into the air. The vertical jump is a very effective exercise and is good for building explosion, endurance, and power. It also acts as a form of measurement for athletes all around the world
The best thing you can do in any skill to measure yourself is to make sure that you compare it with others. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to measure your own vertical and compare it to the average vertical jump of others or your peers. This should give you a good idea of whether or not you need to work harder, and if your body is where it should be.
For any type of athlete, knowing the average vertical leap of elite players is probably one of the best ways of pushing yourself to become better. It will make you motivated and will help you realize that you NEED TO BE BETTER.
So to ask the question, What is the average vertical jump of an athlete?
I will answer this question by looking at some statistics compiled over the years. I will be going through the average vertical jump by gender, age, height, and sports.
Vertical Jump Test
When comparing the vertical jump, there will be a lot of difficulties due to the many factors that are involved in the process. Besides, the best way to actually know whether your vertical jump is good or not is to compare it to others. You can’t really bring a bunch of people in the same room and test under the same conditions, so in order to do a fair test, it is best to know the averages.
Jump height is actually measured by the vertical jump test. The vertical jump test measures the distance an athlete is able to lift themselves off the ground, so in basic terms, it measures vertical jump height. The main purpose of this test is to test your lower body power and, ultimately your leg muscle power. This test has been used to measure your physical fitness as well, and you may have found yourself being measured during GYM/Physical Education class at school.
Normally athletes are tested for their vertical leap because it is a good way to measure their athletic ability for their lower body. These tests normally take place in sports such as the NBA, NFL, and Volleyball.
You can’t really measure the strength and athletic ability with squats or leg presses even, and that is why JUMPING ABILITY is used as a measurement tool instead.
For the most part, when a vertical jump is typically measured during the test, the standing vertical jump is normally used in any sort of vertical jump test. To know more about what the standing vertical jump is, make sure to scroll down.
How To Measure Vertical Jump
There are multiple ways to measure your vertical jump, but the correct way to measure it is by using a special tool called the Vertec. You may have already seen it, but a Vertec is basically a portable, inexpensive device, used for measuring your vertical jump height. It is a common apparatus used by many athletes.
There is also another way to test your vertical jump if you truly don’t have access to this device.
You can find a wall, stand side on a wall, and reach up with the hand closest to the wall. Keep your feet flat, and firmly planted on the ground. Reach your arm and fingertips as high as you can, and mark/record your reach. This is something known as your standing reach height. Once you have your standing reach recorded on the wall, you start to stand away from the wall and give yourself some space to jump. Leap vertically as high as you possibly can by using both your arms and legs. Attempt to touch the wall at the highest point of your jump, and I would recommend holding something in your hand when you jump to mark your spot to compare to your standing reaches such as a marker or a piece of tape. At this point, you should now measure the difference in distance between your standing reach and the jump height. You can try this with both a standing vertical jump and running vertical jump.
Types of Vertical Jump
With the vertical jump, you should know that there are TWO different types:
- Standing Vertical Jump
The standing vertical jump generally is used as an official measurement for athletes. The standing vertical jump is done when you are in a standstill position with no run-up, lateral or horizontal movement at all. There are no steps or running start. In this jump, no steps are to be taken. This type of jump usually leads you from starting at a crouching action with your knees bent, with a quick jump in the air. This is the most effective way to learn your ACTUAL vertical jump and compared to the running vertical jump, you should expect to see a smaller result.
- Running Vertical Jump
The running vertical jump is when you start at a run-up and end with a jump. The last step you take with your run is used to launch into the jumping motion. You should notice that you jump higher when running because of the additional energy and explosion created from the run-up. If you perform the running vertical jump first, you may notice that the built-up energy helps you improve the result of your standing jump.
Average Vertical Jump by Height
Unfortunately, I was not able to find any data regarding vertical jump by height, but there are some things I can say to help.
There are a lot of factors with the vertical jump, but what you need to know is that the TALLER you are, expect to have a shorter vertical jump than those who are SHORTER. Again this still doesn’t mean much but if we are going by the AVERAGE, then we should be going with this information. It is also important to note that other factors like weight play a key role with your vertical jump. It all matters about how to fit your body is and how you are training your body. I have seen tall people jump really high because they trained their bodies right. For the most part, height doesn’t really factor much with your vertical jump and that is why I probably couldn’t find any sort of information or statistics regarding the vertical jump by height.
When it comes down to your height, it’s really something you shouldn’t be worried about or even targeting for that matter. Rather look at the other data below, and train yourself to be able to jump higher.
I would personally recommend a vertical jump program such as [Vert Shock] to see QUICK results with your vertical jump training. If you really want to jump higher I would really recommend this vertical jump training program
Average Vertical Jump by Gender
It is true that male and female bodies are just built differently. Science has shown us Men have been born with more muscle mass compared to Women, and that is why it is true that the average man is roughly around 50% stronger than the average woman when it comes down to strength.
For this one reason, it is true that the vertical jump norms and averages for both Men and Women are different.
To find the average vertical jump for Men and Women, we can start off by gathering data for the general population to find the average vertical jump height. Just know that there is going to be a lot of disparity and anomaly, but for the most part, the numbers make sense.
| Score | Men (in inches) | Women (in inches) |
| Excellent | Over 28 | Over 24 |
| Very good | 24 to 28 | 20 to 24 |
| Above average | 20 to 24 | 16 to 20 |
| Average | 16 to 20 | 12 to 16 |
| Below average | 12 to 16 | 8 to 12 |
| Poor | Less than 12 | Less than 8 |
This chart basically shows that if you are a MAN, and you want to have a good vertical jump, you need to be able to have a vertical leap of at least 24+” or higher. On the other hand, if you are a WOMAN and you want to have a good vertical jump, you would need to be able to aim for at least a vertical leap of 20+” or higher.
| Males | Females | |||
| Rating | Inches (“) | Centimeter (cm) | Inches (“) | Centimeter (cm) |
| Excellent | > 28 | > 70 | > 24 | > 60 |
| Very Good | 24 – 28 | 61 – 70 | 20 – 24 | 51 – 60 |
| Above Average | 20 – 24 | 51 – 60 | 16 – 20 | 41 – 50 |
| Average | 16 – 20 | 41 – 50 | 12 – 16 | 31 – 40 |
| Below Average | 12 – 16 | 31 – 40 | 8 -12 | 21 – 30 |
| Poor | 8 – 12 | 21 – 30 | 4 – 8 | 11 – 20 |
| Very Poor | < 8 | < 21 | < 4 | < 11 |
This is also another table that categorizes the vertical jump height in both inches and centimetres for both Men and Women. This table is very similar to the one above, but it gives it some more information to help you out even more.
Average Vertical Jump by Age
When it all comes down to the human, there is one thing we know for certain, WE AGE. This is something everyone has to go through. Ageing plays a very big factor in what your body can do. The older you are, the less chance your muscles can perform. Typically, your muscles perform best at their peak when you are younger. Normally when you get to your 30s, your muscles will slowly stop developing.
You will see in the chart below, that the older you get, the less the average vertical will be, and the younger you are, the better it will be, but there is an exception to this case as you will see below with the youngest recorded age.
When you reach your 20s, the typical average vertical jump for men is between 19.5” to 20”. Now I know the previous section was all about gender, but it is interesting to know that at the same age, the typical average vertical jump for Women is 13” to 14”. After your 20s, the averages normally start to decrease by around 3-4 inches every decade
| Age | Average Vertical |
| 18 to 20 years old | 19.5 inches |
| 20 to 29 years old | 20 inches |
| 30 to 39 years old | 17 inches |
| 40 to 49 years old | 14 inches |
| 50 to 59 years old | 11 inches |
Average Vertical Jump for an NBA Player
The NBA measures both standing vertical jumps and running vertical jumps. During the NBA draft combine, the results give us a good idea of the average vertical leap and what a good vertical leap looks like. The athletes that are most popularized for jumping are basketball players.
In the NBA Draft Combine, they take two tests as I explained above and they call it the Max Vertical and the Standing vertical. Because the standing vertical doesn’t give the running start of the momentum you get from Max Vertical, you should know that the standing vertical is expected to receive lower results.
From 2011-12, there have always been around 5-10 players each year who have achieved over a 40” vertical during the Max Vertical drill. Before that season, there were only around 1-3 players who achieved that vertical. Normally, each year there are about 20-30 players who achieve around 35” to 40” in their Max Vertical.
If you truly want to match up with the best basketball players, especially in the NBA, you should really try and achieve a vertical of 35”.
When it comes down to the vertical leap in the NBA, here are the expected current averages for basketball players
- In the NCAA, college basketball players have an average of 27” to 30” to their vertical leap
- Players in the NBA, typically have a standing vertical jump of 28” to 30”
- Someone like Michael Jordan for example has reportedly recorded vertical jumps up to 46” which is similar to Zach LaVine.
- Well-known NBA vertical jumpers have their standing verticals over 35” and their max vertical over 40”.
Highest Vertical Jump in NBA
The highest vertical jump in NBA history is recorded by none other than Superstar Legend, Wilt Chamberlain at 48”. I mean we are talking about a 7”1 NBA player who can jump that high. No wonder why he holds the record for most points scored in a game in NBA history with 100 points.
Average Vertical Jump for an NFL Player
You should know that most football players actually have a higher average than NBA players. Jumping requires you to have EXPLOSIVE POWER, and the training that you do in football actually gives these NFL players a bigger edge. The training that you do with football, just helps you get a higher vertical jump.
According to statistics, the average NFL player jumps higher than the average NBA player, and this is easily seen with the results between the NFL Draft Combine and the NBA Draft Combine.
One thing to note here, in the NFL, they only test the Standing Vertical Jump, and this means that they record no Running Vertical Jump, so there’s no statistical data based on Max Vertical.
- The average NCAA college football player has a vertical jump between 29” to 31”
- Each year there are at least 4 to 5 players who record 40” and above with their vertical jump
- Recently, we have seen over 10 players record over 40” vertical in a single year
- The average vertical jump for a professional NFL player is around 30” to 32”
One thing to notice between the NFL and the NBA is how that every year, more and more players are starting to reach higher verticals, and it just keeps on rising every year. This means that more and more players are starting to incorporate jump training into their daily routine.
Highest Vertical Jump in NFL
According to the statistics found from the NFL Combine, the player with the highest vertical jump recorded is Gerald Sensabaugh with 46 inches. Reportedly, he has the highest RECORDED vertical jump in NFL Combine history. So although most NFL players do have a higher average vertical jump than NBA players, an NBA player has a much higher vertical jump than the player with the highest vertical jump in the NFL.
Average Vertical Jump for Volleyball Players
Volleyball players tend to have the HIGHEST vertical jump out of all sports. Volleyball isn’t popular compared to the NBA or the NFL so it was a lot harder to compile data for Volleyball players. At least for the public, there wasn’t much available.
Although I did find some cool facts.
- When it comes down to the BEST Volleyball players, many national teams were actually measured and the average vertical jumps for those who were measured for all teams ranged between 32” to 38”
- It is also important to note that there has been a Volleyball player who has recorded over a 50” vertical which is just insane. I believe his name is Leonel Marshall.
Average Vertical Jump for Elite Athletes
Now, how about ELITE athletes?
A lot of you are probably here because you want to be an elite athlete, and you want to compare your vertical with those who are ELITE. The best of the best.
For those who are ELITE athletes, here is what I have found.
- For those who are ELITE Male athletes, the average vertical jump is around 26 inches
- For those who are ELITE Female athletes, the average vertical jump is around 22 inches.
So if you want to be considered an elite athlete, you should be targeting a vertical in that range. You do need to remember that even though these averages are lower than the NBA or the NFL, it doesn’t really mean much. It just means that these athletes don’t specifically target vertical jumping in their training
Vertical Jump Training Resources
Now that you know all of these results and you finally have some data to compare your vertical jump to, you should be looking at how to achieve the vertical that you are aiming for. Most people start off by having a below-average vertical jump, but you should be targeting a HIGHER vertical jump.
The next step in the process is to figure out how you want to get to the place you want to be.
If you truly want to improve your vertical jump, there are a few ways you can do that. You should be targeting specific exercises that specifically target those muscles that help you jump. You should be exploring plyometrics.
The truth is you can be doing all of the research on your own and maybe with the slightest chance actually get someone. It doesn’t matter how far you get on your own, your own research can only get you so far. There is a reason why all of these athletes have such high vertical jumps. Do you really think someone like Michael Jordan didn’t have a professional trainer to help him with his vertical jump?
You need someone to help you, some professional experience, to help you get someone with your vertical jump training. They can help you get there faster as well.
This is why I am going to be recommending a PROVEN vertical jump training program.
Please make sure to look at this vertical jump training program as it will help you achieve the vertical you so desire. I for one have tried it and have increased my vertical up to a point where I could never imagine. This vertical jump training program below is PROVEN by SCIENCE. They have done all the research for you so you don’t have to.
Try Vert Shock by Adam Folker, a vertical jump training that is proven to work. There is NO WEIGHT LIFTING needed. Check out my review here
Although it is not as good as Vert Shock, another alternative is as follows…
Try The Jump Manual by Jacob Hiller, a vertical jump training program proven by science. Check out my review here