This chart is meant to act as a quick reference for a variety of genders, age groups, fitness levels and sports performance levels. This allows you to quickly judge a result at a testing station.
How to Use It
Measure the standing long jump distance (we have a free recording spreadsheet for this), then find the matching row for the athlete's age group and gender (or the adult table for athletes 18+) to see where the result sits. The Superior scores and basketball division 1 scores are relatively elite level figures.
Adult Norms (cm)
Average standing long jump distances by age and activity level, from a 2024 study of 410 adults (18-64):
| Group | Average Distance (cm) |
|---|---|
| Men (all ages) | 164 |
| Women (all ages) | 121 |
| Age 18-34 | 160 |
| Age 35-49 | 146 |
| Age 50-64 | 121 |
| Physically active adults | 154 |
| Non-active adults | 131 |
Source: Marin-Jimenez N, Perez-Bey A, Cruz-Leon C, et al. Criterion-related validity and reliability of the standing long jump test in adults: The Adult-Fit project. European Journal of Sport Science. 2024;24(9):1379-1392. doi: 10.1002/ejsc.12182
For a quick qualitative score, here are performance grades from a study of young adults (17-22):
| Grade | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Superior | 254+ cm | 206+ cm |
| Excellent | 226-253 cm | 174-205 cm |
| Good | 197-225 cm | 140-173 cm |
| Average | 169-196 cm | 106-139 cm |
| Poor | 168 cm and below | 105 cm and below |
Source: Rahman ZA, Kamal AA, Noor MAM, Geok SK, Alnedral. Reliability, Validity, and Norm References of Standing Broad Jump. Revista Geintec - Gestao Inovacao e Tecnologias. 2021;11(3):1340-1354.
Youth Norms by Age (cm)
10th / 50th / 90th percentile values from a 2020 peer-reviewed study of 2,140 European schoolchildren:
| Age | Boys (10th / 50th / 90th) | Girls (10th / 50th / 90th) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 101 / 124 / 138 | 95 / 116 / 133 |
| 9 | 105 / 133 / 179 | 100 / 123 / 155 |
| 12 | 137 / 164 / 193 | 122 / 151 / 175 |
| 15 | 132 / 170 / 198 | 112 / 139 / 176 |
| 18 | 146 / 178 / 220 | 100 / 123 / 157 |
Source: Thomas E, Petrigna L, Tabacchi G, et al. Percentile values of the standing broad jump in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years old. European Journal of Translational Myology. 2020;30(2):240-246. doi: 10.4081/ejtm.2020.9050 (open access, CC BY-NC 4.0). Full percentile tables (10th-90th, every age 6-18) available in the original paper.
Athlete Performance Level (Basketball Players, in cm)
This table shows how competitive basketball athletes (a cohort that is relatively tall and focused on jumping), have high broad jump scores, but division 1 players are clearly above division 2 players, by 5%+. The study of 110 professional male basketball players compared 1st division vs 2nd division players, and also broke the data down by playing position:
| Position | 1st Division - Mean (SD) | 2nd Division - Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| All positions | 251 (21) | 238 (20) |
| Guards | 255 (17) | 239 (20) |
| Forwards | 256 (21) | 239 (22) |
| Centres | 244 (25) | 235 (21) |
1st division players jumped further than 2nd division players across the board (guards and forwards showed the largest gaps), giving a clean real-world example of how standing broad jump tracks with competition level within the same sport.
Source: Pehar M, Sekulic D, Sisic N, et al. Evaluation of different jumping tests in defining position-specific and performance-level differences in high level basketball players. Biology of Sport. 2017;34(3):263-272. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2017.67122
Reading a Standing Long Jump
Distance is measured from the takeoff line to the nearest point of contact at landing (usually the heel), from a static start with both feet remaining on the ground until takeoff. Re-test under the same conditions (footwear, warm-up, surface) for the most reliable comparisons.
