Home > Fitness Testing > Tests > Speed & Power > Vertical Jump > Records

The vertical jump test measures the difference between a jump straight up off both feet and the reach height. The result is therefore independent of someone's actual height, and can generally be considered how high the feet get off the ground. See a description of the Vertical Jump fitness test.

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Best Combine Vertical Jump Scores

The following vertical jump results are taken from combine and draft camp fitness testing and other reliable sources, where the test procedure is known to be a standardized vertical jump technique, and the testing is conducted by qualified sports science staff. These are the best scores as far as we know from each combine, though results from some years are unknown. These are not the top four best jumps, for example there are many more from the NFL testing with jumps over 43".

Standing Vertical Jump (countermovement, no step)

Maximum Vertical Jump with run up approach

Other Verified Scores

Unverified Vertical Jumps

Many reported vertical jump scores are based on rumors and are from jumps using techniques other than the standard ones as described above. Many of these jumps may have been achieved with a single step or a run up, compared to the usual technique for the standard vertical jump test from a standing position. As the protocol used for many of these scores are not listed, it is difficult to make direct comparisons to the best results listed above. These results are listed out of interest, but should not be taken as fact.

The world record holder for the vertical jump (according to answers.com) is held by Michael Wilson of the Globetrotters, who has a 55" leap (he also once dunked on a 12-foot hoop, which is also a record). Someone else reports that Kadour Ziani, the highest vertical leaper from Slamnation, has a vertical jump of 61" (other reports for top leaps for Kadour range from 56"/142cm upwards). There are some other impressive stats coming from another slam dunking group, Team Flight Brothers, especially Terrell Cournoyea aka TDub, who is just 5'9" tall. He has apparently been seen leaping with his head above the basketball rim, very impressive for his size.

Volleyball player Leonel Marshall reportedly has a 50" (127 cm) vertical leap from standing. He is the star of the Men's Cuban National Volleyball team. Search for him on YouTube and you will see some spectacular jumping action of him.

On Reggie Thompson's website, it says that he holds the World Record for highest vertical jump at 59" (recorded in the Guiness Book of Records as 56").

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Related Pages

• Procedure for Vertical Jump Testing
• Vertical Jump results for athletes.
• Vertical Jump Norms
• High Jump World Records
• More Fitness Testing Records and other Sporting Records
• More Records? I scan the internet for the latest athlete results. If you know of something I have missed, it would be great to hear from you.

Old Comments

Commenting is closed on this page, though you can read some previous comments below which may answer some of your questions.

• Merkin Muffly (2013)
  Most of these listed verticals are complete rubbish, for example, MJ did not have a 48 " running vertical. MJ is 6'6'' tall. The rim of a basketball hoop is exactly 10 feet tall. If MJ did have 4 foot hops, he should have been able to bite the rim. I've scavenged the internet and (besides Space Jam clips) I haven't come across a video or pic where MJ's forehead is above the rim. Am I suggesting that MJ couldn't jump? Absolutely not. He could fly, do I think he had a 48" vertical? No.
• Julz Merkin Muffly (2013)
  You weren't looking hard enough bro check out his dunk contest dunks! He had to duck under the ring, he could have easily got his whole head above the rim
• Troll Merkin Muffly (2014)
  hey thats a good idea for dunk contest, bite the rim and then dunk
• Toby Diah Troll (2014)
  They should just go through the basket along with the ball.
• Hernandayoleary2 Merkin Muffly (2014)
  I don't think MJ was a high jumper, from watching his videos he seemed to have more of a "long jump" that is, if he jumps from the baseline and 2 guys jump to block him, they fall to floor by the time he hits the rim.
• Josh hernandayoleary2 (2014)
  the longer you spend in the air from a jump, the higher it is. Gravity works the same for everybody.
• Moldlives josh (2014)
  I certainly hope your not teaching science.
• Charles moldlives (2014)
  I hope that you're not teaching English.
• Mdfield1 Charles (2015)
  GOOD ONE!!!
  LOL!!!!
  I've seen the word 'your' used SO many times, when the word that should have been used was 'you're', that I just want to SCREAM sometimes!
• Keegan josh (2016)
  except for the fact that this only applies to strict vertical jumps...
  how many times have you seem MJ on a breakaway running down the court and then stop next to the rim, wait, and then do a vertical jump and dunk it...
• MARCO Merkin Muffly (2014)
  the point wasn't to eat the rim it was to make the ball go in.
  he could've bit the rim whenever he wanted if you see in all his games when he goes up for a dunk his tongue is wrapped around his cheek
• Ali Merkin Muffly (2014)
  He actually has many pics with his head above the rim. You dont really watch basketball.
• Colonel Zoro "The Dauntless" Merkin Muffly (2014)
  Unfortunately, I'm going to trust the people who measure him. Of course having a maximum jump of 48' doesn't mean that every dunk is that same level.
  Just seems a little ridiculous.
• Tommy Merkin Muffly (2014)
  There is a huge difference between the vertical jump and in game action. The vertical jump is a controlled test of leg strength and explosiveness. You are comparing apples and oranges.
• Jack Moran Merkin Muffly (2017)
  He has a 48 without!
  Boi!!!
• Russ Merkin Muffly (2015)
  I just watched a vid of him in college and he banged his head on the rim blocking the ball
• Petryk21 Merkin Muffly (2014)
  Try jumping with a basketball in your hands. Way harder than without regardless of how light it is.
• Dunker Petryk21 (2014)
  Not really that hard, i am a 6foot asian but i can dunk half way in the paint, but just barely... (10inch hoop)
• Miron Boland Petryk21 (2018)
  So true! I had a 35-inch vertical at 6'3" and never could get a two hand dunk figured out.
• Colton (2013)
  Jacob tucker jump a 50 inch at 5 foot 10 inches tall, my teacher had a 55 inch vertical
• Chris Colton (2013)
  Who was your teacher, Reggie Thompson?
• Cosmos (2013)
  You should check out some of the recent Crossfit vertical jump scores over the past few years. Jumpers are hitting 50 - 60" easy and there's even a recent successful jump to 64.5". Olympic Weightlifters and Crossfit athletes have the highest vertical jumpers in sport, well more so than basketball or football.
• Johan Cosmos (2013)
  Not even close. This is misleading people. What you probably are referring to is "box jumping" (jumping up onto an objekt) which is not the same as "vertical jumping". When box jumping, you have the option of pulling your feet up to get on top of the object. Which is exactly
  what these box jumping experts are doing at an extreme level. They can
  there by get on top of objects that are in fact up to 40 inches
  (depending on the length of the jumpers legs) higher than their actual
  "vertical jump".
• Nick Johan (2013)
  I'm glad someone said it.
  Vertical jump is measured either by how high the bottom of your feet lift off the ground, in a straight leg jump. Or by how high your hip raises up in a straight position.These people lifting their knees to their face to get on top of a box are kidding themselves. All that being said. A lot of oly lifters do have actual good verts... but not 60' lol
• Ant88 nick (2014)
  No vertical are measured on a station that has height markers on, and when you jump your trying to reach the highest point. YouTube it, there's plenty of videos.
• Trav Cosmos (2014)
  You're thinking box jump. That is not a vertical
• Rusty Shackleford Cosmos (2016)
  You are looking at Box jumps not vertical
• Rh5918 . (2014)
  I have the world record standing vertical jump for my age ( 58 ) at 23.5 inches. This is documented in Dale Harders Strenght & Speed Newsletter Feb - March 2014 edition. Actually, I will be contacting Dale, and getting another witness, as I am now hitting 24.5" standing, and 30" with a run up.
• Born yesterday (2013)
  lotta exaggeration around here
• Veggamattic (2014)
  Ralph Sampson with the 36" vert at 7'5" tall was an amazing thing to witness.
• Larry1969 (2014)
  MJ could sky, of that there's not doubt. So could David Thompson, Wit, but they couldn't get the top of the backboard. Thought we outgrew fairy tales when we became adults?
• DPrince (2013)
  In college (2008) I was able to get a fairly consistent 46" at 5'8 tall, getting my head level to the bottom of the backboard. Those days - I reluctantly admit - are over. My vert has dropped to like 35". Sux.
• Terrance Harvey(2018)
  Me- Terrance Harvey. As a injured man without no heart, lungs, brain, and liver. A 6'2 102 pound 16 years old Dominican Man 16 years old forever. Been out in the world for 10 millinillion years(10,000 Number Names Years) Stayed 16 years old forever. Born in 1984 again staying 16 years old forever. Have millinillion different first names while my middle name being King and my last name being forever. My mothers name is Jackie L Harvey. She is my wife as well and been forever. We both are married to each other. Jackie L Harvey is my momma and wife. She is a Dominican woman.
• My athleticism
  100 meters run: 0.02 seconds
  200 meters run: 0.03 seconds
  400 meters run: 0.05 seconds
  800 meters run: 0.09 seconds
  1600 meters run: 0.17 seconds
  3000 meters run: 0.31 seconds
  5000 meters run-3 miles run: 0.51 seconds
  10,000 meters-6 miles run: 1.01 seconds
  Half Marathon-13 miles run: 2.12 seconds
  Marathon-26 miles run: 4.36 seconds or 3.00 seconds
  110 meter hurdles run: 0.02 seconds
  60 meters run: 0.01 seconds
  60 meter hurdles run: 0.01 seconds
  400 meter hurdles run: 0.05 seconds
  300 meters run: 0.04 seconds
  Field Events
• High Jump: 10 Millinillion(10,000 Number Names) feet in air. 10 Millinillion(10,000 Number Names) Miles in air. 130 Millinillion Inch Vertical Jump( 130,000 Number Names Inch Vertical Jump)
• Pole Vault: 10 Millinillion Feet in air(10,000 Number Names Feet)in air. 10 Millinillion Miles in air( 10,000 Number Names Miles In Air)
• Long Jump: 10 Millinillion(10,000 Number Names) feet long jump. 10 Millinillion(10,000 Number Names) Miles
• Longest Football Throw: Millinillion Feet Throw(1,000 Number Names Feet Throw) Millinillion Miles Throw(1,000 Number Names Miles)
• Longest Field Goal Football Kick: Millinillion Feet Field Goal Kick(1,000 Number Names Feet Kick)Millinillion Miles Field Goal Kick(1,000 Number Names Miles Kick)
• Longest Football Punt Kick: Milinillion Feet Football Punt(1,000 Number Names Feet Football Punt) Millinillion Miles Football Punt( 1,000 Number Names Miles Football Punt
• Longest Baseball Home Run Hit: Millinillion Feet Home Run Hit(1,000 Number Names Feet Home Run Hit) Millinillion Miles Baseball Home Run Hit( 1,000 Number Name Miles Baseball Home Run Hit)
• Longest Basketball Slam Dunk: Millinillion Feet Basketball Slam Dunk(1,000 Number Names Feet Basketball Slam Dunk) Millinillion Miles Basketball Slam Dunk( 1,000 Number Names Miles Basketball Slam Dunk)
• Terrance Harvey Born on August 3, 1984. Out in the world for 10 Millinillion years before 1984.
• Rocky Rhoades (2017)
  My best friend's cousin's baby's momma has a standing vertical of 122". With a running start, she can jump clear over the house and land in the backyard swimming pool. If she ever got on a training program, I"ll bet she could get her vertical up to 300 feet.
• Harithah (2017)
  I have an older brother who's 15 years old whose running vertical is 38 inches and standing is 34 and when he turned 16 it went up to 50 inches for some reason i know lots of people won't believe me i wish i video taped it
• Chantz Clayton (2017)
  There are a lot of players who have been omitted. What about players like LeBron James, Nate Robinson, Shannon Brown, etc. Those dudes have impressive verts too!
• Nam (2017)
  Hi, I heard that Tony Jaa has a vertical of 2 meters, approximately 76 inches? It is most likely running jump, but I believe his vertical is not lower than 50 standing, but I am not sure, just wanting to let you know :)
• Nick (2017)
  I think James white needs to be mentioned. He is the only athlete I have seen that has a legit top of the backboard attempt. He was a inch or so off the 13ft mark. He is also the only played to dunk from the foul line well putting it between his legs. Henry Bekkerings vertical was tested at 36" without a step not 50" inches.
• Creed Jett (2017)
  When I was 13 years old I had a vertical of 35", I would love to know if this has been done before?
• Creedyfbaby (2017)
  At 13 years old I remember jumping for 35" I was hitting 30 easy.
• Marc (2016)
  Anyone from chicago remembers Ronnie Fields ( who was a high school teammate of Kevin Garnett) and his rumored 50" verticle.
• John Williams (2015)
  Check out the Russian golden boy on Youtube (Viktor Poletaev,volleyball), he is 19 -20yrs. old and jumps like the Cuban dude, he is 6'5" and his feet almost touch the bottom of the net, insane...
• THOMAS (2015)
  Average 20''
  Good 30''
  Great 35''
  Best 40-42''
• Everything over 42'' is either GBR contender or a myth.
  The only accurate method is placing some tracking device on your chest, (fix it - something like polar) and measure the shortest distance from the flat ground while standing and then at the peak of a jump. The difference is the vertical.
  All the regular measurements done are inacurate due to different stretching of the body in the refference measurement and at the peak of a jump.
  The other myth measures were done even indirectly, e.g. ''when I cannot dunk and 'believe' having 30'' vert, then somebody slightly higher than me and dunking must have 40-50'' vert.
  Here are the flaws:
  1. My 30'' inch jump is in reality 20-25''
  2. The guy that is 2'' taller or even my height might have 5-7'' longer standing reach
  3. My technique sucks, I cannot utilize the full stretch, I cannot hold the ball well ( hand size)
  And so on.
  At the end the guy dunking has a 30-34'' vert.
  Other than that, for the recorded jumps the camera angpe playes a big role. E.g. Jordan's dunk taken from the ground behind his back maoes him look flying ( especially in slow mo) with his head at the rim hight.
  The same dunk taken from above the ground and front makes it look like a regular game dunk 10'' head below the ring ( 120-10-6*12-6 = 32'' vert).
• And while some say that outside the game verts are the highest cause you can focus, it is not true. In the game/ dunk contest the adrenalin and chearing audience pushes you to extra levels.
  Best jumpers:
  a) are very light and usually short
  b) are genetically gifted -lots of fast twithing muscle fibers
  c) have short femurs (thigh bone)
  d) train and master the jumping technique
  e) do specialized weight training & plyometrics
• Foobar THOMAS (2016)
  Thank you for clearing this up. This 50/60 vertical leap is nonsense. If you want to see the highest a human has jumped see Stefan Holm. His personal best is 2.40m (7 ft 10.49in). He is 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) tall. That's 0.59m (1' 11.2'') over his head.
• NeoLegendX (2015)
  its said that Wilt had 50" VL
• Anonymous SOSick NeoLegendX (2016)
  Nah with a vertical like that he would be able to touch the top of a backboard. Alot of people exaggerate
• NeoLegendX Anonymous SOSick (2016)
  thats fair, but he did jump better then most of todays guards
• Anonymous SOSick NeoLegendX (2016)
  Yeah he did
• John Lushefski (2015)
  These numbers are mostly crap. The "unofficial" (but on video) box jump record is about 65;" the NFL combine gets tons of elite athletes, and the record is 43.5;" nobody has a 60" vertical, and it is unlikely that anyone has a 50". If someone does, it would probably be some elite middleweight weightlifter or powerlifter, where the type of training and body size is optimal for a two-foot jump. Kadour Ziani doesn't even naturally jump off two feet; he is more similar to high jumpers, who don't actually have great vertical leaps.
• Earl manigault.  The goat
• Leonel Marsall? 50"? (from John, Mar 2013)
• My little brother is 17.  he can touch 12 feet.  but he is 5ft 11 inches.    i think that is really good. What do you guys think? (from john dodson, Mar 2013)
• I'm 5'8" and my vertical is 38". To me this is slightly above average vertical. To qualify for a good vertical I think 40 is the number to achieve. Anything above that with no one step is just a great freak of nature. I wonder if anyone could ever have a 70inches of pure vertical. For Mike I also have powerlifted in high school and I found that a lot of people who could powerclean very heavy could transform that explosion in large vertical leaping ability. Just some food for thought.
• When a lot of people say they can jump like 50 or 60 inches, you need to realize a vertical jump is measured by your arm reach extended and arm reach when jumping, its not how high you can pick your  feet up off the ground, so jumping onto a platform or measuring where your feet are isn't a measure of your vertical jump. (from Christian, Feb 2013)
• David Thompson (sp?) of the 1970s Denver Nuggets had a 48" vertical (from CARL, Jan 2013)
• Some have said Wilt Chamberlain, at 7' 1" had a 54 inch vertical leap, combined with his height would have made him the superman of basketball. (from Gary Anderson, Dec 2012)
• I just wanted to SEE Riggie Thompson's Vertical Jump. I thought he had the highest and found he was 3rd. Oh well!!! (from Danny Hattaway, Nov 2012)
• A message from Torrance Harvey (Aug 2012).
  I had a twin brother that had his head chin level over the basket. His head was about 13 inches over the rim. He did this while playing against our dad in a basketball gym about 12 years ago. My brother grabbed the rebound and went straight back up. His head went 13 inches over the basket. He layed the ball in the hoop instead because his head was past the basket. It was the most amazing thing I ever saw because I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES. This was a standing vertical because he did this without running first. This was when my twin brother was 16 years old at the time. Me and our our dad was amazed by it so we told him to do a running vertical and he ended up jumping 8 inches higher than his standind vertical. His head was about 21 inches above the basket. Our dad measured his vertical afterward. At that time, my twin brother was 5'3 and had a standing reach of 6'10. HE COULD TOUCH 12'7 ON THE BACKboard while just standing first and he could touch 13'3 on the backboard while doing a running vertical. We found out that my twin brother's standing vertical was 69 inches and his running vertical was 77 inches. It was amazing watching someone jump so jump. I would had video taped it back when he did this amazing thing, but our mom and dad did not own a video camera at that time. It sucks though because I want all of you people to see this amazing thing for yourself because you people would be amazed by it as well. My twin brother is now 28 years old and is 5'8 now. It is very much possible to jump that high because my twin brother did it a while back while I witnessed it and it was amazing to see. We never videotaped him doing it. His name would have been to of his chart right now. We never told Guininess Book of World Records about it. I just had to tell yah that it is possible jump that high.
  My twin brothers Measurements as a 16 year old 12 years ago
  Standing vertical 69 inches
  Running vertical 77 inches
  Height With Shoes 5'3
  Standing Reach 6' 10
  Max vertical Reach While Standing 12' 7
  Max Vertical Reach While Running 13' 3
  My Twin brother is now 5' 8. His name is Terrance Harvey. He was very athletic and still is. He is a great basketball player. Always has been, but he is currently doing something else right now. He can easily get INTO THE NBA easily and dominate. He just had surgery 2 years ago. My brother never played high school basketball or college basketball because he had a very bad injury but never went into surgery for it because he decided not to at the time. Alot of people resemble him to Michael Jordan back then while playing in the gym and still do. He is person that can easily be better than MJ. Thats all I have to say about my twin brother.
  • Nice story torrance, u are so full it's unbelievable (from big mike, Nov 2012)
• Markel Brown oklahoma state basketball 2011 46+ vertical (from Ron smith, July 2012)
• What about Joe Johnson, the younger brother of Dennis Johnson (Celtics)? He supposedly had a 60" vertical, and this was back in the 1980's. You also forgot about Dominique Wilkins, whose vert was measured at about 50"+. (from Run, July 2012)
• I'm Mike I am a sports athlete and do Olympic Weightlifting (in the past have competed for GB). I was interested in the infomation you have put on about vertical Jump because I recently did a Demo for Weightlifting but I also did a visual demo on how high I could jump. It turns out I used the same method you were talking about in the standing vertical jump and I managed to reach 37 inches (91.44 cm). looking at this list I noticed this would rank me officially number 3 in the world which is obviously not the case, but I do seem to have a very good jumping ability as I have won jumping competitions in the past quite easily. Your thoughts? (from Mike Sheard, June 2012).
  • Mike, You need to scroll down to the world records. 37" isn't even in the top 10 but it is a very good score.  Because there is no international organization responsible for maintaining a record, these should be considered unofficial. (from Coach Will, June 2012)