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Standing Reach Height

The standing reach height test is a measure of how high someone can reach while standing. This measurement is commonly used for the calculation of jump height in vertical jump testing, though it can be used on its own as a measure of the ability to reach high for a ball, irrespective of jumping ability.



purpose: to measure height which someone can reach, usually for the calculation of jump height.

equipment required: tape measure and wall, or VertecĀ® or similar.

pre-test: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender, test conditions. Perform an appropriate warm-up. See more details of pre-test procedures.

procedure: If measuring against a wall, the subject stands side on and reaches up with the hand closest to the wall. Keeping the feet flat on the ground, the point of the fingertips is marked then the distance measured from the ground. If using the VertecĀ® vertical jump equipment or something similar, the person stands below the apparatus, again with feet flat on the floor and reaches up as high as they can.

note: As this measurement is used in the calculation of vertical jump (by taking this measurement away from the jump height), some athletes will try to affect their score by not stretching up as far as possible. The testers should be aware of this and ensure that the subject maximizes their reach score.

comments: the standing reach height is report in the results of the NBA combine.



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