Drop Vertical Jump Test: How to Assess Landing Control and Prevent Knee Injuries

Landing after a jump is one of the moments of highest risk for knee injury, especially to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and it's a movement repeated dozens of times in sports like basketball, volleyball, or soccer. The Drop Vertical Jump Test was designed specifically to observe how each person controls that critical moment.

It's one of the most studied knee injury risk screening tests, particularly in female athletes and adolescent athletes, where the risk of ACL injury is higher.

What does this test measure?

It measures neuromuscular control during the landing of a jump, paying special attention to knee alignment in the frontal plane (whether the knee "collapses inward," known as dynamic knee valgus), a pattern associated with higher ACL injury risk.

Equipment needed

• A box or platform approximately 30 cm high
• Enough space for the jump and landing
• A video camera (a phone is fine) to record from the frontal plane and, if possible, also from the side
• Floor markings to standardize the landing distance

Step-by-step protocol

1. The subject stands on the box with feet shoulder-width apart
2. They step off the box with both feet at the same time (without jumping upward first), landing on the ground
3. Immediately after landing, they perform a maximal vertical jump, aiming to reach the greatest height possible
4. The whole movement is recorded from the frontal plane (facing the subject) to observe knee alignment at the moment of the first landing
5. Repeat 2-3 attempts to get a representative sample

Common mistakes

• Jumping upward off the box before stepping down, instead of a clean vertical descent
• Recording only from the side, where knee valgus can't be seen
• Not standardizing the box height or landing distance between assessments, making it difficult to compare results over time

How to interpret the result

Visual finding	Interpretation
Knees aligned over the feet during landing	Apparent low-risk landing pattern
Dynamic knee valgus (knees "collapse inward") on one or both sides	Risk marker associated with ACL injury, especially relevant in adolescent athletes and women
Asymmetry between sides at landing	Focus area for unilateral corrective work
"Noisy" landing or little knee/hip flexion (stiff landing)	Indicates low impact-absorption capacity, landing technique work recommended

This test is usually assessed visually and qualitatively in a training context (is there valgus or not?), although in laboratory settings it can be quantified with 2D/3D video analysis or force plates.

Relationship with other tests

• Step Down Test (eccentric quadriceps control) — shares the closed-chain eccentric lower-limb control component
• Lateral hop test — complements the assessment with a unilateral frontal-plane jump pattern

Track and follow progress

Spotting dynamic valgus in a single video is relatively easy, but knowing whether it's improving with your prevention program requires systematically comparing videos across sessions. With Movalytics you can record the result of each assessment (presence/absence of valgus per side, observations), attach the reference video, and track how the landing pattern evolves throughout your program.

Frequently asked questions

Who is this test most important for? Especially adolescent athletes who play jumping and cutting sports (basketball, volleyball, handball, soccer), where ACL injury risk is higher during the growth spurt. Does dynamic valgus mean an injury is guaranteed? No, it's a risk marker, not a deterministic prediction. But it's a modifiable pattern with neuromuscular control training, so it's worth addressing if detected. How do you work on dynamic valgus detected in this test? With prevention programs that include hip strength (gluteus medius), landing technique (landing "quietly," with knee and hip flexion), and progressive plyometrics with visual feedback.