Side Hop Test: protocol and reference values

When someone is returning from a knee or ankle injury, one of the most important questions is: is their affected leg ready to handle repeated jumps and changes of direction? The side hop test is one of the most widely used tools to answer that, because it loads a single leg quickly and repeatedly — much like what happens in real sport.

What does this test measure?

The side hop test measures the ability to perform repeated lateral hops on a single leg, assessing both performance (number of hops in a set time, or time to complete a fixed number of hops) and the quality of knee and ankle control during landing.

It's widely used in return-to-sport protocols after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, recurrent ankle sprains, or tendinopathies, comparing the affected leg with the healthy one.

Equipment needed

• Tape or marked lines on the floor, 30 cm apart (15 cm on each side of a center line)
• Stopwatch
• Non-slip floor space

Test protocol

1. Mark two parallel lines on the floor, 30 cm apart
2. The subject stands on one leg on one of the lines, hands on hips (to prevent arm assistance)
3. On the signal, they must hop laterally from side to side over the lines, touching or crossing each line with the same foot, as fast as possible
4. Time how long it takes to complete 10 hops (5 on each side), or count how many hops they complete in 30 seconds, depending on which protocol you prefer
5. Repeat with the other leg
6. Perform 2-3 attempts per leg and keep the best valid result (no stepping outside the lines, no loss of balance)

Common mistakes

• Not allowing a familiarization run before timing (the first attempt is usually slower due to learning the pattern)
• Allowing support from the other leg or arm assistance
• Comparing the injured vs. healthy leg without first checking whether the "healthy" leg already had a pre-existing deficit
• Not observing landing quality (knee valgus, lack of control) and focusing only on the time

How to interpret the result

Symmetry index between legs	Interpretation
≥ 90% (affected leg relative to healthy leg)	Good criterion for progressing in return to sport
80-89%	Moderate deficit — keep working before progressing to more demanding tasks
< 80%	Significant deficit — not advisable to progress to high-impact/direction-change activities yet

The Limb Symmetry Index is calculated as: (affected leg result / healthy leg result) x 100. Remember this test is just one piece of a complete return-to-sport protocol: ideally it should be combined with strength tests, other jumps, and psychological criteria (confidence, fear of re-injury).

Relationship with other tests

The side hop test is often part of return-to-sport batteries alongside:

• Crossover Hop Test — adds a forward hop component, more demanding for knee control
• Jump-Landing Control Test — for assessing landing quality in more detail, not just performance

Track progress with Movalytics

In rehab or return-to-play processes, what matters isn't a single result but how the symmetry index evolves session after session. With Movalytics you can log the times for both legs at each session, and the app automatically calculates the symmetry percentage, helping you decide when it's time to progress to the next phase.

Frequently asked questions

At what point in rehab can this test be used? Only once the athlete already tolerates single-leg hops without pain and has a sufficient base of strength and control. It's not a test for early rehab phases. Which leg is assessed first? Usually the unaffected (or dominant) leg first, to establish a reference, and then the affected one. Is it only for ACL injuries? No, it's also used for ankle injuries (recurrent sprains), patellar tendinopathies, and as part of general return-to-sport screening.