Jump Height from Flight Time Calculator
A vertical jump can be estimated from how long the body stays in the air. While airborne the body is a projectile under gravity, and if take-off and landing happen at the same height, the rise and fall are symmetric. The peak rise of the centre of mass is therefore gravity times flight time squared divided by eight. This calculator takes a measured flight time in seconds and the acceleration due to gravity (defaulting to the standard 9.80665 metres per second squared, which you can edit for local conditions) and returns jump height in metres, centimetres, and inches, plus the time to the peak. It is the equipment-light method used with contact mats and force plates.
Flight-time jump height formula
jump height (m) = g * flight time^2 / 8
time to peak (s) = flight time / 2
centimetres = metres * 100
inches = metres / 0.0254
Worked example: a flight time of 0.5 s with g = 9.80665 gives height = 9.80665 * 0.25 / 8 = 0.3065 m, that is 30.65 cm or 12.07 inches, with a time to peak of 0.25 s.
Method notes
- The method assumes take-off and landing at the same body height.
- Time to the peak is exactly half the total flight time.
- Gravity defaults to the standard 9.80665 metres per second squared and is editable.
- Differences in landing versus take-off posture can bias the estimate.
- Flight time is usually captured with a contact mat, force plate, or high-speed video.
Jump height: frequently asked questions
How is jump height calculated from flight time?
When the body leaves and lands at the same height, the centre of mass rises and falls symmetrically. Jump height equals g times flight time squared divided by 8, where g is the acceleration due to gravity. This comes from the fact that the rise time is half the flight time and height equals one half times g times rise time squared.
Why divide by 8 and not by 2?
Total flight time covers the rise and the fall, so the time to the peak is half the flight time. Height equals one half g times (t over 2) squared, which simplifies to g times t squared over 8. Using the full flight time directly without halving would overstate the height fourfold.
What value of gravity should I use?
The standard acceleration due to gravity defined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures and used by NIST is 9.80665 metres per second squared. Local gravity varies slightly with latitude and altitude, so this value is a user-editable input you can adjust.
How do I measure flight time?
Flight time is the interval between the feet leaving the ground and the feet landing again, typically measured by a contact mat, force plate, or high-speed video. Enter the flight time in seconds; a typical countermovement jump flight time is around 0.4 to 0.6 seconds.
Does this account for arm swing or landing posture?
No. The flight-time method assumes the centre of mass is at the same height at take-off and landing. Bending the legs more at landing than at take-off, or large arm movements, can bias the estimate. It remains a widely used, equipment-light method.
Official sources
- National Institute of Standards and Technology: CODATA values and standard gravity 9.80665 m/s squared.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (PubMed): Vertical jump flight-time method literature.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.