What is the broad jump and how is it measured? NFL Combine event explained

Beginning on Monday, the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. This annual event features some of the top prospects in the NFL Draft class participating in drills and interviewing with teams. The main goal is to impress a team enough to get drafted and potentially increase their stock.

Most prospects will be participating in the on-field drills to show their athleticism. There's the 40-yard dash to show how fast an athlete is. Then there's the vertical jump to measure how high a player can leap. One of the main drills that teams will be evaluating is the broad jump.

What is the broad jump and how is it measured?

While the vertical jump measures how high a player can elevate in the air to make a catch, the broad jump measures how far they can leap. While that is true, it also allows teams to evaluate the player's leg strength and explosiveness.

In the broad jump drill, a player will stand on a starter's line and attempt to leap as far as they can. The most important thing is that the prospect must be balanced upon landing. There are markers placed on each yard line, signifying three feet each. From there, someone with a ruler will be there to measure where the back of their feet land.

It's as simple as that.

Who holds the record for the broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine?

The record for the broad jump belongs to former UConn defensive back Byron Jones, who set it back in 2015. Not only did Jones set a Combine record, but also a world record by posting a 12-foot-3-inch broad jump.

This showing did help Jones' stock, who was selected with the 27th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

Here are some of the top broad jump performances in NFL Scouting Combine history, courtesy of NFL.com: