Stick the Landing Jump Warm-Up

A jump progression where the goal is not jumping high but landing and freezing with good technique for two seconds. It is an effective way to prevent knee ligament (ACL) injuries, especially in sports with jumping and sudden stops.

How to play

1. Groups of 5 in lines facing a lane with two low hurdles about 5 feet apart. Minutes 0-2: easy hops in place and calf raises.
2. Minutes 2-4: two-foot vertical jump with a stuck landing: knees bent and lined up, hips back, frozen for 2 seconds. The next student in line judges whether it was stuck. 6 jumps.
3. Minutes 4-6: two-foot broad jumps forward and side jumps over a line, with the same landing. 6 of each.
4. Minutes 6-8: hop over both low hurdles in a row and stick the landing after the second. 4 trips.
5. Minutes 8-10: two-foot takeoff with a single-leg landing, 3 per side, then each student counts their stuck landings.

Rules

• A landing only counts if it is quiet, knees over toes, with no extra steps.
• Wait until your classmate clears the lane before jumping.
• If a landing goes wrong, repeat it lower before moving on.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: practice controlled wheelchair stops after a push and arm absorption drills against a wall.
• Autism: chalk the exact landing spot and foot position.
• Low fitness or higher body weight: replace jumps with calf raises and quick squats with a hard stop.

Learning goals

• Land with safe technique and knee control.
• Understand how knee injuries happen when jumping.
• Assess a classmate's landing technique.

Equipment for a class of 25

• low hurdles: 10
• cones: 10

Teacher tip

Watch for knees caving together on landing, especially on one leg: that is the risky movement. Use a floor with some give, never concrete with hurdles.

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