Define the task
A pogo, a drop jump and a repeated broad jump ask different questions of the athlete. Describe the task, contact intention, surface and recovery before counting volume.
Use simple readiness checks
A short warm-up, a few submaximal contacts and a repeatable jump observation can tell a coach whether the planned task matches the day. None of these checks can diagnose tissue readiness.
Earn the volume
Increase contacts only when landing quality, intent and recovery remain stable. The protocol library treats plyometrics as a family of tasks rather than a single prescription.
Classify the contact before counting it
A low-amplitude pogo, a maximal countermovement jump, a drop jump and a repeated broad jump differ in intent, landing demand and recovery cost. Record the exercise, surface, height or distance, contact intention, arm instruction and rest. A contact count without that information is like reporting kilometres without pace. Begin with a progressive warm-up and a few submaximal contacts. Watch whether the athlete can organise the landing, maintain intent and repeat the task before adding volume.
Use a small readiness decision
Imagine a planned jump session after a difficult travel day. The athlete completes the warm-up but shows a large change in landing noise, balance recovery and jump intent. A sensible response might be to use a lower-complexity drill, reduce contacts or shift the session to strength technique. If the warm-up is consistent and the athlete can reproduce the task, the planned volume may be appropriate. The check is not a tissue-readiness diagnosis. It is a way to match the day's task to observable quality.
Where plyometric advice goes wrong
Adding contacts because a programme lists a number ignores surface, footwear, athlete history and the difference between elastic work and maximal landing stress. A higher box is not automatically better, and a quiet landing is not proof that forces are low. Video can help with timing and balance, but it cannot establish tissue tolerance by itself. Progress one variable at a time, keep recovery visible and stop for pain or a clear loss of control. Compare the landing mechanics and countermovement jump guides before treating all jumps as one training category.
Progress the task before multiplying contacts
A sensible progression can change one variable at a time: bilateral to unilateral, planned to reactive, low to higher amplitude, stable to more demanding surface, or simple landing to a sport-specific response. Keep the athlete's intent and landing control visible as the task changes. A session with fewer high-quality contacts may be more informative than a long list completed with deteriorating control. Record the response later that day and the next morning, because delayed soreness or apprehension can change the next decision. Do not use a contact total to compare athletes with different histories, surfaces and tasks. The task description is the unit of meaning.
Quality has a context
A contact is meaningful only when its task, intent, surface and athlete context are known. Keep the record specific enough to compare like with like, and let the next session decide whether the progression was tolerated.
Editorial protocol synthesis; linked to CMJ and landing mechanics entries.
Read the editorial method for how we handle evidence, limits and practical interpretation.
