What Is a Good 40 Time for High School Football?
Updated · Fact checked
There is no single good 40 time for a high school player. The same time means something different for a freshman lineman than for a junior corner. What you can do is line your time up against a large group of players your age who ran the same test, then adjust for your grade and your position.
This page uses a large published set of laser-timed high school combine results, plus three studies on how grade and position change the picture. The table below shows the high school average next to NFL Combine players and 440's targets.
40-yard dash: the published numbers
NFL Combine, 2000 to 2018, by position (average ± standard deviation)
| Position | 40-yard dash |
|---|---|
| Quarterback | 4.82 ± 0.19 s |
| Running back | 4.54 ± 0.10 s |
| Wide receiver | 4.50 ± 0.10 s |
| Tight end | 4.75 ± 0.15 s |
| Offensive line | 5.24 ± 0.17 s |
| Defensive tackle | 5.08 ± 0.15 s |
| Defensive end / edge rusher | 4.81 ± 0.14 s |
| Linebacker | 4.69 ± 0.12 s |
| Cornerback | 4.48 ± 0.09 s |
| Safety | 4.54 ± 0.09 s |
Frank DJ, King MJ, Dennard CD, Macnamara BN. Discriminant Function Analysis Reveals Which Combination of Measures from the NFL Scouting Combine Predict NFL Performance. Journal of Expertise 2023;6(2):130-163, Table 4. The study's analysed samples were 117 to 462 players per position; it does not say whether these averages use that sample or every participant.
High school combine players, all positions: 40-yard dash 5.3 ± 0.4 sGillen ZM, Shoemaker ME, McKay BD, Cramer JT. State Population Influences Athletic Performance Combine Test Scores in High School-Aged American Football Players. Int J Exerc Sci 2019;12(6):256-262, Table 1 (raw values). Pooled across the paper's three groups.
440's 40 targets by plan
| Plan | High school | College | Pro reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | 5.13 s | 4.93 s | 4.85 s |
| Running Back | 4.83 s | 4.63 s | 4.55 s |
| Wide Receiver | 4.78 s | 4.58 s | 4.50 s |
| Tight End | 5.00 s | 4.80 s | 4.72 s |
| Offensive Line | 5.58 s | 5.38 s | 5.30 s |
| Defensive Line | 5.23 s | 5.03 s | 4.95 s |
| Linebacker | 4.98 s | 4.78 s | 4.70 s |
| Defensive Back | 4.78 s | 4.58 s | 4.50 s |
| Kicker | 5.23 s | 5.03 s | 4.95 s |
| Punter | 5.23 s | 5.03 s | 4.95 s |
| Athlete | 4.88 s | 4.68 s | 4.60 s |
440 Football's own targets: a pro reference per position, plus 0.28 s for high school and 0.08 s for college.
Rank your 40-yard dash in the free calculatorThe benchmark: 7,000 recruiting combine players
A 2019 study in the International Journal of Exercise Science looked at 7,214 players tested at recruiting combines run by Zybek Sports between March 2015 and January 2016. Every sprint was laser-timed. Across the 7,077 who ran the 40, the average was 5.3 seconds with a standard deviation of 0.4, and the raw average read 5.3 in all three groups of states the authors compared.
Two things to keep in mind. The players were mostly freshmen, sophomores and juniors (only 60 were seniors), and the average mixes every position. Players who sign up for a recruiting combine may also not be typical of every high school roster.
If those times follow a bell curve, a laser 5.0 beats about 77% of that group, a 5.1 about 69% and a 5.5 about 31%. Those are 440's estimates, not figures from the study: the study rounds its average and spread to a tenth of a second, and the estimate treats a freshman and a junior the same. Run your own time through the 40-yard dash calculator.
Your grade changes the answer
Older players tend to run faster. In a 2010 study of 2,327 high school players, 11th and 12th graders were faster in the 40 than 9th and 10th graders on both offense and defense. Across all its measures, the authors saw the greatest difference between the sophomore and junior years.
A 2020 report on high school recruiting combines from the same period, March 2015 to January 2016, found something different. Across freshmen, sophomores and juniors, it saw greater differences on every measure from freshman to sophomore year than from sophomore to junior year. The two studies used different players and grade groupings, and the 2020 data were cross-sectional: different players in each grade, not the same players followed as they grew. The practical point is the same: judge a freshman's time against freshmen.
Your position changes it too
Within each grade, a 2018 study of about 7,000 combine players found real differences in the 40 between positions. Generally, offensive linemen were the tallest and heaviest and posted the lowest scores; defensive backs and receivers were the lightest and posted the best. The authors recommend comparing players by their exact position, not by broad groups like line and skill.
440's targets are set by position too. Each plan's high school target is its pro reference plus 0.28 seconds: 4.78 for a wide receiver or defensive back, 4.83 for a running back, 5.13 for a quarterback and 5.58 for an offensive lineman. They are 440's goals for a high school player on that plan, not a cut-off for being good. For how the pro numbers compare by position, see average 40 time by position.
A laser time and a stopwatch time are different numbers
The benchmark above is laser-timed. Most practice 40s are not. In a study of 59 college players timed both ways on the same runs, stopwatch times averaged 0.31 seconds faster than electronic ones. Before you compare a coach's stopwatch 4.9 with a 5.3 laser average, read the hand-timed vs laser 40 guide.
How recruiting reads a time
Where a number came from can matter. In a 2022 rankings update, 247Sports wrote that one safety prospect could rise as more data on his size and verified athleticism became available. That note was about one player, and it did not single out the 40.
Keep it in proportion. A 2019 study found NFL Combine players scored 3% to 25% better than high school combine players on every measurement, and even at that level Gil Brandt wrote on NFL.com in 2011 that the drills are not more important than a player's overall football ability. Use your 40 to track progress: same surface, same timing, a few times a year. 440's plans train the start with 10-yard starts and top speed with flying 10s.
FAQ
Is a 5.0 40 good for a high school freshman?
It is faster than average. Laser-timed high school combine players, mostly freshmen to juniors, averaged 5.3 seconds, and in one study older grades ran faster, so a 5.0 from a freshman compares well. Position matters too: in high school combine research, offensive linemen generally scored lowest and receivers and defensive backs highest.
What is the average 40 time for a high school football player?
In a study of 7,214 players at recruiting combines in 2015 and 2016, the laser-timed average was 5.3 seconds with a standard deviation of 0.4, across all positions. Most of the players were freshmen to juniors.
Does a hand-timed 40 count the same as a laser time?
No. In one study of college players timed both ways at once, stopwatch times averaged 0.31 seconds faster than electronic times. Compare a hand time only with other hand times, or adjust it first.
Which grade shows the biggest jump in 40 times?
The two studies point to different years. A 2010 study found the greatest difference overall between the sophomore and junior years; a larger 2020 recruiting combine report found greater differences on every measure from freshman to sophomore year. The 2020 data compared different players in each grade, not the same players over time.
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- State Population Influences Athletic Performance Combine Test Scores in High School-Aged American Football Players (Gillen, Shoemaker, McKay, Cramer; Int J Exerc Sci 2019;12(6):256-262), PMC / International Journal of Exercise Science
- Anthropometric and performance differences among high-school football players (Dupler et al., J Strength Cond Res 2010;24(8):1975-82; abstract via NCBI E-utilities), PubMed / Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Normative Reference Values for High School-Aged American Football Players (McKay et al., J Strength Cond Res 2020;34(10):2849-2856; abstract via NCBI E-utilities), PubMed / Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Anthropometric and Athletic Performance Combine Test Results Among Positions Within Grade Levels of High School-Aged American Football Players (Leutzinger et al., J Strength Cond Res 2018;32(5):1288-1296; abstract via NCBI E-utilities), PubMed / Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Comparison between hand and electronic timing of 40-yd dash performance in college football players (Mayhew et al., J Strength Cond Res 2010;24(2):447-51; abstract via NCBI E-utilities), PubMed / Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Weekly rankings notes: Two elite 2024 prospects to know, two new 4-stars in 2023 (247Sports, 2022-03-10; recruiting media, kept with attribution as an example of how a recruiting service treats verified testing), 247Sports
- Performance Differences between National Football League and High School American Football Combine Participants (Gillen, Shoemaker, McKay, Cramer; Res Q Exerc Sport 2019;90(2):227-233; abstract via NCBI E-utilities), PubMed / Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport
- What does the combine data mean? Depends on your position (Gil Brandt, 2011-02-24), NFL.com
Program numbers (benchmarks, sets, reps, loads, protein targets) are 440 Football's own prescriptions. For athletes 13 and older; check with a physician or a registered dietitian before major training or diet changes.