Wall Ball · Squat Depth Standard

Why this matters

This is the single measurement that decides whether a wall-ball rep counts. The HYROX standard is unambiguous: the hip crease must drop below the top of the knee at the bottom of the squat. Miss it and the rep is a no-rep — the most expensive mistake on the station, because the work is done but unscored.

Unlike every other tool, this isn't an angle — it's a pass/fail vertical check. The tool reports how far the hip sits below the knee line as a percentage of the athlete's own thigh length, so the reading is comparable across camera distances and body types.

Why a dedicated tool (not just knee angle)

A knee-flexion angle is a decent proxy for depth, but it isn't the standard. An athlete with long femurs can hit a deep-looking knee angle and still have the hip above the knee line — a no-rep that the angle would miss. Measuring the hip-vs-knee vertical relationship directly captures the literal standard.

What good looks like

• Hip crease visibly below the top of the knee at the lowest point.
• A small margin of clearance, so fatigue later in the set doesn't tip it into a no-rep.
• Consistent depth rep after rep.

Reading the result

• PASS (+, clearly below): counts. Avoid going needlessly deeper — extra depth costs time over 100 reps.
• Borderline (≈ 0): right at the line. A judge could call it either way, and it will start failing under fatigue. Build a margin.
• No Rep (−, hip above knee): fails the standard.

Coaching cues

• "Hip crease below the knee" — names the exact standard.
• "Sit into the hole" — biases toward depth.
• Mobility — ankle and hip range so the athlete can reach depth without falling forward.

How to mark

1. Pause on the frame the hips reach their absolute lowest point before reversing.
2. First point: greater trochanter (hip crease).
3. Second point: the top of the patella (knee).
4. The tool draws a horizontal line through the knee and reports PASS / NO-REP plus the percentage.

Related measurements

• Torso-Tibia Alignment — same frame; whether the depth came from a quad-driven squat or a good-morning.
• Trunk Angle at Catch — the upright catch that sets up a clean descent into depth.