For American football
For American football, barbell back squat rates higher on our research criteria: more injury protection.
Both are good choices that build different things for American football, so a plan can use both.
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Barbell Back Squat. Lower-body strength for driving through contact.
Trap Bar Jump. Loaded jumps train explosive hip extension, the action behind every take-off and first step.
For basketball, barbell back squat rates higher on our research criteria: more injury protection. Trap bar jump carries over more directly to basketball.
For American football, barbell back squat rates higher on our research criteria: more injury protection. Both are good choices that build different things for American football, so a plan can use both.
About the same: both take some practice.
Barbell back squat needs a barbell and a squat rack, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Trap bar jump needs a trap bar, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Barbell back squat: it rates Good for injury protection in our research rubric, against Fair for trap bar jump.