Flamingo Balance
The Flamingo Balance test is a component of the Eurofit battery. The participant stands on a narrow beam (3 cm wide, 50 cm long) on one leg and counts the number of falls in 60 seconds; fewer falls indicates better static balance. Data are from Tomkinson et al. (2018), a pooled analysis of 123,655 European children and adolescents from 19 countries aged 9–17.
How to Perform This Test
- Equipment
-
- Eurofit balance beam (3 cm wide, 50 cm long, 4 cm high)
- Stopwatch
- Steps
-
- Place the balance beam on a flat, non-slip surface.
- The participant stands on the dominant leg on the beam, with the free leg bent at the knee and the foot held against the thigh of the standing leg.
- The participant places hands on hips.
- The examiner starts the stopwatch when the participant lifts the free foot.
- Count the number of times the free foot touches the ground or the participant must restart in 60 seconds.
- Record the total number of falls.
- Scoring
Number of falls in 60 seconds. Lower scores indicate better balance. If the participant falls more than 15 times in the first 30 seconds, record the test as failed and score as 15+ falls.
- Notes
Allow one practice attempt before the scored trial. A score of 0 falls (perfect performance for 60 s) is rare but possible at older ages.
Data source: Tomkinson et al. 2018 (Eurofit) About this study
Flamingo Balance Norms by Age and Sex (falls)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 9 | Male | 4 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 24 |
| Female | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 23 | |
| 10 | Male | 3 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 25 |
| Female | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 23 | |
| 11 | Male | 3 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 26 |
| Female | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 24 | |
| 12 | Male | 3 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 26 |
| Female | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 24 | |
| 13 | Male | 3 | 7 | 12 | 17 | 26 |
| Female | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 23 | |
| 14 | Male | 3 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 25 |
| Female | 3 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 23 | |
| 15 | Male | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 21 |
| Female | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 21 | |
| 16 | Male | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 21 |
| Female | 3 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 19 | |
| 17 | Male | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 21 |
| Female | 3 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 18 | |
What to expect by age group
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 8 to 17 | 8 to 16 |
| 10 | 8 to 17 | 8 to 16 |
| 11 | 8 to 17 | 8 to 16 |
| 12 | 8 to 17 | 8 to 16 |
| 13 | 7 to 17 | 8 to 16 |
| 14 | 7 to 17 | 8 to 15 |
| 15 | 7 to 14 | 7 to 14 |
| 16 | 7 to 14 | 7 to 13 |
| 17 | 7 to 14 | 6 to 13 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is P95 always 3 falls regardless of age or sex?
The Flamingo Balance test has a floor effect: highly-skilled children can balance almost perfectly, and the test cannot differentiate among the best performers. A score of 3 falls represents near-perfect 60-second balance across virtually all ages 9–17 in the Tomkinson 2018 dataset. The true distribution of top performers is compressed at this lower boundary.
Why do boys score worse than girls?
Girls consistently outperform boys on static balance tasks during childhood and early adolescence. The sex difference in balance is well documented and is thought to reflect differences in lower limb proportions, centre of gravity, and neuromuscular maturation timing. The gap narrows by age 15–17.
Is P25 interpolated?
Yes. Tomkinson et al. (2018) report P10, P20, P30, P70, P80, and P90 directly, but not P25 or P75. Following the convention established for all Eurofit metrics on this site, P25 is approximated as (P20+P30)/2 and P75 as (P70+P80)/2, rounded to the nearest integer.
Related Metrics
Eurofit Battery
This metric is part of the Eurofit, a standardised 9-test battery for children and adolescents aged 6-18.