One-Leg Stand

Clues

A police officer watches a young man walking across a parking lot during a field sobriety test, with onlookers in the background

  1. Sways while balancing. (This refers to the side-to-side or back-and-forth motion while the suspect maintains the one-leg stand position.)
  2. Uses arms for balance. (Suspect moves arms 6 or more inches from the side of the body.)
  3. Hopping. (Suspect is able to keep one foot off the ground, but resorts to hopping in order to maintain balance.)
  4. Puts foot down. (The subject is not able to maintain the one-leg stand position, putting the foot down one or two times during the 30-second count.)

Instructions

  1. Please stand with your feet together and your arms down at the sides, like this. Demonstrate.
  2. Do not start to perform the test until I tell you to do so.
  3. Do you understand the instructions so far? Make sure suspect indicates understanding.
  4. When I tell you to start, raise one leg, either leg, with the foot approximately six inches off the ground, keeping your raised foot parallel to the ground. Demonstrate one leg stance.
  5. You must keep both legs straight, arms at your side.
  6. While holding that position, count out loud in the following manner: “one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three,” until told to stop.
  7. Keep your arms at your sides at all times and keep watching the raised foot.
  8. Do you understand? Make sure suspect indicates understanding.
  9. Go ahead and perform the test. Officer should always time the 30 seconds and discontinue after 30 seconds.

For more general information on the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, please click here.