The Relationship of Ankle Range of Motion and Jump and Agility in Adolescent Basketball Players

The ankle joint, which plays a key role in both sagittal and frontal plane movements, contributes substantially to force production during jumping and directional changes in basketball. Limited ankle mobility has been associated with altered biomechanics, reduced performance, and increased injury risk. However, little is known about the combined role of dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, and eversion range of motion (ROM) on basketball-specific performance indicators in youth athletes. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between ankle ROM and jump and agility performance in adolescent female basketball players. A total of 51 adolescent female basketball players (aged 12–18 years) who regularly participated in training and competition volunteered for this correlational study. Measurements were conducted across three sessions, including passive ankle ROM (dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, eversion), countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ), and Lane Agility Test. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine associations between ankle ROM and performance outcomes. The results revealed significant negative correlations in the dominant limb between inversion ROM and CMJ performance (CMJmean: r=–0.343, p=0.014; CMJmax: r=–0.333, p=0.017), as well as between eversion and agility (r=–0.277, p=0.049) and plantar flexion and agility (r=–0.295, p=0.036). No significant relationships were observed for dorsiflexion ROM or for non-dominant side measures. These findings suggest that ankle ROM, particularly in the frontal plane, is associated with explosive and agility-related performance in adolescent basketball players. Coaches and practitioners should consider monitoring ankle mobility to optimize performance and reduce injury risk.