Examination of the Relationship Between Single-Leg Jump Performance and Change of Direction Speed in Basketball Players

In dynamic and high-intensity sports such as basketball, jumping and speed are fundamental motor skills that directly affect both offensive and defensive performance. Understanding the relationship between these abilities is crucial for designing training strategies that enhance players' on-court ef-fectiveness. This study aimed to examine the relationship between single-leg jump performance and change of direction speed in adolescent male basketball players. The study included 29 participants with a mean age of 16.76 ± 1.09 years, height 179.28 ± 5.28 cm, weight 76.21 ± 6.65 kg, and BMI 23.76 ± 2.39. Based on Pearson correlation analysis, a weak and negative correlation (r = -0.237) was found between the two variables; however, this result was not statistically significant (p = 0.216). Addi-tionally, the coefficient of determination (R² = 0.056) indicated that jump performance explained only 5.6% of the variance in change of direction speed. In conclusion, no significant association was found between single-leg jump performance and change of direction speed. This suggests that these two motor skills should be approached independently in physical training and performance assess-ment. Future studies involving larger and more diverse samples are recommended to achieve more generalizable and comprehensive results.