ABSTRACT
Landings are an extremely common athletic manoeuvre, whether they be a single-limb landing during a running stride or after leaping to catch a ball, a two-footed landing following a vertical jump, or landing on an unstable surface, such as a surfboard, after performing an aerial manoeuvre. Irrespective of the task, the landing phase starts the moment an athlete contacts the supporting surface 1 and continues until their centre of mass stops moving downward and their momentum is zero. From a biomechanical perspective, landings require optimal technical performance while ensuring efficient absorption of the impact forces generated at foot-ground contact to minimise the potential for injury. Landing tasks, particularly those involving high impact forces, have been associated with a variety of injuries, especially ankle ligament sprains, patellar tendon injuries and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures.
