Introduction: Seventy percent of basketball injuries are non-contact, with 75% occurring in the lower extremities. Flexible pes planus is the most common malalignment among basketball players, and the most common intervention is supportive taping. However, research on the effects of taping and kinesio taping on landing techniques and skills is limited and warrants further exploration. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the skills and landing errors of basketball players with flexible pes planus when using two common supportive taping methods. Materials and Methods: The subjects of this quasi-experimental, applied study included professional male basketball players with flexible pes planus (age: 22.91 ± 2.39 years, height: 190.83 ± 9.35 cm, weight: 93.83 ± 18.95 kg, basketball experience: 6.75 ± 1.81 years, Staheli index: 0.94 ± 0.03). Assessments included the Staheli index for flexible pes planus, skill tests (free throw, jump shot, and layup tests), and landing technique [Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) test]. The research interventions included supportive taping and kinesio taping. Data analysis was performed using a paired t-test at the 0.05 significance level. Results: Data analysis revealed that supportive taping, compared to no taping, resulted in a 12.75% reduction in landing errors (P = 0.03) and a 5% increase in layup scores (P = 0.05). Additionally, supportive taping compared to kinesio taping led to a 6.5% increase in layup scores (P = 0.05), while kinesio taping compared to no taping resulted in a 6.5% decrease in free throw scores (P = 0.04). Conclusion: In addition to reducing landing errors and their consequences, supportive taping also improves layup scores. Therefore, it is recommended that basketball players with flexible pes planus use low-dye taping rather than kinesio taping and no taping, as it reduces the risk of non-contact injuries from landing errors.
