Female basketball players are at a greater risk for non contact ACL injury. Frontal and transverse plane motions increase the load on the ACL. The age at which these risk factors occur is largely unknown. PURPOSE: To examine the kinematics and kinetics of a drop landing and to compare hip abduction, knee flexion, and knee extension strength between 3 age groups and gender of basketball players. METHODS: Kinematic and kinetic data were collected from 45 males (6th grade = 15, 9th grade = 15, and 12th grade = 15 and 42 female (6th grade =14,9th grade = 17, and 12th grade =11) athletes. Landings were performed from a 40 cm hang bar. Strength testing for quadriceps and hamstrings included 15 reps at 60 °/s on an isokinetic dynamometer. Isometric hip abductor strength was measured using an anchored dynamometer. All force values and joint moment parameters were scaled to percent body weight (%BW) and N-m/kg of BW, respectively. A two way repeated measures ANO VA was performed (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: Neither the mean landing phase time nor Vertical GRF was different for gender or age. At initial contact, 6th grade athletes had greater knee abduction angles compared to 12th grade athletes (−7° vs. −2.9°). Females had greater peak hip (42.9°vs. 20.5°) and knee flexion angles (68.3° vs. 56.3°) and knee abduction angles (−9.5° vs. −6.3°) as well as greater hip (15.8° vs. −4.6°) and knee flexion angles (12.7° vs. 8.1°) at initial contact. Overall, females had greater knee extension moments (1.18 N-m/kg of BWvs. 1.0 N-m/kg of BW) than males in landing. Knee extensor and hip extensor male and female strength were similar at 6th grade but strength was significantly greater in males at 9th grade and 12th grade. CONCLUSION: Females demonstrated increased sagittal and frontal plane motion coupled with greater knee extension moments during landing. In particular, sixth grade female athletes increased knee abduction angles at initial contact. Greater knee abduction observed in females in combination with greater reliance on the knee extensors to control knee motion may contribute to non contact ACL tears. 9th and 12th grade females exhibited diminished hip abduction and knee extension strength compared to males which may contribute to the inability to control knee motion during landing.