The purpose of this study was to compare the lower extremity's joint and segment coupling patterns between forward and backward running in subjects who were twelve healthy males. Three-dimensional kinematic data were collected with Qualisys system while subjects ran to forward and backward. The thigh internal/external rotation and tibia internal/external rotation, thigh flexion/extension and tibia flexion/extension, tibia internal/external rotation and foot inversion/eversion, knee internal/external rotation and ankle inversion/eversion, knee flexion/extension and ankle inversion/eversion, knee flexion/extension and ankle flexion/extension, and knee flexion/extension and tibia internal/external rotation coupling patterns were determined using a vector coding technique. The comparison for each coupling between forward and backward running were conducted using a dependent, two-tailed t-test at a significant level of .05 for the mean of each of five stride regions, midstance(1l-30%), toe-off(31-50%), swing acceleration(51-70%), swing deceleration(71-90), and heel-strike(91-10%), respectively. 1. The knee flexion/extension and ankle flexion/extension coupling pattern of both foreward and backward running over the stride was converged on a complete coordination. However, the ankle flexion/extension to knee flexion/extension was relatively greater at heel-strike in backward running compared with forward running. At the swing deceleration, backward running was dominantly led by the ankle flexion/extension, but forward running done by the knee flexion/extension. 2. The knee flexion/extension and ankle inversion/eversion coupling pattern for both running was also converged on a complete coordination. At the mid-stance. the ankle movement in the frontal plane was large during forward running, but the knee movement in the sagital plane was large during backward running and vice versa at the swing deceleration. 3. The knee flexion/extension and tibia internal/external rotation coupling while forward and backward run was also centered on the angle of 45 degrees, which indicate a complete coordination. However, tibia internal/external rotation dominated the knee flexion/extension at heel strike phase in forward running and vice versa in backward running. It was diametrically opposed to the swing deceleration for each running. 4. Both running was governed by the ankle movement in the frontal plane across the stride cycle within the knee internal/external rotation and tibia internal/external rotation. The knee internal/external rotation of backward running was greater than that of forward running at the swing deceleration. 5. The tibia internal/external rotation in coupling between the tibia internal/external rotation and foot inversion/eversion was relatively great compared with the foot inversion/eversion over a stride for both running. At heel strike, the tibia internal/external rotation of backward running was shown greater than that of forward(p<.05). 6. The thigh internal/external rotation took the lead for both running in the thigh internal/external rotation and tibia internal/external rotation coupling. In comparison of phase, the thigh internal/external rotation movement at the swing acceleration phase in backward running worked greater in comparison with forward running(p<.05). However, it was greater at the swing deceleration in forward running(p<.05). 7. With the exception of the swing deceleration phase in forward running, the tibia flexion/extension surpassed the thigh flexion/extension across the stride cycle in both running. Analysis of the specific stride phases revealed the forward running had greater tibia flexion/extension movement at the heel strike than backward running(p<.05). In addition, the thigh flexion/extension and tibia flexion/extension coupling displayed almost coordination at the heel strike phase in backward running. On the other hand the thigh flexion/extension of forward running at the swing deceleration phase was greater than the tibia flexion/extension, but it was opposite from backward running. In summary, coupling which were the knee flexion/extension and ankle flexion/extension, the knee flexion/extension and ankle inversion/eversion, the knee internal/external rotation and ankle inversion/eversion, the tibia internal/external rotation and foot inversion/eversion, the thigh internal/external rotation and tibia internal/external rotation, and the thigh flexion/extension and tibia flexion/extension patterns were most similar across the strike cycle in both running, but it showed that coupling patterns in the specific stride phases were different from average point of view between two running types.