Benchmarks an athlete must meet before resuming competitive sport after injury.
A set of objective and subjective measures — commonly strength/limb symmetry indices, hop or performance testing, psychological readiness (e.g., ACL-RSI), and sport-specific movement quality — used to judge whether an athlete can safely return to full training or competition after injury or surgery. Criteria vary substantially by injury type, sport, and setting, and there is no single validated battery; consensus statements (e.g., for ACL reconstruction) recommend a multifactorial approach rather than time-based return alone. Evidence that passing these criteria reliably reduces re-injury risk is still mixed and an active area of research.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.