The ACL Return-to-Sport Checklist
Get a practical, evidence-based checklist to help you make smarter ACL return-to-sport decisions — plus a bonus guide on the Top 10 Return-to-Sport Decision Mistakes.
Use a structured framework for strength, hopping, movement quality, confidence, and sport readiness.
Clarify whether an athlete is ready for participation, sport, or competition — not just a calendar date.
Save time with a fast-reference clinical tool you can use in evaluation, re-testing, and discharge planning.
ACL RTS Checklist
1
ACL RTS Checklist
A concise framework to review knee status, strength, hop testing, movement quality, psychological readiness, and sport-context demands.
A practical download you can use right away.
This free download is designed for sports physical therapists, athletic trainers, and rehab clinicians who want a cleaner process for return-to-sport decision-making after ACL injury or reconstruction.
2
Faster Clinical Decisions
Use it during re-testing, progression visits, or team communication to reduce vague “looks good” decisions and improve consistency.
3
Bonus Mistakes Guide
Learn the most common RTS decision errors, including time-only clearance, ignored swelling, poor load progression, and incomplete sport preparation.
Inside the ACL Return-to-Sport Checklist
1
Knee Status
Pain, swelling, ROM, instability, and next-day response.
2
Physical Capacity
Quadriceps strength, hop performance, single-leg loading, and repeated effort tolerance.
3
Movement Quality
Landing control, deceleration, trunk strategy, frontal plane control, and fatigue behavior.
4
Readiness for Sport
Confidence, task-specific_fear, practice_tolerance, and real sport demands.
Top 10 RTS Decision Mistakes
-
Clearing athletes based on time alone.
-
Ignoring effusion and next-day joint response.
-
Overvaluing hop scores without watching mechanics.
-
Skipping psychological readiness.
-
Using the same criteria for every sport and athlete.
-
Progressing to chaos before earning control.
-
Underpreparing the athlete for practice and competition.
Get the checklist and bonus guide.
Enter your information below and you’ll unlock the free ACL Return-to-Sport Checklist and the bonus PDF: Top 10 RTS Decision Mistakes.