Return to Play Decision-Making Flashcards
General:
Running Progression
Agility/Plyometrics
Running Progression:
Running > Sprinting
Running: Begin with controlled, straight-line jogging. Gradually increase speed and distance over several sessions, focusing on maintaining proper form and endurance.
Sprinting: Once comfortable with jogging, introduce sprints. Start with shorter distances and controlled acceleration, progressing to longer sprints and full-speed running. Incorporate varying speeds and distances.
Agility/Plyometrics:
Cutting/pivoting
Jumping/landing
Cutting/Pivoting:
Begin with controlled lateral movements such as side shuffles and gradually introduce sharper changes in direction.
Progress to sport-specific drills like cutting at 45- and 90-degree angles, focusing on proper mechanics to reduce injury risk.
Pivoting drills, such as 180-degree turns, can be integrated as reaction-based movements to simulate game scenarios.
Jumping/Landing:
Start with vertical jumps and focus on controlled landings, emphasizing soft knees and proper alignment to avoid valgus collapse.
Progress to more dynamic plyometrics such as box jumps, depth jumps, and lateral hops, ensuring good form is maintained throughout.
Multi-directional jumping and landing can be introduced later, incorporating forward, backward, and lateral movements to simulate game scenarios.
Sport specific:
Sport specific progression
What do they need to do?
Practice Drills?
Incorporate ball/defender
Unanticipated movement
What Do They Need to Do?
Develop Specific Skills: Athletes should focus on skills directly related to their sport, including technique, agility, speed, and endurance.
Simulate Game Conditions: Create scenarios that mimic competitive situations, including the physical and mental demands of the sport.
Practice Drills:
Technical Drills: Focus on skills essential for the sport, such as dribbling in basketball, passing in soccer, or swinging in tennis.
Agility and Conditioning Drills: Incorporate drills that enhance footwork, acceleration, and deceleration, such as ladder drills, cone drills, or shuttle runs.
Endurance Workouts: Increase aerobic capacity through interval training or longer sessions that build stamina, reflecting game duration.
Incorporate Ball/Defender:
Ball Handling: For sports like basketball or soccer, integrate ball skills into drills (e.g., dribbling under pressure, passing with movement).
Defender Interaction: Introduce a defender during drills to simulate real-game pressure and decision-making (e.g., one-on-one scenarios, small-sided games).
Team Play: Gradually incorporate team drills to foster communication and coordination among players, reflecting the dynamics of a game.
Unanticipated Movement:
Reaction Drills: Include drills that require athletes to respond to unpredictable stimuli (e.g., a coach’s command, a moving defender).
Change of Direction: Practice quick cuts, pivots, and changes in speed/direction without pre-planned movements to enhance adaptability.
Game-like Situations: Use scrimmages or small-sided games to create an environment where athletes must react to various scenarios and opponents.
LE return to sport testing:
85% of studies for RTS testing were for knee injury (82% were ACL)
6.2% studies looked at RTS after hip
2 studies looked at RTS after ankle sprain
Research Gap: The data reveals a disproportionate focus on knee injuries, particularly ACL injuries, in RTS testing research.
There is a notable lack of studies concerning hip and ankle injuries, which may hinder evidence-based practices for those conditions.
Need for Broader Research: Expanding research to include a wider variety of injuries, particularly hip and ankle, could enhance understanding and guidelines for RTS protocols in diverse athletic populations
CAUTION: Most return to sport criterion lack validity
Lack of Standardization: Variability in Protocols and No Universal Guidelines
Incomplete Assessment: Focus on Physical Factors and Limited Functional Testing
Lack of Predictive Validity: Insufficient Evidence Linking Failure to Account for Individual Differences
The most consistent finding across injury risk factor literature:
1 risk factor for having an injury is previously having that injury
due to various factors, including residual physical deficits (like strength or range of motion), psychological barriers (such as fear of re-injury), and biomechanical changes that may persist after recovery
Return to sport testing goal:
Determine physical and psychological readiness
While respecting biological healing
Reduce risk of re-injury
Determine Physical and Psychological Readiness:
Assess strength, flexibility, endurance, and functional movement to ensure the athlete can meet the physical demands of their sport.
Utilize objective measures (e.g., strength tests, functional movement screens, sport-specific drills) to evaluate performance.
Evaluate the athlete’s mental state, including confidence, anxiety levels, and coping strategies.
Respect Biological Healing:
Adhere to Healing Timelines
Monitor for Signs of Overtraining or Pain
Reduce Risk of Re-injury:
Implement Comprehensive Assessments
Develop Individualized Rehabilitation Plans
Educate Athletes on Injury Prevention
Passing RTS criteria does not mean the athlete can go right back to game play:
It means they are cleared to begin a RTS progression
athlete has met specific benchmarks regarding physical and psychological readiness but does not guarantee they are ready for full competition or gameplay
signifies that the athlete can safely engage in a graduated RTS progression, which may include modified practices, drills, or scrimmages designed to gradually reintroduce them to the demands of their sport
Return to any sport:
82%
majority of athletes who undergo rehabilitation for an ACL injury manage to return to some form of sport
while many athletes can resume physical activity, it does not necessarily reflect the quality or level of participation
Return to pre-injury sport:
63%
while many can resume activity, there is still a notable percentage that may not return to the exact sport they were engaged in prior to the injury, possibly due to changes in confidence, function, or sport-specific demands
Return to pre-injury competition level:
44%
highlights the significant barriers that athletes may face in regaining their previous performance levels, which could be due to physical limitations, psychological factors, or changes in the athlete’s context (such as team dynamics or age)
