Return to Play Protocol


Stage 1: No Activity with only complete rest


Stage 2: Light General Conditioning Exercises


Stage 3: General Conditioning and Basketball Specific Skill Work Individually

           NO Contact. Begin with a warm up (stretching/ flexibility) for 5-10 minutes. Then gradually increase the intensity and duration of cardio workout to 20-30 minutes. If patient stays symptoms free, then proceed to begin basketball specific skill work: footwork drills for offense and deference, individual ball handling, dribbling and shooting drills.

Stage 4: Non-contact Sport Specific Drills

            At stage 4, patient can start returning to sport specific drills that includes more complex processing and motor control. No contact still but patient is allowed to increase duration of session to 60 minutes and begin resistance training. Progress back to pre-injury duration of practice and team drills. Practice team passing, shooting drills and individual defensive skills. Continue with walk throughs and run throughs of plays and patterns without contact.

Stage 5: Full-contact Sport Specific Drills

            Once patient is symptom free and have progressed up to Stage 5, the patient is now allowed to participate in full contact practice to get yourself back in the lineup. Coaches must make sure that the patient has regained his/her pre-injury skill-level and is confident in his/her ability to return to activity.

Stage 6: Full-contact Game Play



