Table 4. Graduated Return-to-sport strategy (McCrory et al., 2017).
Stage Aim Activity Goal at each step
1 Symptom-limited activity Daily activities that do not provoke symptoms Gradual reintroduction of work/school activities
2 Light aerobic exercise Walking or stationary cycling at slow or medium pace. No resistance training. Increase heart rate
3 Sport-specific exercise Running or skating drills. No head impact activities Add movement
4 Non-contact training drills Harder training drills, e.g. passing drills. May start progressive resistance training. Exercise, coordination and increased thinking
5 Full contact training Following medical clearance, participate on normal training activities. Restore confidence and assess functional skills by coaching staff
6 Return to sport Normal game play