Table 1.

Graduated Return‐to‐Play Protocol, with additional Step 6¹⁸

Graduated Return‐to Play Protocol
Step	Rehabilitation Stage	Objective of Stage
1	No activity	Recovery
2	Light aerobic exercise	Increased heart rate
3	Sport‐specific exercise	Add movement
4	Non‐contact training drills	Exercise, coordination, cognitive load
5	Full‐contact practice	Restore athletes confidence, coaching staff assess functional skills
6	Return to play