Research summary · Recovery and rehabilitation
Concussion recovery protocols vary across contact field sports
This review maps removal-from-play, rest and return-to-play protocols used after concussion in adult amateur field sports.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review
- Journal
- Irish Journal of Medical Science
- Population / context
- Adult amateur contact field sports
What the publication reports
Nineteen studies supplied 58 protocol datasets. Immediate sit-out periods ranged from zero to 21 days and reported return-to-play timelines from five to 21 days, with seven days the most common.
Limits and interpretation
Definitions, policies and sports differed, and many reports described protocols rather than comparative recovery outcomes. The review cannot identify an optimal schedule for an individual athlete.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Concussion recovery protocols and return-to-play timelines in adult amateur contact field sports: a systematic review
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 41557117DOI: 10.1007/s11845-025-04242-6Reader discussion
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