Returning to sport after concussion should be staged, not guessed.
Feeling better is an important milestone. It is not the same as being ready to return to contact sport.
Melbourne Headache + Concussion Group provides structured return-to-sport management using clinical assessment, graded exercise, objective testing where appropriate and coordination with your doctor, club and sporting organisation.
Suspected concussion? No same-day return to play.
An athlete with suspected concussion should be removed from sport, medically assessed and monitored for deterioration.
A player diagnosed with concussion should not return to the match or training session in which the injury occurred.
Recovery is more than waiting for a headache to disappear.
Concussion can affect balance, vision, vestibular function, cognition, exercise tolerance, sleep and other areas of function.
Symptoms may improve at rest before an athlete has demonstrated that they can tolerate exercise, sport-specific training and the demands of returning to contact.
Return to sport therefore happens in stages. Progress is based on how the athlete responds to increasing load, their clinical findings and the requirements of their sport.
The calendar sets minimum timeframes. It does not decide when you are recovered.
An athlete still needs to progress through the appropriate stages, tolerate increasing activity and meet the clearance requirements of their sport.
Some athletes will need longer than the minimum timeframe.
The return to sport pathway
The Australian Institute of Sport framework progresses athletes through five key checkpoints following concussion.
Relative rest
For the first 24 to 48 hours, activity is reduced while the athlete begins recovery. Complete bed rest is generally not required.
Light daily activity can then begin as tolerated.
Light aerobic activity
Walking, stationary cycling or other controlled aerobic exercise is introduced at an appropriate intensity.
The aim is to rebuild exercise tolerance without significant or prolonged worsening of symptoms.
Non-contact sport-specific training
The athlete begins to reintroduce the movement, fitness, skill and cognitive demands of their sport without contact or other high-risk exposure.
Training load is increased progressively rather than jumping straight back into full training.
Return to contact + high-risk activity
Contact or high-risk activities are reintroduced only after the athlete has progressed appropriately through the earlier stages and the required medical clearance has been obtained.
Sport-specific rules and age requirements must be followed.
Return to competition
The final step is unrestricted return to competition once the athlete has tolerated the required training progression and has met the clearance requirements for their sport.
Day 21 is a minimum in Australian youth and community sport, not an automatic clearance date.
What does 21 days actually mean?
Australian youth and community sport uses a conservative minimum return-to-competition timeframe following concussion.
The important word is minimum.
An athlete is not automatically cleared because 21 days have passed.
Minimum days before competitive contact sport
For Australian youth and community sport, competitive contact cannot resume before the minimum return-to-sport timeframe has been completed.
Symptom-free days for athletes 18 and under
Athletes aged 18 or under must be symptom-free at rest for 14 days before medical clearance to return to contact or high-risk activity.
We help build the clinical picture behind the clearance decision.
Return to sport should not rely on one symptom score or one test. We assess the areas relevant to the athlete and repeat measures when they add useful information.
Symptom + recovery review
We review the injury, symptoms, activity tolerance and how recovery has progressed since the concussion.
Balance + reaction time
Sway Medical may be used to assess relevant aspects of balance and neurological performance and compare results with baseline data where available.
Vestibular + ocular function
Eye movement, visual motion and vestibular function are assessed where dizziness, visual symptoms or movement sensitivity remain relevant.
Headache + cervical spine
The neck and headache presentation are assessed when symptoms suggest they may still be contributing to recovery.
Exercise tolerance
The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test may be used when clinically appropriate to assess exercise tolerance and help guide aerobic progression.
Sport-specific progression
We consider the demands of your sport, training exposure and the steps still required before contact and competition.
Useful information, not a single pass or fail test.
Objective testing can provide useful information during concussion recovery, particularly when compared with earlier results or a pre-season baseline.
It should always be interpreted alongside symptoms, clinical examination, exercise tolerance and the athlete's overall recovery.
No single test clears an athlete.
Sway, balance testing, cognitive screening or a treadmill test should support clinical decision-making rather than replace it.
Sway Medical
Balance, reaction time and relevant neurological measures where appropriate.
Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test
Structured assessment of symptom response as cardiovascular exercise increases.
Vestibular + ocular assessment
Assessment of symptoms associated with eye movement, head movement, balance and visual motion.
Baseline comparison
Where valid pre-season baseline data exists, it may provide an additional athlete-specific reference point.
Returning to AFL or community football?
Australian Football has its own formal concussion requirements, and the May 2026 AFL community guidelines should be followed.
Earliest return is Day 21
The earliest a concussed community football player may return to play is the 21st day following the concussion, provided the required graded return-to-play process has been completed.
Some players will take longer.
AFL requires a medical doctor.
Under the current AFL community guidelines, only a medical doctor can provide the medical clearance required for return to full-contact training or competition.
MHCG can complete the relevant assessment and provide your doctor with clinical findings and objective testing information to support that decision.
Keep the recovery pathway clear between appointments.
We built our free Return to Play Tracker to help athletes, parents, coaches and club staff keep track of where someone is in their graded recovery.
It gives you a written record of what has been completed, where symptoms occurred and what comes next.
The tracker supports the process. It does not diagnose concussion and it does not provide medical clearance.
Use it to record:
- Your current return-to-sport stage
- Activities completed
- Symptom response
- Progress between appointments
- Information to take to your GP or clinician
- Updates for your coach or club
School recovery matters too.
For school-aged athletes, return to learning and return to sport are connected.
Cognitive activity can be reintroduced gradually after the initial period of relative rest, with adjustments made where symptoms require them.
A young athlete should successfully return to normal school activities before unrestricted return to sport.
Learn about Return To School →Sport is only one part of recovery.
We consider school attendance, concentration, screens, homework, fatigue and exams alongside exercise and sporting progression.
If school remains difficult, the return-to-sport plan may need to slow down while those issues are addressed.
If you keep getting stuck at the same stage, reassessment matters.
Repeated symptoms during exercise or training can indicate that something still needs attention rather than something you simply need to push through.
Persistent headache, dizziness, visual symptoms, neck pain, fatigue or exercise intolerance may require targeted rehabilitation before sport progression continues.
Concussion return to sport FAQs
Can I return to sport as soon as my symptoms disappear?
Not necessarily. Symptom resolution is important, but return to sport also requires graded exposure to exercise and training, appropriate clinical review and the clearance requirements of your sport.
Is 21 days the standard return time for every athlete?
No. Twenty-one days is a minimum return-to-competition timeframe within Australian youth and community sport. Some athletes will require longer depending on their symptoms, recovery, age, concussion history and sport-specific requirements.
Does the 14-day symptom-free period apply to everyone?
The AIS graded return framework requires athletes aged 18 years and under to be symptom-free at rest for 14 days before medical clearance to return to contact or high-risk activity.
Can I exercise before all of my symptoms have disappeared?
After the initial 24 to 48 hours of relative rest, light physical activity can generally be introduced as tolerated. Mild and temporary symptom increases can occur during progression, but significant or prolonged worsening should prompt review.
What happens if symptoms come back during training?
Stop or reduce the activity and return to the previous level that was tolerated. If symptoms continue to return, worsen or remain elevated, further clinical review is appropriate before trying to progress again.
Does Sway tell me when I am ready to play?
No. Sway can provide useful objective information, particularly where valid baseline data exists, but no single test determines concussion recovery or clearance.
What is the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test?
The Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test is a structured exercise assessment that can help evaluate how symptoms respond as cardiovascular load increases. It may be used where clinically appropriate to help guide exercise progression.
Who signs my clearance for AFL?
Under the current AFL community concussion guidelines, medical clearance for return to full-contact training or competition must be provided by a medical doctor.
What about other sports?
Clearance requirements differ between sporting codes and governing bodies. You should follow the requirements of your club, association and sport. Where medical clearance is required, MHCG can provide assessment findings and reports to your doctor.
Get back to sport with a plan.
We help athletes understand where they are in recovery, what still needs to be tested and what needs to happen before they progress.
95 Douglas Parade, Williamstown VIC 3016 | (03) 9397 8877