Removal-from-Sport and Return-to-Sport protocols come into effect for leagues on July 1, 2020.
More information will be posted here.
Returning to School and Sport
Athletes and students who are diagnosed by a physician or nurse practitioner as having a concussion must proceed through their sport organization’s return-to-sport protocol and/or, where applicable, their school board’s return-to-school plan.
Athletes and students should work with their health-care professional and sport organization/school to establish their individual plans to return to sport as well as return to school.
The Return-to-School Plan (Learning and Physical Activity)
Students in elementary and secondary school will need to follow their school board’s return-to-school plan, which supports a student’s gradual return to learning and return to physical activity. Contact the school for more information.
The Return-to-Sport Protocol
Most return-to-sport protocols suggest that athletes should rest for 24 to 48 hours before starting any gradual return to sport. An athlete must not resume unrestricted participation in training, practice or competition until they have received medical clearance.
The table below provides a list of steps and activities that are commonly found in most return-to-sport protocols and return-to-school plans.
| Step | Aim | Activities | Goal of Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Symptom-limiting activities | Daily activities that don’t make symptoms worse, such as moving around the home and simple chores | Gradual re-introduction of daily school, and work activities |
| 2 | Light aerobic activity | Light activities that increase the heart rate just a little, such as walking or a stationary bicycle for 10 to 15 minutes | Increase heart rate |
| 3 | Sport-specific exercise | Individual physical activity such as running or skating
No contact or head impact activities |
Add movement |
| 4 | Non-contact training, practice, drills |
Harder training drills
Add resistance training (if appropriate) |
Exercise, co-ordination and increased thinking |
| 5 | Unrestricted practice | Unrestricted practice – with contact where applicable | Restore confidence and assess functional skills |
| 6 | Return to sport | Unrestricted game play or competition |
Medical clearance is always required before the athlete’s return to unrestricted practice, training or competition.
Check with the sport organization and school for the specific steps that should be followed.
An athlete is typically ready to progress to the next step when they can do the activities at their current step without new or worsening symptoms. If at any step symptoms get worse, they should stop and go back to the previous step. Each step should take at least 24 hours to complete. If symptoms do not improve or if the symptoms continue to worsen, the athlete should return to the physician or nurse practitioner.
Removal-from-sport protocol
4 (1) Every sport organization shall establish a removal-from-sport protocol for its athletes that,
(a) establishes, in accordance with such requirements as may be prescribed, a specific process to implement the immediate removal of an athlete who is suspected of having sustained a concussion;
(b) designates persons who are responsible for ensuring that,
(i) an athlete is immediately removed from further training, practice or competition if the athlete is suspected of having sustained a concussion,
(ii) if the athlete is under 18 years of age or such other age as may be prescribed, the parent or guardian is informed of the removal,
(iii) such persons or entities as may be prescribed are informed of the removal, and
(iv) once removed, the athlete is not permitted to return to training, practice or competition, except in accordance with the sport organization’s return-to-sport protocol;
(c) sets out the responsibilities of other prescribed persons if they suspect that an athlete has sustained a concussion during training, practice or competition; and
(d) satisfies such other requirements as may be prescribed.
Return-to-sport protocol
(2) Every sport organization shall establish a return-to-sport protocol for its athletes that,
(a) applies in circumstances where the sport organization becomes aware that one of its athletes has sustained a concussion or is suspected of having sustained a concussion, regardless of whether or not the concussion was sustained or is suspected of having been sustained during a sport activity associated with the sport organization;
(b) establishes, in accordance with such requirements as may be prescribed, a specific process to implement the return of an athlete to training, practice or competition after the athlete has sustained a concussion or is suspected of having sustained a concussion;
(c) designates persons who are responsible for ensuring that,
(i) an athlete who has sustained a concussion or is suspected of having sustained a concussion does not return to training, practice or competition until permitted to do so in accordance with the return-to-sport protocol, and
(ii) such persons or entities as may be prescribed are informed that an athlete is permitted to return to training, practice or competition;
(d) sets out the responsibilities of other prescribed persons; and
(e) satisfies such other requirements as may be prescribed.
Protocols to be made available
(3) A sport organization shall, in accordance with the regulations, ensure that its removal-from-sport protocol and return-to-sport protocol are made available to the prescribed persons.