ACL RETURN-TO-SPORTREADINESS QUIZ (ACL-RSI)
After ACL reconstruction, the biggest barrier to getting back on court often isn’t your knee’s strength — it’s whether you trust it. The ACL-RSI is a validated 12-item psychological readiness scale, published by Webster, Feller and Lambros in 2008 and used in sports medicine clinics worldwide. This calculator reproduces the exact scale and scoring, gives you your score, and explains what published research says about it — without ever telling you that you’re “cleared to play.” That call belongs to your physiotherapist or surgeon, using this alongside your physical testing, not this page alone.
ITEMS — the exact validated ACL-RSI scale, reproduced word-for-word from the original published instrument
CRONBACH’S ALPHA — the internal reliability reported by Webster et al. (2008), indicating strong measurement consistency
RESEARCH RANGE — the range of score cutoffs different studies have associated with returning to prior sport level (not a single fixed number)
In short: the ACL-RSI measures your psychological readiness — not your knee’s physical readiness — to return to sport after ACL reconstruction, across three areas: emotions, confidence in performance, and risk appraisal. Answer all 12 questions honestly, get your score instantly, and see what published research says it typically means. This never replaces a clinician’s assessment.
Why Psychological Readiness Is Half the Battle
Your Knee Can Pass Every Physical Test and Still Not Be “Ready”
Most return-to-sport protocols after ACL reconstruction focus heavily on physical benchmarks: quadriceps strength symmetry, hop-test distances, range of motion. These matter enormously — but a growing body of research has found that psychological readiness is an independent predictor of whether players actually get back to their previous level of sport, sometimes more strongly than physical measures alone. Players who pass every physical test but remain fearful of reinjury, or who have lost confidence in their knee under pressure, are known to have measurably higher rates of not returning to sport, or returning at a reduced level. This is why the ACL-RSI exists: to put a number on something that used to be invisible.
What the Scale Actually Measures
The ACL-RSI is a unidimensional 12-item scale covering three related areas: emotions (fear, nervousness, frustration around your knee), confidence in performance (whether you trust your knee under pressure, at speed, and in your sport specifically), and risk appraisal (how likely you believe reinjury is). Each item is rated on an 11-point scale from 0 to 100, and your total score is simply the average across all 12 — giving a final score from 0 (lowest psychological readiness) to 100 (highest). It takes about two minutes to complete honestly.
Answer every question based on how you genuinely feel about your knee and your sport today — not how you think you should feel, or how you expect to feel once you’re fully back. The scale is only useful if it reflects reality.
Take the ACL-RSI Quiz
Rate Each Statement From 0 to 100
For each question below, choose the number that best reflects how you feel right now — 0 at one end, 100 at the other, exactly as printed on the original clinical form. Answer all 12, then press “Calculate My Score.”
Understanding Your Score
There Is No Single Universal “Pass” Number
Different studies, using the ACL-RSI at different points in recovery, have reported different cutoff scores associated with successfully returning to prior-level sport: figures of 51, 56, 60, 62, and 65 have all appeared in the published literature, generally trending higher the longer after surgery the score is measured. We are showing you this range deliberately rather than picking one number, because presenting a single hard cutoff would overstate what the research actually supports. Your score is one data point in a larger picture that should always include a physiotherapist’s or surgeon’s assessment of your knee’s physical status.
If Your Score Is Lower Than You Expected
A lower ACL-RSI score is common and does not mean something has gone wrong with your surgery or rehabilitation — it usually reflects normal fear of reinjury, which tends to improve with graded, supervised exposure to sport-specific movement rather than avoidance. Sports psychologists and physiotherapists increasingly build confidence-focused work directly into late-stage rehab for exactly this reason. If your score is low and you’re otherwise physically cleared, this is worth raising directly with your rehab team.
This tool measures psychological readiness only. It cannot assess your knee’s strength, stability, range of motion, or graft healing, and it is not a substitute for clearance from your surgeon or physiotherapist. Please use it as one part of a conversation with your clinical team, not as a standalone decision.
You know the feeling — physically your knee feels fine in the gym, but the moment you imagine a real point, a real lunge for a wide ball, something tightens up. Most amateur players assume that’s weakness or that they’re overthinking it. What actually works is naming that fear honestly, which is exactly what this scale was built to do — not to catch you out, but to give you and your physio a real number to work with.
Who This Is For
Padel or racket-sport players in the later stages of ACL reconstruction rehab, working with a physiotherapist toward return to play
Players who feel physically capable but hesitant, nervous, or fearful about returning to full-intensity play
Physiotherapists and coaches wanting a quick, citable readiness check to discuss with their patients or players
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ACL-RSI scale?
The ACL-RSI (ACL Return to Sport after Injury) scale is a validated 12-item questionnaire published by Webster, Feller and Lambros in 2008 that measures psychological readiness — emotions, confidence, and risk appraisal — to return to sport after ACL reconstruction. It is widely used in sports medicine and physiotherapy clinics alongside physical testing.
What score do I need to return to padel after ACL surgery?
There is no single agreed cutoff. Published studies have used thresholds ranging from about 51 to 65 points depending on how long after surgery the score was measured, and none of these thresholds is a guarantee either way. Your score should be discussed with your physiotherapist or surgeon alongside your physical test results, not used as a standalone go/no-go number.
Is a low ACL-RSI score a bad sign?
A lower score usually reflects fear of reinjury or reduced confidence rather than a problem with the surgery or graft itself. It is a common finding and is typically addressed through graded, supervised exposure to sport-specific movement and confidence-building work, often with a physiotherapist or sports psychologist, rather than being treated as a red flag on its own.
Can this quiz tell me if my knee is physically ready?
No. This scale measures psychological readiness only. It says nothing about your quadriceps strength, hop-test performance, range of motion, or graft healing. Physical readiness must be assessed separately by a physiotherapist or surgeon, and both physical and psychological readiness are generally considered together before a return-to-sport decision is made.
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