Injury guides
Explainers on league injured-list rules, injury status terms and typical recovery timelines by injury type.
League rules
- MLB Injured List Explained — 10-Day, 15-Day, 60-Day and 7-Day ILHow MLB's injured lists work: minimum stays, the 60-day IL and the 40-man roster, rehab assignments, backdating and the concussion IL.
- How to Read the NBA Injury Report — Deadlines, Statuses, Rest Rules and 65 GamesWhen NBA teams file injury reports, how game-day updates work, what each status means, the star rest policy and the 65-game award rule.
- The NFL Injury Report and Injured Lists — Practice Reports, Friday Statuses, IR, PUP, NFIA plain-English guide to NFL practice reports (DNP, Limited, Full), Friday game statuses, injured reserve return rules, and the PUP and NFI lists.
- NHL Injury Terms — Day-to-Day, IR, LTIR, the Salary Cap and "Upper-Body Injury"What day-to-day, IR and LTIR mean in the NHL, how LTIR interacts with the salary cap, and why teams only say upper-body or lower-body injury.
- Football Suspension Rules Explained - Yellow Cards and Red Cards in Europe's Top Leagues and UEFAHow many yellow cards trigger a ban in the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Champions League, and how red cards work.
- KBO Roster Rules Explained - First-Team Entry, the 10-Day Rule and the Injured ListHow the KBO first-team roster works, why removed players wait 10 days, how the 2020 injured list differs, and the foreign player rules.
- NPB Roster Rules Explained - First-Team Registration, the 10-Day Rule and Special ExceptionsHow Japan's NPB first-team registration and bench limits work, why deregistered players wait 10 days, and the concussion and COVID-era exceptions.
Injury types
- Concussion Protocols Explained - NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and Football's Concussion SubstitutesThe NFL's five-step concussion protocol, NBA and NHL return-to-play basics, MLB's 7-day injured list and football's permanent concussion substitutes.
- Hamstring Injuries: Grades, Typical Absences and Why They Come BackWhat a hamstring injury is, how grade 1–3 strains differ, how long pro athletes usually miss, and why re-injury is so common.
- ACL Tears: Surgery, the 9–12 Month Road Back, and Return to FormHow ACL tears happen, surgery versus rehab alone, why a return usually takes 9–12+ months, and why playing again is not the same as playing well.
- Ankle Sprains: Lateral Sprains vs. High Ankle SprainsHow a common rolled ankle differs from a high ankle (syndesmosis) sprain, typical absences by grade, and what team terms like day-to-day mean.
- Tommy John Surgery: UCL Reconstruction, Internal Brace Repair and Recovery TimeWhat Tommy John surgery is, how reconstruction differs from internal brace repair, why pitchers need 12–18 months and hitters less.
How to read
- Injury Status Terms Explained — From OUT to the Injured ListWhat OUT, Doubtful, Questionable, Probable, game-time decision, day-to-day and the injured list mean, and how each major league uses them.
- How to Read Football Team News - Press Conferences, Fitness Tests, UEFA Squad Lists and International BreaksFootball has no official injury report like the NBA or NFL. How to read press conferences, club updates, UEFA squad lists and international breaks.
- How to Read Daily IL's Injury InformationWhat the "out" and "doubtful" counts mean, the seven status labels, where the data comes from, when it updates, and how "presumed returned" works.