For ACL, I would want all boxes checked:
• Full ROM, quiet knee, no effusion
• Quad and hamstring restored, preferably 95%+ LSI
• Hop battery passed
• Strong single-leg landing mechanics
• Reactive COD passed
• Psychological readiness acceptable
• Practice progression tolerated
• High-speed exposure tolerated
• Surgeon/physio/team clearance aligned

About timing: older models often pushed 9+ months, but newer evidence suggests time alone is not enough, and returning before or after 9 months is less important than whether the athlete actually meets discharge criteria.