Excluding Athletes from Competition or Practice

When should an athlete be referred to a health care provider?

• Any lesion, sore, or rash on the skin you are concerned about, especially those that are red, swollen, or draining fluid.
• The athlete also has other signs of illness such as fever or vomiting.
• Multiple athletes have similar symptoms.
  

When should an athlete be excluded from competition or practice?

• When the athlete has any concerning lesion, sore, or rash until evaluated by a health care provider.
• In general, if an athlete has an infection with fluid draining from the wound and participates in sport with a lot of skin-to-skin contact, they should be excluded until the infection is healed.

When can an athlete return to competition or practice?

• Consult with the athlete’s health care provider and specific sports league rules.