Forty-two male soccer players, who had sustained an injury of the anterior cruciate ligament, were randomized to undergo reconstruction with either a bone-patellar tendon-bone graft or a semitendinosus and gracilis tendon graft. The groups were compared for functional outcome upon their return to sports. A healthy control group, matched for activity level, was also incorporated into this study to examine the degree of recovery of those who had undergone ACL reconstruction of any sort. The results indicated that patients treated with a semitendinosus and gracilis tendon graft had significantly better quadriceps strength, triple and crossover hop tests, and jump-landing tests. However, functional outcomes were still significantly lower compared to healthy controls.