Schöffl grading is the system doctors use to classify a finger pulley (pulley) injury in climbers. Volker Schöffl’s research team built it from real climbing-injury cases.[1]
There are four grades: Grade I is a strain with no tear. Grade II is one pulley fully torn — most often the A2. Grade III is two pulleys torn. Grade IV is several pulleys torn, often with bowstringing (the tendon lifting off the bone).
The grade drives treatment directly: lower grades are usually managed with taping and gradual loading, while Grade IV more often leads to a surgery discussion. An ultrasound, not how the injury felt, is the recommended way to confirm the grade.[2]
The grade alone does not predict an exact return-to-climbing date — that also depends on tissue healing, grip demands, and how well rehab is followed.