Wheelchair basketball was a foundation sport on the Paralympic program in Rome in 1960. Today, it continues to be one of the most popular sports at the Paralympic Games.

Players are assigned a point value from 1.0 to 4.5 – according to their level of physical function. A team must not exceed 14.0 points for the five players on court. This ensures that each player has an integral role to play in the team structure, regardless of the degree of their disability.

Links

Basketball Australia
International Wheelchair Basketball Federation
International Paralympic Committee

At the London Paralympics

Australia is competing in the men's (12 teams) and women's (10 teams) competition in London.

Twelve teams of 12 players compete in the men's competition - Australia, Great Britain, Colombia, Japan, USA, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Canada, Poland, Germany, South Africa

Ten teams of 12 players compete in the women's competition - Australia, the Netherlands, USA, Mexico, Great Britain, France, Brazil, China, Germany, Canada

Competition Dates

Thursday 30 August - Saturday 8 September, 2012

Competition Venues

Olympic Park - Basketball Arena (initial group phase)

North Greenwich Arena (initial group phase, all quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals)

Events/Disciplines

Men's 12 team tournament
Women's 10 team tournament

Classification

Wheelchair basketball is open to athletes with a:

• Physical impairment that affects a minimum of one of their legs that prevents them from running, jumping or running in able-bodied basketball. Players have conditions such as limb loss, cerebral palsy, brain injury, joint restrictions, spinal injury or nerve damage.

The sum of the classifications of the five players on the court must not exceed 14 points.

1 point - Players with good arm movement, who have no trunk or leg movement. Players use their arms to return to upright position, and hold on to their chair for stability in collisions.

2 point - Players with good arm movement, with some trunk movement forwards, and have more difficulty with side-to-side and rotation movements during play. No leg movement. Players grip wheels during collisions for trunk stability.

3 point - Players have good arm movement and good forward, backwards and trunk rotation, and have some difficulties with side-to-side reach and control during play. Players are able to catch, throw and rebound with both hands overhead.

4 point - Players have good trunk and arm movement, with good leg movement on one side. Players usually have more difficulty with controlled trunk movements to one side at high intensity.

4.5 point - Players with the least level of disability. Usually have limb loss below the knee on one leg or one fused ankle. Fastest, most agile players on the court, who generally do not use a wheelchair in everyday life.

How do I get a classification? 

You can request a classification using the Get classified form.

Rules & Equipment

Court - the field of play intended for wheelchair basketball matches has no differences compared to that of Olympic basketball. It is a rectangular hard surface, 28m long x 15m wide. For official national and international matches, a wooden floor is required.

Ball - the ball must be an approved single shade of orange with eight traditionally shaped panels and black seams. The outer surface is made of leather, synthetic leather, rubber or synthetic material. The ball may have a circumference of 74.9-78cm and weight between 567-650grams.

Wheelchair - the wheelchair is considered to be part of the player. It has either three or four wheels - i.e. two large wheels at the back and one or two small wheels at the front of the chair. The wheelchair may also have one or two anti-tip devices utilising no more than a total of two small castors attached to either the frame or the rear axle and located at the rear of the wheelchair. The tyres may be of any colour as long as they do not mark the floor. All competition chairs must meet the specifications set by the IWBF.