Wheelchair basketball – shooting baskets in a different way
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. But if you’re looking for a little more stamina and skill, wheelchair basketball is the sport for you. The independent sport has existed for 70 years and is gaining more and more enthusiasts.
If you think that wheelchair basketball is only for people with disabilities, you are wrong. In this sport, everyone is welcome and all genders play together in one team. In over 150 German sports clubs alone, women and men meet and go on the hunt for baskets to win with his team and have fun.
So if you’re not afraid of physical exertion and want to get in on the action, this is the sport for you.
Rules
The rules of wheelchair basketball are very similar to those of pedestrian basketball. However, the most important rule in the averted classic is: No foot may be on the court! The size of the court, zones and positions are the same and the playing time is four times ten minutes as in the German basketball leagues. Even the basket height remains the same, which of course requires a much more precise throw to be hit.
It is important to know that in wheelchair basketball the wheelchair is counted the same as the body, i.e. if a player with possession of the ball drives over the sideline, this is immediately counted as offside. Even for fouls, the wheelchair is taken into account and you can be cautioned for too hard a tackle.
The step rule is clarified differently. Logically, there is a pushing rule that dictates that you cannot push the wheelchair more than twice without dribbling or passing the ball. While pushing, the ball is on the lap or in one of the hands. It is also allowed to dribble the ball a second time after holding it.
Player assessment
Since it is an inclusive sport, the fairness to the player in wheelchair basketball is classified in a point system depending on his impairment. The more points the lower is his impairment. In a game, the score of a team may not be higher than 14.5.
- 1-point player: No leg function, little to no trunk control, limited seat control
- 2-point player: No leg function, partial trunk control, limited lateral movement of upper body
- 3-Point Player: Some leg function present, normal forward trunk control, limited lateral trunk control
- 4-Point Player: Minor limitations in leg function, normal trunk function, instability on one side
- 4.5-Point Player: Minor limitations of leg function, Normal trunk function, very stable in contact situations
Competitions
In Germany, there are a total of 23 organized leagues, ranging from the beginners’ league, through competition-oriented popular sports to the first national league.
There are also so-called try outs, which give an introduction to wheelchair basketball. Here, wheelchair-bound children/youth are addressed and trained by experienced coaches during a one-day event.
Source cover image: AdobeStock/Gordenkoff
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