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Basketball

Photo from The Triumph of the Human Spirit: The Atlanta Paralympic Experience (p. 66). Oakville, Ontario: Disability Today Publishing Group.

Basketball is offered for two classifications of athletes at the Paralympic Games, wheelchair users and athletes with cognitive disabilities. Basketball is also an official sport of the Deaflympics and Special Olympics World Games.

Basketball is offered by other disability sports organizations at a national or local level. Consult the organizations section of this web site for more information.

Athlete Eligibility and Classification

Paralympic wheelchair basketball is designed for athletes who have a permanent physical disability that prevents running, jumping, and pivoting. Paralympic basketball competition is also available to athletes with cognitive disabilities.

Wheelchair basketball is open to anyone with a permanent lower limb disability caused by conditions such as spinal injuries, amputations, or polio. Classification is based upon sport-specific tests of shooting, passing, rebounding, pushing, and dribbling, rather than a medical diagnosis or muscle function examination.

There are eight classifications based upon functional ability to play basketball (Classes 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5), with higher classification numbers representing greater basketball skills. The following descriptions are from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

	1 point players - Have no lower limb movement, and little or no controlled trunk movement. Their balance in both the forward and sideways directions is significantly impaired, and they rely on their arms to return to the upright position when unbalanced. These players have no stability in a contact situation and usually rebound overhead single-handed.
	2 point players - Usually have no lower limb movement, but have some partially-controlled trunk movement in the forward direction. They do not have controlled sideways movement or trunk rotation. Players have limited stability in a contact situation, often relying on their handgrip to remain upright in a collision.
	3 point players - May have some lower limb movement. Have controlled trunk movement forward to the floor and up again, and have some rotation control. Players do not have good sideways trunk control, but are more stable in a contact situation and able to comfortably rebound overhead with two hands.
	4 point players - Have normal trunk movement, but due to some reduced lower limb function are unable to lean sideways to both sides with full control. Stable in contact and rebounding, with normal forward and rotation movements.
	4.5 point players - The players with the least disability on court. Usually have only minimal lower limb dysfunction or single below-knee amputation. Normal trunk movement in all directions. Very stable in contact and rebounding.
	1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 players - There are situations where a player does not fit into the exact categories for classification. In these cases, the classifiers may assign a player a half-point above or below a certain class.

Athletes are given a numerical point value based on their classification status. The maximum allowable points on the floor is 14.0. For more information about classification in wheelchair basketball, consult the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation web site at http://www.iwbf.org. Click on "classification."

Basketball players with cognitive disabilities who compete at the Paralympic Games are subject to INAS-FID eligibility requirements, described in the "athlete registration" section of the INAS-FID web site (http://www.inas-fid.org). Eligible athletes have an IQ score of 70 or less and they require special services for persons with cognitive disability in school, work, or community settings.

Athletes who play basketball in Special Olympics competition must have a primary diagnosis of mental retardation. They are classified by a process called divisioning in which teams are grouped for competition based upon players' abilities in rebounding, dribbling, and perimeter shooting tests. Divisioning in basketball is based upon the Basketball Skills Assessment Test (rebounding, dribbling, and perimeter shooting), as well as performance in early round games. For more information, go to the SOI web site at http://www.specialolympics.org, choose "sports," then choose "basketball" from the drop-down rules menu.

Basketball players who are deaf compete under the CISS rules which require a minimum hearing loss of 55 dB in the better ear. Classification procedures are described on the CISS web site (http://www.ciss.org). Click on "about," then "regulations," then scroll down to Article 1.3 on eligibility.

Events

Men's and women's 5-on-5 team competition is offered for eligible athletes at the Paralympic Games and Deaflympics.

A wider variety of basketball events is conducted by the Special Olympics organization, including: team competition (5-on-5 full court), half court team competition (3-on-3), and Unified Sports® competition (athletes with and without mental retardation play on the same team). In addition, the following events provide meaningful competition for athletes with lower ability: individual skills contest (target pass, ten meter dribble, and spot shot), speed dribble , and team skills basketball.

Playing Area

The Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) rules include specifications for basketball floor dimensions, floor markings, and basket characteristics. A full size regulation basketball court, 28m by 15m is used for FIBA competition. The court should be marked with lines denoting boundaries, free throw lanes, and the 3-point field goal area consistent with FIBA regulations. The basket height is 3.05 meters. The FIBA rules are posted at http://www.fiba.com.

	The playing area for IPC wheelchair basketball games conforms to the FIBA specifications as modified by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). Wheelchair basketball uses a basket height of (3.05m), identical to that used for the running game. The IWBF rules are posted at http://www.iwbf.org.
	The playing area for IPC/INAS-FID cognitive disability basketball games conforms to the FIBA specifications.
	The playing area for Special Olympics international-level basketball games also conforms to the FIBA specifications; however, the National Federation of State High Schools Association (NFSHSA) rules are employed in competitions held in the USA. The NFSHSA rules can be accessed at http://www.nfshsa.org.
	The playing area for Deaflympics basketball competitions is specified by the FIBA rules.

Photo from The Triumph of the Human Spirit: The Atlanta Paralympic Experience (p.113). Oakville, Ontario: Disability Today Publishing Group.

Photo by J. Sanchez from Belson, M. J., & Hoover, J. (2001). Keepers of the Flame, We Media, V(1), 28.

Rules

Basketball is played by two teams of five players each, whose purpose is to score by placing a ball into the opponents’ basket and then to prevent the other team from scoring in the same way. As indicated under the "Playing Area" topic above, the FIBA rules are followed for Paralympic/INAS-FID and Deaflympics basketball games. The IWBF rules are used in Paralympic wheelchair basketball games. The FIBA rules with some modifications are used in international-level Special Olympics basketball games.

Highlights of the IWBF rules include:

Teams consist of a maximum of 12 players, with five players on the court at any one time.

The game consists of four 10-minute periods. Each quarter of play begins with a tap-off at center court. A 24-second shot clock is used. A 5-minute overtime is played if there is a tie at the end of the fourth quarter. Baskets count two or three points depending upon the player's shooting location. Free throws are valued at one point.

The wheelchair is considered to be part of the player, and the player's position on the floor is determined by wheel contact with the floor. For example, a player is considered to be out-of-bounds if the body or any wheel is out of bounds. Players must remain seated.

The ball is played with the hands only (violation to deliberately push with chair, leg, etc - accidental contact ok). Player may not touch floor with body or cause anti-tip caster to touch the floor to gain control of ball.

The player may dribble and propel the wheelchair simultaneously, or may alternate dribbling and holding the ball in the lap (not between the knees), with no more than two pushes between dribbles.

Violations are infractions of the rules. The ball is awarded to the opposing team for a throw-in. Violations include:

	Out-of-bounds - if the player's body or any part of the wheelchair is in contact with the floor on or outside the boundary lines.
	Traveling - if the player pushes the wheelchair (including pivot movements) more than twice before dribbling.
	Three second violation - remaining in the opponent's restricted area for more than three seconds.
	Five and eight second violations - a closely guarded player who is holding the ball must pass, shoot, roll, or dribble the ball within five seconds, and a team must bring the ball from its back court to its front court within eight seconds.

Fouls are infractions of the rules involving personal contact with an opponent or unsportsmanlike behavior. A foul is charged against the offender and the penalty may be either a loss of possession or a free throw(s). Players are allowed a maximum of five fouls. Examples include:

	Personal fouls - unnecessary roughness and blocking, holding, pushing, charging, or impeding the progress of an opposing player with the body or wheelchair.
	Technical fouls - unsportsmanlike conduct, rising off the seat of the wheelchair, removing feet from the footrests, or using any part of the lower limbs to gain unfair advantage or to steer the wheelchair.

Special Olympics modifications to FIBA rules for the 5-on-5 full court game include:

	The game consists of four 6-minute periods.
	A smaller, lighter basketball may be used for women's and junior division events.
	A shorter (8 foot) basket may be used for junior division events.
	Fouls are called only on rough contact.
	Players may take two steps beyond what is allowable in competitions for athletes without disabilities.

Since most deaf athletes do not have mobility impairments, basketball for deaf athletes does not have separate rules. However, some modifications exist in methods of communication between players, coaches, and officials, including signing and the use of a variety of arm and hand signals.

Equipment

A basketball and player uniforms (shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes) are needed for basketball competition. Wheelchairs are considered as sports equipment in wheelchair basketball, and the IWBF rules include specifications for wheelchair size and cushions. The maximum wheel height is 67 cm, the maximum seat height is 53 cm, and the maximum footrest height is 11 cm. One anti-tip caster is allowed. The bar behind the seat backrest must be padded to prevent injuries to other players, and the bottom of the footrest must be constructed so that it will not mar the floor. Players in Classes 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 may use wheelchair cushions that are not more than 10 cm in thickness. Players in Classes 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 may use cushions that are not more than 5 cm in thickness.

Links

	Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA)
	International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF)
	International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
	Comité Internationale des Sports des Sourds (CISS)
	Special Olympics International (SOI)

National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA)

Page prepared by JiTae Kim and revised by Gail Dummer