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Wheelchair Rugby
Photo by Norm Lourenco
from The Triumph of the Human Spirit: The Atlanta Paralympic
Experience (p. 178). Oakville, Ontario:
Disability Today Publishing Group.
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Wheelchair rugby is an
official sport of the Paralympic Games. Wheelchair rugby is also known
as quad rugby or murder ball. |
Athlete Eligibility and Classification
Athletes with some form of quadriplegia are
eligible to play wheelchair rugby. Both males and females are encouraged
to play. Because of the classification process, gender advantages do not
exist.
Athletes are classified according to functional
ability on the basis of a bench test (upper extremity muscle function,
ROM, and sensation tests), a functional trunk test (ability to maintain
sitting balance in various situations), and functional movement tests
(wheelchair skills and rugby skills), as well as on-the-court evaluation
during games. Players are assigned to one of seven classes
(classification descriptions are from the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation):
 | 0.5 - Not a major ball handler. Scoops ball onto lap. Forward head bob present
when pushing (pulling back part of the wheel). Uses back quarter of
wheel to stop, start, and turn. Usually passes the ball forward to the side
with a two-hand toss. Poor balance.
|
| 1.0 - Weak chest pass or forearm pass. Has a longer push on wheel
(combination of pull and push). Forearm or wrist catch. Weak or
nonexistent chest pass. |
| 1.5 - Asymmetry is persistent in arms. Predominantly uses the stronger arm.
Good blocker. Good shoulder strength.
|
| 2.0 - Good chest pass. Good ball handler. Can hold the ball with wrists firmly. |
| 2.5 - Asymmetrical hands or arms. Major ball handler and fairly fast
playmaker. |
| 3.0 - Can dribble ball well with one hand. Very good ball handler. Can begin to
grip the push rim in order to maneuver the wheelchair.
|
| 3.5 - Has some trunk function, therefore very stable in wheelchair. Usually has
a very good ball control. Major ball handler and very fast playmaker. |
Events
In Paralympic team competition male and female
athletes compete on the same team, thus there is only one team event
that accommodates all atheltes.
Playing Area
The playing area for quad rugby is a regulation
basketball court, marked with side, end, and center lines, as well as a
center circle and an 8m x 1.75m key area in front of the 8m goal line. A
team's front court is the area between the opposing team's goal line and
the center line, while the rest of the court is defined as the back
court.
Court diagram from the
U.S. Quad Rugby Association web site,
http://www.quadrugby.com.
Rules
The international governing body is the
International Wheelchair Rugby Association (IWRA). The IWRA rules are
posted in entirety on the U.S. Quad Rugby Association (USQRA) web site
at http://www.quadrugby.com. The
following information was obtained from the USQRA web site.
A wheelchair rugby game consists of 4 quarters of
8 minutes each. Four players from each team are allowed on the court at
a time. Classifications of the four players on the court must total no
more than 8.0 points at one time. During the game, team players pass a
volleyball back and fourth while advancing into the opponent's half
court and then crossing over the goal line with the ball in one player's
possession. While the offense is trying to advance the ball, the defense
is trying to take it away and keeping the opposing team from scoring.
| Basic rules:
 | The ball may be passed, thrown, batted,
rolled, dribbled, or carried in any direction subject to the
restrictions laid down in the rules. The offensive team has 10
seconds to inbound the ball and 15 seconds to get the ball into the
front court. |
| An offensive player in possession of the ball
may hold or carry the ball for a maximum of 10 seconds at a time.
S/he must then either bounce/dribble the ball once or pass the ball
to a teammate. |
| Offensive players are allowed in the key are
for only 10 seconds at a time. |
| Only three defensive players are allowed in
the key area at a time. |
| The goal is scored when an offensive player
in possession of the ball touches the goal line with any two wheels
of his/her wheelchair. |
|
| Penalties:
| The penalty for defensive fouls is 1 minute
in the penalty box. |
| The penalty ends when time (1 minute) expires
or when the opponent scores. |
| The penalty for offensive fouls is a loss of
possession. A throw-in is awarded to the opponents. |
|
| Common fouls:
| Holding the ball for more than 10 seconds
without a dribble. |
| Holding an opponent and/or wheelchair with
hands or arms. |
| Illegal contact or deliberate contact with
the opponent's body such as slapping, hitting, elbowing, or
excessive leaning on an opponent. |
| Pushing a stationary player from a position
s/he holds. |
| Charging or forceful contact with an opponent
without an attempt to stop, slow down, or change direction. |
| Spinning or making contact with an opponent
causing his/her chair to change direction. |
| Physical advantage or touching the floor with
any part of the body or wheelchair other than the four wheels. |
| Inability of the offensive team to inbound
the ball within 10 seconds. |
| Inability of the offensive team to advance
the ball to the front court within 15 seconds. |
| Offensive player remaining in the key area
for longer than 10 seconds at one time. |
| Four defensive players in the key area at the
same time. |
| Back court violation - when a player with the
ball in his/her own front court wheels with the ball into the back
court. |
| Deliberate and/or advantageous chair contact
during any stoppage in play. |
|
| Penalty goal - A penalty goal is awarded to a
team, if in the opinion of the official, a player in the possession of
the ball has a clear path to the goal line and is fouled causing
prevention of a goal. The 1 minute time penalty is not served if the
goal is awarded. |
Equipment
| A 6-pound white volleyball is used. |
| The wheelchair, which is considered part of the
athlete, is subject to many requirements. The wheelchair must meet the following
standards:
| Push rims must be furthest projection
|
| Bars and plates around the
wheels will not be permitted |
| Length of the chair cannot exceed 116cm |
| Maximum
height of the side seat rails is 53cm |
| The wheelchair has
two large (70cm) back wheels and
two small front wheels |
| There must be a hand rim
on each large wheel |
| Footrests must be round and the forward most point of contact |
| Steering devices, brakes, or gears are not permitted to help operate the chair |
| Nothing can be done to the chair that would give the person a mechanical advantage over
other players |
| All chairs must meet safety guidelines
to ensure that they will cause no harm to other players |
|
| Athletes wear gloves (similar to gardening
gloves) that help to improve their grip on the ball. |
Links
Page prepared by Kelly Bonnar and revised by Gail
Dummer |
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