Wheelchair basketball is a popular variation of the game, designed for people with disabilities and confined to wheelchairs. Because of the nature of the game, wheelchair rules are modified from the standard rules of basketball to accommodate for bulky equipment on the floor and to give all players an equal advantage during games.
Players and Equipment
Many wheelchair basketball organizations, such as the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, have strict regulations on who can play the sport. To be eligible to play in the NWBA, a player must have a documented physical disability or injury that has caused partial or full paralysis in the legs or feet. Wheelchairs usually must meet certain specifications to be used in official play, such as a seat height not exceeding 21 inches from the ground. This puts all players at an equal level to ensure fair play. Players may use seat cushions if their conditions warrant it, but all equipment must be cleared with officials before a game begins.
Dribbling and Traveling
One of the main differences between regular and wheelchair basketball involves the rules of dribbling. Because of the nature of players in wheelchairs, it's impossible to enforce the standard dribbling and traveling rules, since players don't use their feet. The NWBA modifies the dribbling rule to allow players to bounce the ball to the floor in conjunction with two pushes of the wheel. This constitutes a dribble. Players may make more than one dribble per two pushes, but more than two pushes per dribble constitutes a traveling violation. Dribbling players may pivot their wheelchairs as long as they do not move significantly in any direction, which is determined at the discretion of the officials.
Other Rules
A player is determined to be out of bounds if any part of the wheelchair is touching any part of the out-of-bounds portion of the floor. Whereas regular basketball has a 3-second rule for players being in the free-throw lane when his team is on offense, wheelchair basketball rules allow offensive players to remain in the lane for 4 seconds before being called for a violation. Players may lean forward in theirs chair to secure a loose ball, but it is a violation for a player to tilt his chair in any direction for any reason. Players also may not leave their chairs to go after a loose ball.
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