Wheelchair basketball is a form of basketball in which the players move around the court using wheelchairs instead of running or walking. The sport is included in the Paralympic Games, which are held, like the Olympic Games, every four years. As of early 2011, some major competitive national teams in wheelchair basketball come from Japan, Great Britain, the United States, Australia and Canada.
History
Basketball developed in the late 19th century, and some 50 years later wheelchair basketball was invented. Initially known as "wheelchair netball," the sport was adapted for rehabilitation purposes at an English hospital in 1944. In the later 1940s, teams of U.S. veterans who had been injured in the Second World War began to play wheelchair basketball. The Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games first included wheelchair basketball in 1947. The sport grew in popularity and scope over the next few decades, and was established under the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) -- at the time, the governing body of all wheelchair sports -- in 1973.
Rules
The rules of wheelchair basketball are mostly the same as those of basketball. The basketball hoop used in wheelchair basketball is the same height as in regular basketball, and the basketball court is the same size. Certain rules regarding "traveling" in a wheelchair have been modified -- traveling is defined as a wheelchair basketball player touching her wheels three times or more after she has either dribbled or received the ball.
Wheelchairs
The rules of wheelchair basketball in certain countries -- Australia and Canada, for example -- allow able-bodied athletes to participate in wheelchair basketball in mixed teams. However, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association rules allow only players who need to use a wheelchair. Eligibility under NWBA rules is based upon having a documented injury or disability causing full or partial paralysis of the feet or legs. The wheelchairs used in basketball typically must conform to regulations regarding construction and dimensions -- commonly the rules stipulate a maximum seat height of 21 inches from the ground.
International Competitions
In addition to its inclusion in the Paralympic Games every four years, wheelchair basketball has its own World Championship series. A total of 13 world championships have been held since the inaugural 1973 competition, which was won by the British wheelchair basketball team. As of February 2011, the United States wheelchair basketball team has won seven world championship titles; Canada has won three; and France, Australia and Israel have each won once.
Member Comments