Wheelchair Basketball Jenn Huff PESS /16/08

History Developed by WWII vets in the USA in 1945 By 1948 there were 6 teams, all members of Paralyzed Veterans of America Introduced to Paralympics program in 1960 in Rome One of the most popular Paralympic sports Designed for athletes with physical disabilities that prevents running, jumping, & pivoting

U.S. Classification Class I: Complete motor loss at T-7 or above or comparable disability Class II: Complete motor loss starting at T-8 and descending through and including L-2 Class III: All other physical disabilities as related to lower extremity paralysis originating at or below L-3 12 points total allowed on the floor

International Classification Eight classifications based on functional ability (1.0 – 4.5) Higher classification numbers represent greater basketball skills Athletes are classified at their first international competition Have to file an appeal to change classification 14 points total allowed on the floor Classification based on shooting, passing, rebounding, pushing, & dribbling

Wheelchair Part of the player Three or four wheels Height of seat can’t exceed 21” from the floor Height of foot platform can be no more than 4 7/8” from the floor Seat cushions are allowed A heel strap must be attached to foot platform

Rules & Regulations 4 seconds in the lane Can’t push more than twice without dribbling Same rules of contact in regular basketball Lose the ball if you make physical contact with the floor Out of bounds – any part of the chair or body goes out of the boundaries Falling – suspend play if chance of danger to player

Rules & Regulations cont’d Same court dimensions as regular basketball Every team has five players and seven substitutes Four periods of ten minutes Same scoring as regular basketball, wheels need to behind 3-point arc before the ball is released 24 second shot clock

Basketball Court

Important Skills Handling the chair Endurance Ball-handling skills Shooting Passing Back-picking

Pictures

Adaptations/Modifications Longer time limit in lane Allow more pushes between dribbles Eliminate shot clock Lower basketball hoop Change court size Shorter quarters

Coaching Techniques Athletes first Positive environment Set achievable goals for each athlete Demonstrate Progression of skills Involve all athletes Develop team spirit

Contraindicators Allow water breaks to keep athletes from overheating Crashing or falling out of chairs Detached retinas Atlantoaxial instability Pushing wheelchair Finger jams

Video Clips 49KPlQ 49KPlQ YXrw YXrw

References eelchairbasketball/index.shtml eelchairbasketball/index.shtml Sports/Wheelchair_Basketball/ Sports/Wheelchair_Basketball/