Wheelchair Rugby is a team sport for male and female athletes. It made its debut as a medal event at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.
Wheelchair rugby is an attacking and defensive game, the object being to carry the ball across the opposing team’s goal line to score points. Players compete in manual wheelchairs specifically designed for the sport.
The sport was originally developed for athletes with tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury and neuromuscular conditions such as poliomyelitis. Now, there are athletes participating in Wheelchair Rugby with conditions other than spinal cord injury and poliomyelitis, such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and amputations.
To be eligible to compete, athletes must have an impairment in all four limbs.
Teams are mixed, with men and women competing equally in the same team.
Every team is composed of four players. The match consists of four periods of eight minutes.
A team scores when an athlete crosses with at least two wheels of the chair the opposing team’s goal line in firm control of the ball. The Maximum time a player can be on possession of the ball is 10 seconds.
Contact between wheelchairs is allowed. Wheelchairs must be lightweight and easy to manoeuvre while still being strong enough to protect the players and withstand frequent collisions.
Hypertonia | Impaired Muscle Power |
Ataxia | Limb Deficiency |
Athetosis | Impaired Passive Range of Movement |
For illustrated explanation please click on the button below.
There are seven classes ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 with functional characteristics identified for each athlete class. In general, the 0.5 class includes those athletes with the most disability and the 3.5 class includes those athletes with the least disability or “minimal” disability eligible for the sport of wheelchair rugby.
In international Wheelchair Rugby, the total number of points allowed on court by each team is 8.0 at any time. If a team has one or more female athletes on the court during play, that team is allowed an additional 0.5 points for each female player.
Teams may play with a line-up that totals less than 8.0 points but can only exceed this number when one or more females are competing on the court.
The following are incomplete descriptions providing a very general profile of each class. These descriptions are by no means complete, and an athlete may display certain characteristics of higher or lower sport classes.
Class 0.5 | |
Typical role on court | Main role is a blocker, not a major ball handler |
Chair skills/function | • Because of extensive proximal shoulder weakness and lack of triceps function forward head bob present when pushing
• Because of lack of triceps, pulls on back part of the wheel for push stroke using biceps by bending elbows; elbows are also out to side when pushing (called an “unopposed biceps push”) • Because of wrist extensor weakness and lack of other wrist and hand function, may use forearm on wheel for starts, turns and stops |
Ball skills/function | • Because of proximal shoulder weakness, arm and wrist weakness, traps direct passes on lap or bats it in from limited range
• Bats ball using “underhand volleyball pass” for longer range pass or for shorter range pass uses “scoop pass” with the ball forward to the side uses a two hand toss |
Class 1.0 | |
Typical role on court | Blocker, may inbound ball, not a major ball handler |
Chair skills/function | • Because of proximal shoulder weakness and triceps weakness may have slight head bob when pushing, but has a longer push on wheel (combination of push and pull on back part of wheel)
• Because of increased strength in upper chest and shoulders, multidirectional start, stop and turn (Can turn in all directions without stopping; easier and faster turning than 0.5 athlete; but because of triceps and wrist weakness, 1.0 athlete may still use forearm) |
Ball skills/function | • Forearm or wrist catch • Weak chest pass or forearm pass |
Class 1.5 | |
Typical role on court | Excellent blocker and also may be the occasional ball handler |
Chair skills/function | Increased shoulder strength and stability allows for more effective and efficient pushing ball handling skills |
Ball skills/function | • Increased shoulder strength and stability allows for some distance and consistency to chest pass
• Typically has wrist imbalance that causes limited ball security when passing • May have asymmetry present in arms. If so, predominantly uses the stronger arm for chair and ball skills |
Class 2.0 | |
Typical role on court | Increasing role on court as ball handler |
Chair skills/function | Typically, has a very strong and stable shoulder that allows for good pushing speed on court |
Ball skills/function | • Effective chest pass with control over a moderate distance
• Because of lack of finger flexion, there is limited ball security against defence during passing • Can hold the ball with wrists firmly but does not have hand function |
Class 2.5 | |
Typical role on court | Ball handler and fairly fast playmaker |
Chair skills/function | • Because of excellent shoulder strength and stability will see good pushing speed on court
• Functional grip is used to advantage on the push rim when challenged • May have some trunk control giving better stability in the chair |
Ball skills/function | • Reasonably balanced finger flexion and extension without true grasp and release
• Dribbles the ball safely, but supinates forearm to scoop the ball onto the lap • Due to finger flexion strength capable of performing one-handed overhead pass, but limited accuracy and distance because of imbalance in finger strength • Safe two-handed catching of passes, usually scooping the ball to lap. May catch passes single-handed and scoops to lap or chest • Improved ball security compared to 2.0 hand due to improved ability to isolate wrist/finger function • May have asymmetrical arm or hand function, noticeable with chair and ball handling skills |
Class 3.0 | |
Typical role on court | Very good ball handler and fast playmaker |
Chair skills/function | • Because of balanced finger function, the athlete can grip wheelchair rim increasing pushing speed
• May have some trunk control giving better stability in the chair |
Ball skills/function | • Because of function in fingers, can control ball in varying planes of movement for passing, dribbling, catching and protecting ball during these activities
• Can dribble and pass ball well with one hand • Multiple dribble one handed with control • Stabilizes with the opposite arm to allow greater reach (if the athlete has no trunk function) |
Class 3.5 | |
Typical role on court | Major ball handler and very fast playmaker. Often primary ball handler and playmaker on team |
Chair skills/function | Has some trunk function, therefore very stable in wheelchair and able to use the trunk for ball and chair skills |
Ball skills/function | • Because of the combination of hand and trunk function, usually has excellent ball control with controlled one hand passing for distance and excellent ball security during passing and receiving
• May have asymmetrical arm or hand function, noticeable with chair and ball handling skills |
To be eligible to apply for a national classification, athletes must:
This list includes active athletes who have been classified at national and/or international level. Click here to access the Masterlist.
The Irish Wheelchair Association is the National Governing Body for wheelchair rugby in Ireland. If you wish to get involved in wheelchair rugby, please access the National Governing Body link below.
Governing Body | |
National | Irish Wheelchair Association |
International | International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) |
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