Wheelchair Basketball

Introduction

Wheelchair basketball was first introduced in the United States somewhere around the late 1940s. It was developed by injured servicemen from World War II who were the former players of basketball when they were bodily-abled. They introduced the wheelchair version of basketball in order to continue playing the game. Today, the game is accepted worldwide by para-athletes with a slight variation from the original one so as to ease the game for the people on wheelchairs. The official body that governs the sport at the global level is the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. The sport is also recognized by the Paralympics Committee (IPC).

Objective

The primary object of the game is to score more baskets than the opponent’s team. The team with the maximum no. of baskets by the finish of the time wins the game.

History of Wheelchair 

Wheelchair basketball was first competed at two of the USA World War II veterans' organisation clinics; Corona Naval Station, California, and Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1945.

Freely, in 1948 British war veterans began playing wheelchair netball under Dr Ludwig Guttmann (GER) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The first national wheelchair basketball competition was held in Illinois, USA, with six groups in 1949. Around the same time, the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) was framed in the USA.

The Pan Am Jets of USA conveyed wheelchair basketball to Europe when they were welcomed to participate at the International Stoke Mandeville Games in 1955, at first making due with wheelchair netball. After ruling the challenge, their execution started the change from wheelchair netball to wheelchair basketball for future Games.

Wheelchair basketball was one of the games at the debut Rome 1960 Paralympic Games.

Events

Junior Prep (13 and younger years of age.)

Junior's Event (Varsity level (aged 13 to 18)

Men’s Event

Women’s Event

Participants

Two teams compete against each other with five players each side.

Playing Area

The wheelchair basketball court is same as the regular basketball court for able-bodied athletes.

Techniques

Shooting

The method of attempting to throw the ball through the basket to score points. The technique of shooting differs from player to player.

Blocking

This is a technique used by defending players to alter/deflect a shot attempted by an offensive player to make a basket.

Passing

It is an act of moving the ball from one player to another. A pass can be made by using any one of the techniques like a bounce pass in which a ball passed by a player first strikes the court and bounces up to the receiver.

Officials

Referee And Umpires

They are responsible for maintaining the order of the game, enforcing the rules, call for fouls and violations and make all on-court calls. They also keep a keen eye in the event of an athlete falling on the ground, if it happens so the referees make that player sit outside the court if there is a chance of even the slightest harm to his health.

Table Officials

Responsible for keeping track of each teams’ scoring, fouls, timekeeping, operating the shot clock, player substitutions.Techniques