Wheelchair Basketball Rules

The rules of wheelchair basketball are very similar to stand-up or "able-bodied" basketball. The court dimensions, the height of the basket, and the distance to the foul and three-point lines are all the same measurements as those in the traditional game of basketball. Only a small number of basic rule modifications have been made to make basketball wheelchair compatible.

Rather than the traditional "three steps" traveling rule, a traveling violation occurs when a player takes more than two pushes while in possession of the ball without dribbling. A player may touch the wheels and bounce the ball simultaneously. However, if the ball is picked up and/or placed on the player’s lap, he or she is only allowed to push twice before being obligated to shoot, pass, or dribble the ball again. There is no ‘double dribble’ rule in wheelchair basketball. The player must remain firmly seated in the chair. The player may not lift themselves out of the chair to shoot, rebound, or pass the ball, or attempt to block shot or a pass from an opponent, or attempt to secure a pass from a teammate. They must also not use their lower limbs to steer the chair or gain an unfair advantage. This can result in a technical foul.

The Basics

3 on 3: Two 7 min periods with a 2min half-time
Three 30sec time outs (one per period/overtime)
18 sec shot clock

No 8 sec half-court

No-charge semi-circle not in affect
Team classification total: 8.5 points on floor

5 on 5: Four 10min quarters with 15min half-time & 2min between Q1&2 and Q3&4
Teams swap court ends during second half of game
Two 60sec time-outs in first half, three time-outs in second half with no more than two in the last 2 min of the game
A closely guarded player must pass, dribble or shoot within 5 sec
The team in possession must move the ball past half court within 8 seconds
24 sec shot clock / 14 additional seconds if ball touches rim
Team classification total: 14 points on floor

Both: The ball must be moved across the court via dribbling or passing
   Tapping a ball out of the air or bouncing it off the backboard is not a dribble
Lifting is not allowed - a player must remain in contact with the seat of their chair.
   Tilting (lifting one rear wheel off the floor) is allowed
   Charging is not permitted
   Blocking (personal contact initiated by the defender while an opponent is passing by) is not permitted
   Players may not hold or push off one another
   No contact to the back of a players chair is permitted
   Faking a personal foul is not permitted.

A full listing of the IWCF rules can be downloaded from: https://www.wheelchairbasketball.ca/technical/iwbf-rules/