ABOUT WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
Wheelchair Basketball is an intense, high-energy sport that demands speed, agility, and teamwork. Taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC) on Sunday, February 9, 2025, competitor’s will maneuver their wheelchairs across the court, aiming to outplay their opponents by shooting hoops while defending their own basket.
This adaptive sport showcases the competitor’s sharp tactical skills, precision, and endurance as they work together to score and defend. It’s a thrilling display of athleticism and camaraderie, embodying the spirit of competition and recovery at the Invictus Games.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
- Teams will be split into pools. Within each pool, teams will play a number of matches against other teams within their pool.
- Following the completion of the pool stages, the top four teams will play in the crossover semi-finals. The runner-up of each semi-final will compete in the bronze medal match and the winners will play in the gold medal match.
- The basket is 10 feet high – the same height as standard basketball hoop.
- Each pool is drawn based on previous Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 results and random draws.
HOW DID THE SPORT COME TO BE?
- Wheelchair Basketball was first played in 1945 at two USA World War II veterans’ hospitals.
- The sport was first included as a Paralympic Sport in the 1960 Paralympic Games in Rome (Italy).
HOW MANY TEAMS ARE THERE?
We will have 12 teams.
HOW MANY COMPETITORS ON THE COURSE AT ONE TIME?
Each team has five competitors on court at any one time.
WHAT’S THE SIZE OF THE PLAYING FIELD?
- The size of the playing field is 15 m x 28 m – the same size as used in the Paralympic Games.
- The hoop is 10 ft high, the same as used in the Paralympic sport and the same height as the able-bodied competition.
HOW LONG IS THE GAME?
Games will consist of two (2) 10-minute running clock periods during preliminary rounds and two (2) 15-minute running clock periods during semi-finals and finals. Timings may be adjusted based on final entries and scheduling.
IS THIS A NEW SPORT FOR THE INVICTUS GAMES?
Wheelchair Basketball featured in the first Invictus Games in 2014 and has appeared in every Invictus Games since!
INTERESTING FACTS
- Players can place the ball on their lap or in their hands; it must be dribbled or passed after two consecutive pushes
- Unlike standard basketball, Invictus Games use a running clock to maximize playing time
- There is no double dribble rule in Wheelchair Basketball.
- The chair is considered to be part of the body, i.e. a competitor is out-of-bounds when any part of his/her body or wheelchair touches the floor, or any object on or outside of a boundary line.
CEREMONIES
SPORT
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