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Quad Rugby

Hit or be hit… contact is at the heart of wheelchair rugby’s appeal. A game invented for quadriplegics, Wheelchair Rugby is a team sport played with a volleyball on a basketball-size court with end lines. Athletes play in specific rugby chairs which have special accommodations such as a front bumper, wings, and spoke protectors. The objective is for a player to carry a ball across the opponent’s goal line in order to score a point.

Rules:

  • A volleyball is used and must be bounced or passed between teammates at least once every 10 seconds during play.
  • The sport is played in four eight-minute stop-time quarters indoors on a basketball court.
  • Individual players of the game are assigned a classification, which reflects the degree of impairment they experience. Teams have a point limit, meaning that they have to be made up of players with a variety of classifications in order to qualify for a match.
  • Contact between wheelchairs is permitted, and is in fact an integral part of the sport as players use their chairs to block, hold and even knock over opponents.

Equipment

Offensive wheelchairs have a round bumper so they can move through narrow spaces and get around the opposing team’s defence.
Defensive wheelchairs have a long bumper protruding from the front for use in stopping opposing players’ movement, for example by running into or snagging their wheelchairs.

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Things to Know

The most important consideration is finding a chair that fits, that’s durable, and that you’re comfortable in. While many players depending on level of injury use different accessories to get better grip on the ball or straps and belts to keep them in place better.

Wheelchair rugby is limited to people with higher level mobility impairments, which is a huge benefit of this sport for many that play the game. Visit the USA Wheelchair Rugby website for more information >

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