Rules applied in Wheelchair Basketball are those of standard basketball. The court dimensions ring height (3.05 m), playing time, 6.25 line, dismissal due to 5 faults and downtime per team and period are likewise applied in disabled player’s basketball.
In actual fact, Wheelchair Basketball Rules are based in the International Basketball Federation (IWBF) regulations, and just a few adjustments are required since players use wheelchairs on the court.
Maximum allowed wheelchairs dimensions for basketball playing are as follows: maximum seat height: 53 cm; larger wheels maximum diameter: 66 cm. Chairs can have 3 or 4 wheels: 2 larger in back and 1 or 2 smaller ones forward.
No part of the chair, but for the wheels, can touch the court while player has the ball. Otherwise, a “breach” is punished.
Players shall not raise from the seat for a better position when fighting for the ball. Otherwise, a “technical” fault is punished (fault due to unfair sport practice)
If the chair’s wheel of a player holding the ball touches or goes over any of the court boundary lines, the ball is deemed to be out and, therefore, the other team will throw the ball.
Only for personal faults thrown from the 6.25 line the smaller wheels are allowed to touch or go beyond the mentioned lines, but never the larger ones.
The equivalent of the “steps” rule in Wheelchair Basketball is as follows: when a player holds the ball, it can push the wheelchair forth or back only twice before the ball is bounced or passed over. A third move would be a “breach”.
Two players fighting for the ball: the Referee will throw up the ball between two players in the central circle as each period starts (1st and 2nd) and time extensions, if any. At other times, each time “fight” is announced, the ball will be thrown up alternatively by each team, same as in the American College League. All the mentioned rules are indispensable to adjust Wheelchair Basketball to IWBF regulations, but, generally speaking, disabled people basketball is played same as the conventional one, it only changes in the players being seated and, therefore, farther from the ring.