3x3 Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair basketball is the biggest Paralympic team sport in the UK. It is a fast-paced and fast-growing sport that allows disabled and non-disabled people to compete together in its domestic leagues and competitions.
Wheelchair basketball 3x3 is played on half a basketball court, with three players each side competing in specially designed sports chairs that maximise the speed and agility required to play this fast-paced sport.
The game is played in a ten-minute period where players must compete to score the most baskets. Movement up the court is measured in dribbling – that’s one bounce for every two pushes of the chair in the wheelchair game! The first team which scores 21 points or more wins the game if the final basket is scored before the end of regular playing time.
To ensure fairness across the game, much like other disability sports, wheelchair basketball utilises a classification system. Classification is based on the players' functional capacity to complete the skills necessary to play - pushing, pivoting and shooting. Each player is assigned a classification number, and the total points on the court at any time for one team is a maximum of 8.5. This ensures that the level of play on court is balanced and that everyone can take part.
In the UK, the National Governing Body for the sport is British Wheelchair Basketball, who run the domestic leagues (made up of 85 teams!) and GB Performance teams.