Basketball

About the Sport

Wheelchair Basketball is clearly our most popular sport with regards participation numbers. It can be played by people with all types of physical disabilities, including lower limb amputees, paraplegics, spina bifida, and cerebral palsy.  It is played on a standard basketball court with the basketball rings still remaining at the same height as the able-bodied game. The only major difference from able-bodied basketball is that wheelchair basketballers must bounce the ball after every two pushes. 

How to Get Involved

Wheelchair Basketball has two weekly programs available to participants, which include:

• Knox Basketball Stadium (Park Cresent, Boronia)

This is held on Tuesday nights between 6.30pm-9.30pm.  

• Dandenong Basketball Stadium (270 Stud Rd, Dandenong)

This is held on a Thursday nights between 7:15pm- 9.30pm. 

Major Events

There are three different types of major events coordinated by Wheelchair Sports Victoria. These include:

• Regional Tournaments

There are 4 weekend tournaments coordinated each year, which include

• Albury/Wodonga Basketball Challenge (February 23 & 24)
• Morwell Basketball Challenge- (May 17^th & 18^th)
• Shepparton Basketball Challenge (August 23 & 24)
• Geelong Basketball Challenge (TBC)

• National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL)

Through our affiliation with the Dandenong Basketball Association, the Wheelchair Sports Victoria Men's State representative team is called the Dandenong Rangers.  Each year, the Dandenong Ranges play a total of six home games. These include:

• Saturday 31^st May    Dandenong Rangers vs Brisbane Spinning Bullets
• Sunday 1^st June         Dandenong Rangers vs Brisbane Spinning Bullets
• Saturday 28^th June   Dandenong Rangers vs Wenty Wheelkings
• Sunday 29^th June      Dandenong Rangers vs Wenty Wheelkings
• Saturday 19^th July     Dandenong Rangers vs Wollongong Roller Hawks
• Sunday 20^th July        Dandenong Rangers vs Wollongong Roller Hawks

Please note that Wheelchair Sports Victoria also hosts the finals series on a rotational basis.

• Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL)

Through our affiliation with the Dandenong Basketball Association, the Wheelchair Sports Victoria Women's State representative team is also called the Dandenong Rangers.  Each year, Wheelchair Sports Victoria hosts 1 round of the WNWBL. in 2008, this will be coordinated on the following date:

Round 3- Friday June 20^th- Sunday June 22^nd

Please note that Wheelchair Sports Victoria also hosts the finals series on a rotational basis.

Wheelchair Basketball is played on a standard basketball court with regulation height rings and backboard and with all of the skill & vigour of able bodied basketball.

The rules are almost the same as the generic version of the sport, with the one major exception being the travelling with the ball rule.
In Wheelchair Basketball, a player may carry the ball and have two pushes of the wheels before they must bounce or pass it. Three pushes is a travel violation resulting in the other team gaining possession and apart from that, it's basketball
all the way - fast furious and entertaining.

The International player classification system awards points to players according to the degree of their functional disability and takes into account factors that will influence player's maneuverability and balance in the wheelchair. Players are classified from 1.0 to 4.5 points, with one-point players having the least functional ability and 4.5 players having the most.
The on-court team's points must not exceed a total of 14 at any one time. This allows teams of varying disability levels to compete on a more equitable basis.

WSV Events

• Regional Torunaments
• NWBL- Dandenong Home Games
• WNWBL- Dandeong Home Round

Other Events

National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL)

1.     Perth Round Saturday 7^th June- Sunday 8^th June

2.     Sydney Round Saturday 14^th June- Sunday 15^th June               

3.     Adelaide Round Saturday 2^nd August- Sunday 3^rd August

4.     Finals Series - State and Venue TBA

Women's National Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL)

1.       Round 2 in Perth (May 2^nd - 4^th)

2.       Round 4 in Sydney (July 4^th -6^th)

3.       Finals in Sydney (August 8^th-10^th)

For further information, please contact Wheelchair Sports Victoria on (03) 9473 0133