In This Section

♦ Equipment ♦ Rules of the Game ♦ General Contact Wheelchair Basketball Principles ♦ The Cylinder Principle ♦ Principal of Verticality Fast paced, action packed and a sport for a wide number of individuals, wheelchair bas- ♦ The Court ketball is a great athletic venture for the wheelchair sport enthusiast. From the young, or newly injured, to the veteran athlete, wheelchair basketball offers a variety of competi- ♦ Official Signals tive streams for those looking to play. At the local club level, one will often find able bod- ♦ Athlete Profile ied players alongside those already in wheelchairs, a solution to the problem of low ♦ Classification numbers, as long as there are wheelchairs to be used, a basketball net and a ball, the ♦ Practice Plan game can be played. The game is played on a regulation basketball court with five play- ♦ Free Throw Shooting ers per side and individual classifications given to each player ranging from class 1.0 to ♦ Sample Drills class 4.5. For a International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) competition, a total of 14 points are allowed on the court per team at one time, this number may vary Other Information according to the level of competition or the sanctioning body. Team point totals equalize the functional potential of the two teams on the court and ensure that the result of the ♦ For Your Tool Box game is a direct reflection of the skill and ability of the players. As the level of skill in- creases, the speed and complexity of the game also progress to a greater level. A popu- ♦ International Structure lar team sport for persons with physical disabilities, wheelchair basketball is fun and of Wheelchair exciting. Basketball ♦ Levels of Competition ♦ Coach Progression ♦ Competition Opportu- nities in Ontario ♦ Resources Available to You ♦ Clubs in Ontario ♦ Useful Websites ♦ Coach Profile

8 Equipment

Aside from a regulation sized basketball, and access to a court, the only specific equip- ment required for wheelchair basketball are the wheelchairs themselves. Most beginner athletes play in their day chairs or, if the club is equipped enough, play in borrowed chairs, or purchase a sport chair. The cumbersome nature of most day chairs make it tough for most participants to quickly maneuver and dribble the ball on the court, as well, the collisions that often occur on the court can incur damage to a persons day chair which can get expensive. The wheelchair basketball chair, or multi-sport chair, is easily maneuvered, has cambered wheels for stability and is an all around tougher built chair.

Usage of materials such as aluminum, carbon fibre and titanium have kept the strength but lowered the weight of the higher end sport chair. These chairs can get expensive and there are a number of alternatives (see the equipment manufacturer’s listing in appendix i) There is more information pertaining to the specifications of the wheelchairs within the rules section of this chapter.

OWSA has a wheelchair loans program for athletes who may not be able to afford a new chair right away. This program operates under the premise that after a period of time, the athlete will purchase a chair for themselves. New athletes are also encouraged to ask around to see if there are any used chairs that they may be able to purchase.

For Your Tool Box

♦ Allen Keys Rules of the Game ♦ Athletic Tape ♦ Wrenches IWBF is the governing body of international Wheelchair Basketball. The IWBF rules can ♦ Strapping be found at www.iwbf.org The following is a simplified version of the IWBF rules. ♦ Extra Tires ♦ Tire Pump IWBF Wheelchair Specifications -Valve and Ball attachments ♦ Extra Tire Valves ♦ Crazy Glue

9 The Wheelchair

♦ The wheelchair is considered to be part of the player ♦ Only one cushion is permitted on the seat of the wheelchair. Must be of same dimensions as the seat of the wheelchair No more than 10cm in thickness, except for 3.5, 4 and 4.5 players, when it must not exceed 5cm ♦ The footrest or protective horizontal bar at the front/sides of the wheelchair must be no higher than 11cm from the floor. It must be straight or curved, but not pointed International ♦ The maximum height to the top of the side seat rails from the floor must not ex- ceed 53cm Structure of Wheelchair ♦ The large wheel of the chair, including the tire, can only be 69cm Basketball ♦ The horizontal bar located at the back of the backrest of the wheelchair must be padded to prevent injury to the other player’s knees

IWBF / IPC

CWBA

The Team OWSA ♦ Five (5) players from each team shall be on the court during playing time and may be substituted Club Teams ♦ A substitution occurs when: The official beckons the substitute to enter the court During a charged time-out or an interval of play, a substitute requests the substitution to the scorekeeper Key ♦ Players shall not wear equipment (objects) that may cause injury to other- players International Wheehchair Not Permitted: Basketball Federation Finger, hand, writs, elbow or forearm guards, casts or braces made of (IWBF) leather, plastic, pliable (soft) plastic, metal or any other hard substance, even if covered in soft plastic International Paralympic Objects that could cut or cause abrasions Committee Headgear, hair accessories and jewelry (IPC) Are Permitted Shoulder, upper arm, thigh or lower leg protective equipment if the Canadian Wheelchair Sports material is sufficiently padded Association Knee braces if they are properly covered (CWSA) Protector for an injured nose, even if made of hard material Spectacles, if they do not pose a danger to other players Ontario Wheelchair Sports Headbands, max five (5) cm in width, made of non-abrasive, unicol- Association our cloth, pliable plastic or rubber (OWSA)

10

The Coaches

♦ Must give the score keeper a list of the names of all players and their corre- sponding numbers and classification points who are eligible to play the game. A list of coaches must be included as well. This must occur twenty (20) prior to the scheduled start of the game. At least ten (10) minutes before the game, the coach must confirm their agreement with the names, numbers and classification points and sign off on the score-sheet. They must also confirm the starting five (5) players at this time ♦ The coach may go to the scorer’s table during the game to obtain statistical Levels of Competition information only when the ball is dead and the game clock is stopped ♦ The coach may address the players verbally during the game, provided that they stay within the team bench area Paralympic Games ♦ The coach shall designate the free-throw shooter in all cases where the free- (every four years) throw shooter is not determined by the rules

IWBF World

Championships (every two years) The Ball

Canadian National ♦ The ball becomes dead when: Championships -Any field goal or free throw is made -An official blows his whistle while the ball is live -It is apparent that the ball will not enter the Ontario Paralympic basket on a free throw which is followed by: Summer ♦ Another free throw(s) Championships ♦ A further penalty (free throw(s) and/or throw-in) -The game clock signal sounds for the end of the period Tournaments -The twenty-four second device signal sounds while a team is in control of the ball -The ball which is in flight on a shot for a field goal is touched by a player Club Practices/ from either team after: Competitions ♦ An official blows his whistle ♦ The game clock signal sounds for the end of the period US Leagues ♦ The twenty-four second device signal sounds ♦ The ball does not become dead and the goal counts if made when -The ball is in flight on a shot or field goal and: National Wheelchair ♦ An official blow his whistle Basketball Association ♦ The game clock signal sounds for the end of the period ♦ The twenty-four second device signal sounds -The ball is in flight on a free throw when an official blows his whistle for any rule infraction other than by the free-throw shooter -A player commits a foul on any opponent while the ball is in the control of the opponent in the act of shooting for field goal and who finishes their shot with a continuous motion which started before the foul occurred

11 The Game

♦ A game shall consist of four (4), ten (10) minute periods ♦ There is two (2) minutes of “play” between the 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th periods. A time of fifteen (15) minutes of play will take place before the beginning of the second half. A twenty (20) minute warm-up will take place before the be- ginning of the game ♦ If a tie exists following the fourth period of play, a five (5) minute over time period will take place, this will continue until the tie is broken (this will vary according to the competition/tournament) ♦ A tip-off will take place at the beginning of the 1st period. All other periods will begin with a throw-in Coach Progression

NCCP Level III Full Certifica- General rules that specifically apply to the wheelchair, are different from the able bodied tion or greater game of basketball, or are worth noting -can coach at national/ ♦ Dribbling international level A player must dribble the ball after two pushes, the ball shall be placed on the lap, not between the knees, while pushing the wheelchair NCCP Level II ♦ Three Seconds Certification A player shall not remain in the opponent’s key area for more than three (3) –can coach up to the provin- consecutive seconds while his team is in control of a live ball on the cial level court and the game clock is running

NCCP Level 1 Theory, Tech- General Contact Principles and Definitions: nical, and Practical certifica- tion The IWBF follows a number of principles in regards to contact. It is important for athletes -can coach at local club, de- and coaches to understand what is implied by these principles and definitions. This is not velopmental level an exact replication of all of the IWBF rules but a summary of a number of important as- pects.

Connection with a team or Definitions: club Blocking–is illegal personal contact which impedes the progress of an opposing player with or without the ball Charging–is personal contact, with or without the ball, by pushing or moving into an Introduction to the sport opposing players’ wheelchair Illegal Guarding From The Rear-is personal contact with an opposing player by a All wheelchair basketball defensive player from behind coaches must be members Holding-is personal contact with an opposing player that interferes with his freedom of OWSA, and are recom- of movement or that of his wheelchair. Holding can occur with any part of the mended to be a member of body or the wheelchair the Coaches Association of Illegal screening-is an illegal attempt to delay or prevent an opposing player who Ontario (CAO). does not control the ball from reaching a desired position on the playing court Illegal use of hands-occurs when the defensive player is in a guarding situation and the hand(s) is placed upon and remains in contact with an opposing player with or without the ball to impede his progress Pushing-is personal contact with any part of the body or the wheelchair that takes place when a player forcibly moves or attempts to move an opposing player who has or does not have control of the ball Illegal crossing the path is personal contact that takes place when a player, with or without the ball, changes direction and attempts to cross into the path of an op- ponent without allowing that opponent time to stop or change direction

12 The Cylinder Principle (33.1.9 2004 IWBF Rule Book)

Defined as the space within an imaginary cylinder occupied by a player and his wheelchair on the floor. It includes the space above the player and is limited to: The front by the palms of the hands and the footrest or the horizontal bar at the front of the wheelchair The rear by the back outside edge of the large wheels, and The sides by the outside edge of the large wheels where they touch the floor

The hands and arms may be extended in front of the torso no further than the position of the footrest or the horizontal bar at the front of the wheelchair, with the arms bent at the Competition elbows so that the forearms and hands are raised. The distance between the large Opportunities in Ontario wheels will vary according to the camber of the wheels

The Principle of Verticality Spitfire Tournament Toronto –The Wheelchair Cylinder (Adapted from the 2004 IWBF Rule Book)

Each player has the right to the space (cylinder) on court occupied by their wheel- Variety Village Open chair and torso when in the upright seated position Toronto This principle includes the space on the floor which the wheelchair occupies as well as the air space above the torso and the wheelchair When a player leaves their vertical position, creating body or wheelchair contact with another player who had already established their own vertical position, the player Visit the OWSA website for leaving their cylinder is the one charged with making contact. updated competition A defender is allowed to extend arms above within their own cylinder. calendar An offensive player must not cause contact with a defender who is in a legal guard- ing position within their cylinder. www.ontwheelchairsports.org

Diagram illustrating the cylinder principle (Adapted from the 2004 IWBF Rule Book)

13

The Court

Resources available to you!

Tommy’s Basketball Play Book

Search out this site online, it has a ton of basketball infor- mation and drills

Human Kinetics Publishers www.humankinetics.com/

A great resource for coach- ing manuals and books

Source: www.iwbf.org

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Official Signals

Clubs in Ontario

Burlington Vipers

Kingston Family YMCA Wheelchair Basketball

London Wheelchair Basketball Association

Ottawa Carleton Wheelchair Sports Association

Twin City Spinners

Variety Village

Windsor Bulldogs

Visit the OWSA website for up to date club listing www.ontwheelchairsports.org

Source: www.iwbf.org

15 Official Signals Continued...

Useful Websites

Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association www.cwba.ca

National Wheelchair Basketball Association www.nwba.org

International Wheelchair Basketball Federation www.iwbf.org

International Paralympic Committee www.paralympic.org

Canadian Paralympic Committee www.paralympic.ca

Paralympics Ontario www.paralympicsontario.ca

Source: www.iwbf.org

16 Athlete Profile

Need an athlete name here?

Coach Profile Classification Steve Bialoas There are five levels of classification according the International Wheelchair Basketball Have heard Federation (IWBF). The IWBF classification guide can be found at www.iwbf.org. Ath- letes are grouped based on their ability to perform fundamental basketball skills. Level nothing from 1.0 are the players with the least amount of physical functioning, this is followed by levels Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 4.5 is the highest. However, there may be some athletes that show the characteristics of one class, but not enough to be awarded that class level, these athletes may be classed as a level 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, an athlete with a minimal disability would be classed a 4.5. There are four main factors which determine a player’s class. They are 1) Trunk function 2) Lower limb function 3) Upper limb function 4) Hand function

All players must be classified by a certified classifier. Classifiers view the athlete during a game and delegate a classification to them. Upon classification, they will receive a classi- fication card which indicates their class, and any specific strapping, aides or devices to be used by the athlete. For more information regarding classification feel free to refer to the IWBF classification manual which can be found on their website. For a more descrip- tive breakdown of classes, please see the classification breakdown on the following pages of this chapter.

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19 Practice Plan

1) Equipment check and assembly

2) Warm-up -2 laps of court -both directions

3) Stretching -work all upper body muscle groups, arm circles, wrists

4) Lay-up drills -either a timed drill or certain # of successful attempts

5) Dribbling Skills -dribble ball through pylons

6) Passing Drills -weave drill -outlet pass and transition down court -partner passing while shooting

6) Team Play -offensive –inbounds

-defensive –boxing out and rebounding

7) Shooting Game -game of bump from the foul line

8) Individual Shot Work -athletes must make a certain number of baskets before they can be finished their practice, ensure that as a coach you are correcting any poor mechanics at this time

9) Team meeting and discussion

9) Chair and Equipment Maintenance

20 Free Throw Shooting

Some things to consider in free throw shooting technique:

♦ Grip - the ball is on the whole shooting hand, with the balance hand on the side of the ball ♦ Wrist –free throw shooter should place the ball in the shooting pocket and make an L at the wrist, just as they would for a regular shot ♦ Elbow - keep the elbow in close to the body, up and in front of the wrist, make an L at the elbow ♦ Aim –the focus should be on the center of the rim or the back of the rim. A player should focus on the target, say their cue word, and visualize the shot going through the hoop ♦ Follow-through - full extension is the key to the follow-through. The shooter should release high and hold the follow-through until the ball hits the net. “Put your hand in the basket.” ♦ Ritual / Routine - Each player should do the same thing, the same way every time they shoot a free throw. Players should develop a pattern that is always the same. A deep breath just before the shot is a good idea in every players ritual. Be slow and deliberate with the ritual and keep it simple.

Coaching Points for Free Throw Shooting

1. Keep it simple and consistent 2. Start in the same spot at the free throw line every time 3. Have a ritual or routine, that includes a deep breath 4. Focus on target, cue words and visualize shot going in 5. Release high and hold follow through until ball goes through the hoop (put hand in basket) Source: November 2005, BCWBS Coach Chronicle, www.bcwbs.ca

21 Sample Drills

Dribbling & Chair Control

Half Court –Full Court -this drill can be done with and without a ball -athletes line up in two rows, one at each end of the gym -when the coach blows the whistle each row races to the half court, turns and goes back to the baseline, turns and hustles to the other end of the court -be sure that athletes are keeping their heads up and watching where they are turning

Heads up Drill -have the athletes line up in four rows, get them to space themselves out in their lines to cover one half of the gym -get the players dribbling the ball, have them move from one side to an other, side to side, forward and backward -have them keep their eyes up and on you during the drill

Red-light, Green-light -line the athletes up along the baseline in four groups everyone must have a ball, let them know that once the athlete before them reaches a certain point on the floor, the next athlete goes -the coach shouts green-light the first set of players dribble forward as quickly as possible, red light, the athlete stops pushing the chair and dribbles on the spot -continue this until all athletes reach the end of the court

Zig-Zag -split the full length court into two corridors, this drill can be done with/out a ball -set up pylons such that an athlete must zig-zag their way from pylon to pylon while moving down the length of the court -when they get to the end, the must hustle back the length of the court

Speed Course -the full court is split into four corridors, a row of pylons are set up in each corridor -set up the pylons so that athletes must slalom through the pylons, cutting from side to side and circling them, this can be done with and without a ball -have the athletes complete the course, they will move the length of the court four full times -add an element of competition by keeping track of athlete times

Knock Away -each player starts with a basket ball within a predetermined space -designate one athlete as it, and they have the task of knocking the ball away from the other players -once a player’s ball is knocked away they must go to the other end of the court and make a lay-up before rejoining the game

22 Sample Drills Continued...

Shooting Drills

Free Throw -use all of the nets available in the gym, divide up the athletes accordingly -have one athlete by the net and the others at the free throw line -athletes rotate position once the athlete at the free throw line makes 5 baskets

Timed Lay-up drill -player starts at the top of the key on the left side, the coach says go and starts the watch for 1 minute (you will need one person under the hoop to catch the ball when it goes in, and two pylons at the top of each corner of the free throw line.) -the player charges toward the net to make a lay-up from the left side, when lay- up is made, the player hustles out and corners around the opposite pylon receives a pass from the person under the net and repeats alternating sides

Candy Cane Drill -set one player at a top corner of the free throw line -have another player on the baseline under the basket -have a row of players at the bottom of the key to the right of the basket -the first player in the row passes the ball to the player at the top of the key, and races out and around that player, the player at the top of the key passes the ball to the person under the net -the first player who initially passed the ball cuts around the player at the top of the key and takes a pass from the player on the baseline, sets up and shoots from the edge of the key -rotate through the line and switch up the key and baseline players as you see fit

Around the World Shooting Drill -set up five pylons around the court have them numbered if you wish -and athlete goes to the first pylon receives a pass and takes a shot, the shoot from this spot until they get it in, then move on to the next pylon -you can make this interesting by setting time limits and keeping track of time progress throughout the year

Dribble and Shoot -set up two groups of athletes in opposite corners of the gym -have an athlete at each end start at the same time, dribble the ball toward the center court, and circle around the center circle -the athlete heads back to their own end and takes a shot

Baseline Cut and Shoot -set up four pylons a different distances across the baseline -athletes line up at the right corner of the baseline, have another player at the top of the key -the athlete drives across the baseline makes a cut at a cone, receive a pass from the player at the top of the key, set up for a shot and shoot

23 Sample Drills Continued…

Passing Drills Around The World Passing Drill -five athletes place themselves at positions around the perimeter of the three point line -another line is made with the rest of the athletes at the left side of the court by the first athlete on the three point line -the first athlete in the second line passes to the first athlete on the perimeter who passes to the next athlete around the perimeter and so on -as the ball makes it way around the perimeter the athlete who first passed the ball hustles around the outside of the perimeter and charges in between the second last and the last athlete on the perimeter -a pass given to the charging athlete from the last athlete and a lay-up is made

Two line Scramble -two lines of athletes line up across from each other -start with one ball at one end, the first player with the ball passes to the player across from them, when they pass, the quickly turn their chair and scramble down behind the other athletes to the other end of the line before the ball which is continually being passed from line to line reaches the end -the drill is completed when both lines reach the end of the gym -this drill can be done with two balls, and even two groups of lines which are racing to go down and back the gym -chest and bounce passes can be used

Passing Scrimmage -divide players up into teams, have a scrimmage where either team has to complete a minimum amount of passes before taking a shot -change the game up by not allowing dribbling -add a rule where one player cannot touch the ball twice before everyone else has touched it once

“OUTLET” -have one player as an outlet, another player as a shooter, and another as a rebounder, line up the rest of the players behind the outlet athlete -the shooter takes the shot, the rebounder, gets the rebound and the outlet calls “outlet” ball is passed to the outlet by rebounder who is on the move for give and go, down the court for a lay-up then dribbles back down to the back of the line -the outlet player becomes the shooter, the shooter becomes the rebounder and the next person in line becomes the outlet

Circle of Speed -set up the group in a circle all facing in -start with one ball and have an athlete pass a ball across the circle to another -be sure to have the passing athlete call the name of the receiving athlete -get the speed of the game up and try not to miss a pass (use bounce, chest or other types of passes) -add more balls to increase the level of difficulty

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