Wheelchair Basketball

About Wheelchair Basketball 

Irish Wheelchair Association is the National Governing Body for Wheelchair Basketball in Ireland.

Wheelchair basketball is a 5 v 5 team sport for people with various physical disabilities where the objective of the game is to get the ball into the opposing team’s basketball hoop. The team with the most baskets scored at the end of the game wins. The game is very similar to the running equivalent in that the rules, court measurements, basketball hoop height and scoring system are the same.

Who can play and where can I play? 

Junior players (5-18 yrs.) can play in our multisport clubs. There is one junior blitz series for junior clubs, which runs from autumn into spring annually. Junior players not aligned to a club can also attend and play.

Senior players (15+) play in our wheelchair basketball clubs. There are six senior competitions annually, a national league and four cup competitions.

We also have a Women and Girl’s Academy, creating opportunities for women to get more involved in the sport. In addition, we have an U19 Academy as well, helping young wheelchair basketball players develop their game.

Classification:  

Everyone is welcome to play wheelchair basketball in Ireland including people with a physical disability or able-bodied individuals. Classification is in place for wheelchair basketball to ensure fairness and that there’s a level playing field.

Each player is assigned a value depending on their ability to perform certain skills on the court i.e. shooting, passing, dribbling etc. All classifications range from 0.5 to 4.5. In Irish competitions each team can have a maximum of 16 points on the court at any one time.  

This differs at international level were only individuals with a disability, which affects the lower body/legs are eligible to play. 

International Level: 

We currently have one senior team and two under-age teams (U23 and U19). There is also a women’s team, Emerald Rollers, who compete in the British Wheelchair Basketball League. Our international teams compete at major competitions regularly.   

Current Irish Wheelchair Basketball Champions

Irish Wheelchair Basketball League Champions 2024/25 – Rebel Wheelers Multi-Sport Club 1

Basketball Ireland National Cup Winners 2024/25 – Rebel Wheelers Multi-Sport Club

The Shield Winners 2024/25 – Clonaslee WBC

Paddy Byrne Cup Winners 2024/25 – Rebel Wheelers Multi-Sport Club 1

Green/Walsh Cup Winners 2024/25 – Killester WBC

Gerard Larkin Cup Winners 2024/25 – North East Thunder WBC