How to qualify in Sitting volleyball
How teams qualify for sitting volleyball at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics
Sitting volleyball at LA28 has two tournaments, men's and women's, of eight teams each, with 12 players a team (192 in all). Places belong to the country, at most one team per gender.
| Route | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Host, the United States, if it finished in the top eight at the 2026 World Championships | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 World Championships (Hangzhou, China): top two not otherwise qualified | 2 | 2 |
| 2027 zonal championships: best team not yet qualified in each of four zones | 4 | 4 |
| 2028 Final Paralympic Qualification Event | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 8 |
Three places in each tournament are already decided (Hangzhou, 10 to 17 July 2026):
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Host (in the top eight) | United States (5th) | United States (champions) |
| World Championships | Iran (champions), Bosnia and Herzegovina (runners-up) | Brazil (runners-up), China (bronze) |
Because the United States women won, the two women's places passed to the next two teams.
The host
The United States had to earn its host place by finishing in the top eight at the 2026 World Championships (or, if those were not held, by being in the top eight of the world ranking at 31 December 2026). Both its teams did. Had they not, the host places would have gone to the 2028 final qualification event, and the United States could have tried the other routes.
Team eligibility: the zonal rule
Every team must have played its 2027 zonal championships, even teams already qualified. If a zone holds no championships in 2027, teams already qualified are eligible anyway.
Zonal championships 2027
The best team not yet qualified at each of: ParaVolley Pan America, ParaVolley Asia Oceania, ParaVolley Europe and ParaVolley Africa championships. Dates and venues are still to be set. If a zone holds no championships, its place goes to that zone's best team at the 2028 final event, or, failing that, on the world ranking of 31 May 2028.
For India, the route is the Asia Oceania zonal championships in 2027.
2028 Final Paralympic Qualification Event
Open only to the eight highest-ranked teams on the World ParaVolley ranking of 30 April 2028 that have not qualified, from any region. The winner qualifies. If the event is not held, the place goes to the best team not yet qualified on the ranking of 31 May 2028.
Players
Each player must have played at least one sanctioned World ParaVolley competition between 1 January 2026 and 31 May 2028 and be internationally classified. Twelve players per team.
Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10 to 17 July 2026 | World Championships, Hangzhou (decided) |
| 2027 (to be set) | Four zonal championships |
| 30 April 2028 | Ranking that decides who can play the final event |
| 2028 (to be set) | Men's and women's final qualification events |
| 5 May 2028 | Accreditation Long List due |
| 31 May 2028 | World ParaVolley confirms all places |
| 15 June 2028 | Countries confirm |
| 30 June 2028 | Reallocation; countries declare use |
| 24 July 2028 | Sport entries close |
A place a country does not use goes to the next team at the same competition, or on the same ranking. After 30 June 2028 places go back to the IPC.