How are fouls judged in wheelchair basketball?
I · Intermediate · Play · 3 of 3Each player owns an imaginary cylinder covering the chair and torso, from the hands and footrest to the outer edges of the large wheels. A player who leaves it and contacts an opponent already in theirs is at fault. A defender guards legally by placing the chair across the opponent's path in time, never between the rear wheels.
How it works
- Cylinder: chair and torso, and the air above.
- Front: hands and footrest or bar.
- Sides and back: edges of the large wheels.
- Leaving it: responsible for contact.
- Guarding: chair across the opponent's path.
- Path: as wide as the seat.
- Not allowed: between an opponent's rear wheels.
- Arms: no clearing out or spreading.
The glossary has the cylinder principle, the legal guarding position (wheelchair basketball), the block and charge (wheelchair basketball), the clear-out and spreading, the crossing the path and the time and distance (wheelchair basketball).
Tricky cases
A defender cuts between an attacker's rear wheels. Legal?
No.
The attacker runs into a set defender. Foul?
A charge by the attacker.
Can an attacker push off with an arm to shoot?
No. That is a clear-out.
Who owns the space above the chair?
The player in the cylinder.
Why the rule exists
Chairs collide easily, so the cylinder gives a clear way to judge who caused contact.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cylinder | Chair and torso | 33.1 |
| Guarding | Across the path | 33.3 |
| Charge | Attacker at fault | 33.4 |
From the rule book
IWBF, Official Wheelchair Basketball Rules 2024 (version 2, valid from 3 February 2025), articles 33.1 to 33.4. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IWBF Official Wheelchair Basketball Rules 2024.