What wheelchair is allowed in wheelchair basketball?
Officials' detail · Chairs and classes · 1 of 1The chair has two large rear wheels up to 69 cm across, one or two small front wheels and a hand rim on each large wheel. Brakes, steering and gears are banned. A bar or footrest sits 11 cm off the floor. Seats are at most 63 cm for classes 1.0 to 3.0 and 58 cm above that.
How it works
- Large wheels: two, 69 cm at most.
- Front wheels: one or two.
- Hand rims: one per large wheel.
- Banned: brakes, steering, gears.
- Bar or footrest: 11 cm from the floor.
- Anti-tip castor: within 2 cm of the floor.
- Seat: 63 cm for 1.0 to 3.0; 58 cm for 3.5 to 4.5.
- Backrest pad: at least 1.5 cm thick.
The glossary has the wheelchair specifications, the protective horizontal bar, the anti-tip castor, the seat height, the backrest padding and the wheelchair repair.
Tricky cases
Is the anti-tip castor a wheel?
No.
A chair breaks during play. How long to fix?
50 seconds, or the player is substituted.
Can tyres mark the floor?
No.
How is seat height measured?
With the player out of the chair.
Why the rule exists
Seat limits by class stop the least impaired players gaining extra height. The bar height protects opponents' chairs and legs.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Classes 1.0 to 3.0 | Seat 63 cm | 3.1.5 |
| Classes 3.5 to 4.5 | Seat 58 cm | 3.1.5 |
| Breakdown | 50 seconds | 3.1.11 |
From the rule book
IWBF, Official Wheelchair Basketball Rules 2024 (version 2, valid from 3 February 2025), article 3.1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IWBF Official Wheelchair Basketball Rules 2024.