The 2024 Summer Paralympics Are Here! Inside the Wheelchair Basketball Schedule and Rules

At long last, the 2024 Summer Paralympics are underway! The games officially kicked off on Wednesday, August 28, and will continue to thrill us until Sunday, September 8.

Right from day one, wheelchair basketball hit the court, serving up some of the most electrifying moments of the Paralympics. Eager to catch all the excitement? Keep reading to get the scoop on the rules and schedule so you can stay in the loop!

Wheelchair basketball, especially at the Paralympics, follows a set of rules that ensure fair play and inclusivity for athletes with physical disabilities. Not only do the rules maintain a competitive and fast-paced game, but they also make quite a few necessary adjustments to accommodate the athletes' needs!

For starters, games are played in four quarters, each lasting 10 minutes, with a two-minute break between quarters and a 15-minute halftime break.

Players are also classified based on their physical abilities using a points system, ranging from 1.0 to 4.5 — lower scores indicate more severe impairments. The teams can have a maximum of 14 points on the court at any time.

Dribbling in wheelchair basketball is similar to that in standard basketball: Players must dribble to advance the ball. However, they can only push the wheelchair twice between dribbles; a third push results in a traveling violation. Speaking of, traveling also occurs if a player lifts their butt off the seat while holding the ball.

As for physical contact, some contact is allowed as long as it's within the rules. Personal, technical, or unsportsmanlike conduct fouls will result in free throws, similar to standard basketball.

Points are also scored in the same manner as in standard basketball: Two points for a field goal made from inside the three-point line, three points from beyond the three-point line, and one point for each free throw.

For the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the schedule is as follows:

• Group Stage: This round began on August 29, with teams divided into groups playing each other in a round-robin tournament (this means each team faces every other team in its group once).
• Quarterfinals: After the group stage wraps up on September 2, the top teams will advance to the quarterfinals. The men's quarterfinals are set for September 3, and the women's on September 4.

• Semifinals: The men’s semifinals will be held on September 5, followed by the women's semifinals on September 6.
• Medal Games: The men's bronze and gold medal matches are scheduled for September 7, while the women's medal games will take place on September 8.

Over the years, several wheelchair basketball players have earned stardom for their skills and contributions to the sport. Among them, Patrick Anderson stands out as perhaps the most famous.

A three-time gold medalist, the Canadian athlete is often regarded as the best wheelchair basketball player in the world and one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game.