Five athletes compete on court for one team in Paralympic wheelchair basketball.
The game is played five-a-side, like standard basketball, with two teams trying to score in opposing baskets. Players use sport wheelchairs and must follow rules governing movement, ball handling and contact. A team can include additional substitutes on its bench, but only five players are on the court at one time.
Paralympic wheelchair basketball uses a functional classification system. Each player receives a point value based on movement abilities, and the total classification points of the five players on court must remain within the competition limit. This rule promotes balanced line-ups.
The sport is sometimes mistaken for wheelchair rugby because both involve chair-based team play. Wheelchair basketball uses a conventional basketball and hoop, while wheelchair rugby uses a distinctive volleyball-like ball and a different scoring system.