page_title: Wheelchair rugby
section_title: Classification
hierarchical_section_title: Wheelchair rugby / Classification
caption_attribution_description: Classifier examining a wheelchair rugby player
context_page_description: Wheelchair rugby is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport.
  The US name is based on the requirement that all wheelchair rugby players need to have disabilities that include at least some loss of function in at least three limbs. Although most have spinal cord injuries, players may also qualify through multiple amputations, neurological disorders or other medical conditions. Players are assigned a functional level in points, and each team is limited to fielding a team with a total of eight points.
  Wheelchair rugby is played indoors on a hardwood court, and physical contact between wheelchairs is an integral part of the game. The rules include elements from wheelchair basketball, ice hockey, handball and rugby league.
  The sport is governed by the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation which was established in 1993.
context_section_description: To be eligible to play wheelchair rugby, athletes must have some form of disability with a loss of function in both the upper and lower limbs. The majority of wheelchair rugby athletes have spinal cord injuries at the level of their cervical vertebrae.  Other eligible players have multiple amputations, polio, or neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, some forms of muscular dystrophy, or Guillain–Barré syndrome, among other medical conditions.
  Players are classified according to their functional level and assigned a point value ranging from 0.5 (the lowest functional level) to 3.5 (the highest).  The total classification value of all players on the court for a team at one time cannot exceed eight points.
  The classification process begins with an assessment of the athlete's level of disability to determine if the minimum eligibility requirements for wheelchair rugby are met.  These require that an athlete have a neurological disability that involves at least three limbs, or a non-neurological disability that involves all four limbs.  The athlete then completes a series of muscle tests designed to evaluate the strength and range of motion of the upper limbs and trunks.  A classification can then be assigned to the athlete.  Classification frequently includes subsequent observation of the athlete in competition to confirm that physical function in game situations reflects what was observed during muscle testing.
  Athletes are permitted to appeal their classification if they feel they have not been properly evaluated. Athletes can be granted a permanent classification if they demonstrate a stable level of function over a series of classification tests.
  Wheelchair rugby classification is conducted by personnel with medical training, usually physicians, physiotherapists, or occupational therapists.  Classifiers must also be trained in muscle testing and in the details of wheelchair rugby classification.
caption: Wheelchair rugby classifier examining a new player
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