Wheelchair Softball Australia (WSA), at this stage has no classification rules or player eligibility in place for tournaments. This is largely due to wheelchair softball being a very new disability sport in Australia. With the emphasis being on player participation and growth of the sport, WSA feel that classification is not needed at this time.

 

However, all state and national selected representative team players will be subject to being classified based on the same criteria used by Paralympics Australia for classification of wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. This is what is used by the National Wheelchair Softball Association (NWSA) in all states, national and international wheelchair softball competitions and tournaments. The current wheelchair softball total points per team fielded (10 players) is 28 points.

 

The WSA invites qualified men, women, and juniors to compete in the adult division of wheelchair softball.  All competitors, regardless of gender or age, must receive a functional classification point assignment and classification certification to compete in representative teams

1. There is no women's only representative team at this time due to player availability.

2. To be eligible for play in the representative teams, a player shall have:

  i.  A permanent physical disability which consistently reduces the function of the lower limbs to a degree where they cannot run, pivot or jump at speed and with the control safety, stability, and endurance required to play running softball or basketball as an able-bodied player

  ii.  A disability that must be of a nature that it can be objectively verified by acknowledged medical and/or paramedical                                  investigations such as measurement, X-ray, CT, MRI, etc.

  iii. Including, but not limited to hip or knee joint replacements, and have provided confirmation of the relevant surgery from                           their attending physician or surgeon, and supporting X-rays/scans

  iv. In the instance of amputation, at minimum total removal of the first ray of one foot

  v. In the instance of a leg length discrepancy, a minimum of a 6 cm difference in leg length as measured from the greater trochanter to the ground, as is verified by standing X-ray or confirmed by a measurement taken by independent Classifier, except that the 6 cm minimum shall not apply to junior players

  vi. Findings such as soft tissue contracture, edema or disuse atrophy, or symptoms such as pain or numbness without other objective findings shall not be considered a permanent lower extremity disability.  Degrees of pain and/or numbness are not considered measurable and permanent disabilities within the meaning of Article 1, Section 1 of the NWSA Policies & Procedure

 

3. To be eligible to participate in any representative competitions, a player who does not have a lower extremity impairment, which can be established by observation alone, will need to apply for consideration of their eligibility to the NWSA under section 1.2 of these policies and procedures.  Completed applications should be forwarded to Head Classifier for Review by the Classification Committee for determination.

4. An otherwise able-bodied player with a temporary disability is not considered eligible.

5. A player deemed eligible to play by an Independent classifier, NWSA Head Classifier, Classification Panel, or the Classification Committee shall be eligible to participate in representative wheelchair softball game

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The full information on international wheelchair softball classification can be read here: NWSA Classification