Adaptive Sports: Explore the Guides and Find Your Way In

Wheelchair fencers compete in chairs fastened to the floor.

Every adaptive sport we've covered is on this page, from wheelchair basketball and para swimming to boccia, goalball and sitting volleyball. Each guide covers the rules, classification and how to start playing. If you'd like the background first, start with our guide, What are adaptive sports?

Start with our guides

New to adaptive sport? Begin with our introduction to adaptive sports, which covers what these sports are, who they are for, and the benefits of taking part.

Looking for a specific sport? Go straight to the deep guides:

Wheelchair basketball: the complete guide to one of the world's most popular adaptive sports, plus a detailed breakdown of the rules drawn from the IWBF rulebook.
Para swimming: inside the original Paralympic sport, including how classification works in the pool.
Frame running: the adaptive athletics discipline making its Paralympic debut at LA28.
Cerebral palsy sport: the sports, classifications, and organisations for athletes with cerebral palsy.
Adaptive sports for autism: how sport can be shaped around sensory and social needs, and where to start.
Sitting volleyball: the fast Paralympic net game played seated on the floor.
Boccia: the Paralympic precision ball sport.
Goalball: the Paralympic team sport for athletes with vision impairment, played by sound.
Para table tennis: how the game is adapted for standing and wheelchair players.
Hyrox Adaptive: all 13 divisions and the rules for each.

Ready to take part?

Beginner programs generally provide the equipment, and you don't need to be classified to try a session. Two guides do the practical legwork:

Adaptive sports associations: how the global governing bodies connect to the local clubs and sessions where participation actually happens, including the national organisations for Australia, the US, and the UK.
Getting started in adaptive sport: the full guide's practical sections cover who to contact and what your first steps look like.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Where should I start on this page?

A. If you are new to adaptive sport, read the complete guide first. If you already know which sport interests you, go straight to its guide above; each covers rules, classification, and how to take part.

Q. How do I find adaptive sports near me?

A. Start with your national body, which exists to connect you to local clubs and programs. Our adaptive sports associations guide lists the organisations for Australia, the US, and the UK and walks through the process. In Victoria, Disability Sport & Recreation is the State Sport and Recreation Body for people with disability.

Q. Are adaptive sports suitable for children?

A. Yes. Many clubs run junior sessions, and sports such as frame running and swimming welcome young beginners. Check each sport guide for age and entry-level detail, and ask local clubs about taster sessions.

Browse our latest adaptive sports articles below.

A wheelchair tennis player in a sports chair reaches for a backhand on a red hard court.

Wheelchair Tennis Rules, Divisions and How to Start Playing

A look at wheelchair tennis, from the two-bounce rule and the Open and Quad divisions to its history since 1976 and how to start playing on any local court.

Sitting Volleyball: The Fast, Fierce Paralympic Game Anyone Can Play

Discover sitting volleyball, including the rules, VS1 and VS2 classification, its Dutch origins and why it's one of the most inclusive team sports anywhere.

What Is Boccia? Inside the Paralympic Sport of Pure Precision

Discover boccia, the Paralympic precision sport built for athletes with high support needs, including how it's played, BC1 to BC4 classification and where to start.

Hyrox Adaptive: All 13 Divisions and the Rules for Each

Hyrox Adaptive has 13 divisions for athletes with permanent impairments. See who each one is for, how the stations change and how Adaptive racers reach the World Championships.

A goalball player throws the ball along the court towards the opposing goal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

What Is Goalball? Inside the Paralympic Sport Played in Total Silence

A look at goalball, from how the Paralympic sport for players with vision impairment works to the B1, B2 and B3 classes, its history and where to play in Australia.

Adaptive Fitness Technology: What Works Now, and What the AI Boom Is Missing

Adaptive fitness technology is moving fast, but not evenly. See why wearables misread wheelchair training and what genuinely works today.

Para Table Tennis: An Adaptive Sport for All Abilities

Discover para table tennis: how TT1–TT11 classification works, the rules and equipment, its Paralympic history, and how to find a club and start playing.

Wheelchair Basketball Rules in Depth: What the Rulebook Actually Says

Go deeper into wheelchair basketball rules: push counts, clock violations, legal chairs, fouls and player eligibility, drawn from the IWBF rulebook.

A swimmer with an amputation racing freestyle in a competition pool.

What Is Para Swimming? Inside the Original Paralympic Sport

Discover Para swimming, the original Paralympic sport, including how racing works, the S1 to S14 classification system and how to get in the water.

Frame Running: The Adaptive Sport Making Its Paralympic Debut at LA28

Frame Running lets people with balance impairments run independently, and it debuts at the LA28 Paralympics. How the sport works and how to get started.

Cerebral Palsy Sport: Empowering Lives Through Adaptive Sport

How people with cerebral palsy take part in sport, from frame running and swimming to football, plus the benefits, inclusive coaching and the organisations that help you start.

Wheelchair Basketball: Inclusive Sport for Everyone

A look at wheelchair basketball, from how the game works and the 1.0 to 4.5 classification system to its history, Australia's Rollers and Gliders and how to start playing.