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Murderball Offers a Slamming Good Time
How quad rugby is changing the world
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If the name ‘Murderball’ doesn’t catch your attention, the image of two wheelchairs smashing into each other certainly will. One of the fastest growing wheelchair sports in the world, quad rugby/wheelchair rugby is a game known for its aggressive nature. This fast-paced game gives a new meaning to the term full-contact sport.
Its players are wheeled warriors. The athleticism and dedication they exhibit rivals that of any professional athlete. All you need is a sturdy tank of a chair and a group of willing guys who love life on the edge, are not afraid to get a little bruised and bloodied, and a flat, smooth surface for 32 minutes of teeth-clenching action.
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| History
Started by three Canadians from Winnipeg, quad rugby was developed solely to provide a sport equivalent to wheelchair basketball for quadriplegics. Most fans and players agree that the game’s place in the world of sports began in 1979 with a regional competition organized by a team in Winnipeg. Later that same year a Canadian team played its first national championship.
In 1981, the sport of quad rugby was introduced in the United States by Brad Mikkelsen. In a collaborative effort by Mikkelsen and the University of North Dakota’s Disabled Student Services, the first U.S. team, the Wallbangers, was formed. Shortly afterwards the name of the game changed from ‘Murderball’ to ‘Quad Rugby’ in an effort to attract more players. Within a year of its introduction, North Dakota and Minnesota matched up in the first official exhibition game to take place in the United States. In 1982, the first international tournament, hosted by University of South Dakota, included teams participating from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Minnesota.
The United States Quad Rugby Association (USQRA) was established in 1988. Due to the sport’s rapid growth on national and international levels, regulation and promotion of the sport became necessary. Now with over 45 teams established in the US and about 20 teams on the international circuit, quad rugby looms as a sport destined to grow even more, continuing break down barriers and topple long-standing stereotypes.
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Who can play?
Players must have a combination of upper and lower-extremity impairment to be eligible for participation, though most teams have an open practice. Most of the players have sustained cervical-level spinal injuries, or quadriplegia, but all players have some degree of impairment in all four limbs.
Players are given a classification number based on one of seven levels that range from 0.5 - 3.5. The 0.5 player has the greatest impairment and is comparable to an incomplete C5 quadriplegic. Of those eligible to participate, the 3.5 player has the least impairment and is similar to a C7-8 incomplete quadriplegic. Both male and females are encouraged to play. Because of the classification process, gender advantages don't exist.
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| Quad Rugby 101
Only four players from each team are allowed on the court at a time. Classifications of the four players on the court must total no more than 8.0 points at one time. The action occurs on a regulation-sized basketball court, with some minor changes.
Players pass a volleyball back and forth while advancing into the opponent's half court and then crossing over the goal line with the ball in one player's possession. While the offense is trying to advance the ball, the defense is trying to take it away and keep the opposing team from scoring. Certain restrictions apply in the key area. One restriction is that only three defensive players are allowed in the key. If a fourth enters, a penalty can be assessed or a goal awarded. Another restriction is that an offensive player can only stay in the key area for ten seconds. Otherwise a turnover will be assessed.
The Basics
§ Matches consist of four, eight-minute periods, with a one-minute break between periods and a five-minute halftime. Each team is awarded four timeouts per game. If overtime is needed due to a tie game at the end of regulation play, then three minutes are added to the clock and each team is given an additional timeout. A game cannot end in a tie.
§ A player has 15 seconds to advance the ball into the opponents’ half-court.
§ The player with the ball has unrestricted pushes but must pass or dribble the ball every 10 seconds or a turnover is awarded.
§ Fouls are assessed and penalties can include awarding a goal, a timed penalty or a turnover.
§ To score a point, a player must cross the goal line with two of four wheels while retaining possession of the ball. |
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| Murderball, the movie
Murderball debuted in the summer of 2005 to outstanding acclaim. Almost a year since its release, it has smashed into the mainstream media, illustrating a fact to the nondisabled community that wheelchair users have known all along: crips are tough. Although it is a documentary, it has a movie-like feel to it. An Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Documentary’ and a television premiere on A&E indicates a significant step toward a realistic portrayal of people with disabilities.
If you’re still unsure of how the game is played, watching the movie will give you a better feel for the sport. In addition to the game itself, the major motion picture also focuses on athletes and their lives, relationships and successful experiences of demolishing unrealistic stereotypes of and negative attitudes toward people with disabilities.
Murderball scored big with movie goers by offering humorous, action-packed, and unbridled excitement on the big screen. If you haven’t seen the movie, rent it. I guarantee it changes ill-conceived perceptions of wheelchair users. And for those who have seen the movie, spread the word and tell others to rent it. It’s worth the few bucks you would otherwise throw away on a value meal. There aren’t too many movies about the Disabled that have had such an impact. Come to think of it, there aren’t any! |
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| Are you obsessed with quad rugby? Then cruise on over to these other sites:
United States Quad Rugby Association
http://www.quadrugby.com
“Smashing stereotypes one hit at a time”
http://www.murderball.quadrugby.com/
Created by Chris Igoe & Mark Zupan
http://www.quadfather.net/
FAQ & tips on how to start a Team of your own
http://www.murderball.quadrugby.com/faqs.html
Photos courtesy of United States Quad Rugby Association |
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