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.

The rules include elements from wheelchair basketball, ice hockey, handball and rugby union.

The new sport—originally called murderball due to its aggressive, full-contact nature—was designed to allow quadriplegic athletes with a wide range of functional ability levels to play integral offensive and defensive roles.

With the aid of the University of North Dakota's Disabled Student Services, he formed the first American team, the Wallbangers.

In the late 1980s, the name of the sport outside the United States was officially changed from Murderball to Wheelchair Rugby.

Key design features include a front bumper, designed to help strike and hold opposing wheelchairs, and wings, which are positioned in front of the main wheels to make the wheelchair more difficult to stop and hold.

All wheelchairs must be equipped with spoke protectors, to prevent damage to the wheels, and an anti-tip device at the back.

Wheelchair rugby uses a regulation volleyball typically of a 'soft-touch' design, with a slightly textured surface to provide a better grip.

[5] Players use a variety of other personal equipment, such as gloves and applied adhesives to assist with ball handling due to their usually impaired gripping ability, and various forms of strapping to maintain a good seating position.

[6] 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.

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.

The athlete then completes a series of muscle tests designed to evaluate the strength and range of motion of the upper limbs and trunks.

Wheelchair rugby classification is conducted by personnel with medical training, usually physicians, physiotherapists, or occupational therapists.

As of November 2022[update] there are thirty-one active countries playing wheelchair rugby and twenty-six more developing national teams,[7] divided into three zones: The major wheelchair rugby international competitions are Zone Championships, held in each odd-numbered year, and the World Championships held quadrennially in even-numbered years.

Wheelchair rugby is also an included sport in regional events such as the Parapan American Games.

In July 2022, the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama hosted six teams to compete: Japan, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and Great Britain.

[20] The character Jason Street in the NBC television show Friday Night Lights, having been paralyzed in a game of American football in the pilot, tries out for the United States quad rugby team in a later episode.