New York, NY–United Spinal Association’s adaptive wheelchair sports team members will gather at the
Abilities Expo/ NY Metro at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center in Edison, NJ on Saturday, March 29th and Sunday, March 30th to demonstrate the exciting and fast-paced sports of quad rugby and wheelchair football.

The United Spinal Jets quad rugby team will do battle in intra-squad games on Saturday from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, and again on Sunday from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. The United Spinal Giants and Jets will showcase their wheelchair football skills in a game on Sunday from 12 Noon to 1:00 PM.

United Spinal Association athletes will also host a “Kids Clinic” on Saturday afternoon from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM to teach youngsters the basics of other exciting wheelchair sports like handcycling, tennis, and softball. Funding for this clinic is provided to United Spinal Association by the Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation.

Quad rugby is contested in wheelchairs that are built for speed and maneuverability.
Each quad rugby team fields four (4) players, who are classified using a point system based on their functional level. The game is played on a standard basketball court, and a volleyball is used to score points when a player carries the ball over the back line of an eight meter wide goal. The player with the ball must pass or dribble it within 10 seconds, or a turnover is called. Tactics such as “setting a pick” and “checking” are employed to advance the ball up court or to stop an opposing player’s progress. Collisions between players are routine.

Wheelchair football rules are adapted from flag football. There are six players on each team, and the asphalt “field” is 80 yards long and 22 yards wide, with first down marker lines every 15 yards. A team has five downs to move forward 15 yards for a first down. A one hand touch above the waist, including the arm and hand, constitutes a tackle. A touchdown scores six points, and extra points can be scored by running the ball into the end zone for two points, or passing it to a teammate in the end zone for one point. All National Football League penalty rules apply to wheelchair football.

Abilities Expo/NY Metro is dedicated to educating and improving the lives of people with disabilities, senior citizens, their families and caregivers, as well as health care and education professionals. For more information, click here.