Wheelchair Softball

A little history

Wheelchair softball was born in the Midwest by individuals with spinal cord injuries and lower extremity impairments, who still wanted to enjoy America’s greatest pastime. Thus was born a new game played on hard surfaces, instead of a grassy infield, and a 16-inch softball, which allows wheelchair players to keep one hand one the wheelchair while catching a softball without a glove.

In 1976, the National Wheelchair Softball Association (NWSA) was founded and serves as the governing body for wheelchair softball in the United States and around the world. The game is played under the official rules of the 16-inch slow-pitch softball as approved by the Amateur Softball Association of America with some rule modifications that are made for the wheelchair user.

Today, NWSA governs over 40 teams in the United States. Several teams have sought and found allegiance and sponsorship with their Major League Baseball (MLB) team, including our Ability360 Wheelchair Diamondbacks.

Wheelchair Softball Team