4 things to know about wheelchair basketball with national championships on P.E.I.

The Canadian wheelchair basketball championships are in Charlottetown starting Friday morning.

Here's a quick primer.

There is no double dribble in wheelchair basketball

Players are allowed to touch their wheels twice without having the basketball touch the floor. After that they must bounce the ball on the floor in order to touch their wheels again or be called for travelling.

But they can do this as many times as they want. There is no double dribble rule.

Wheelchairs for the sport are often custom-made

As with any sport requiring specialized equipment, wheelchair basketball chairs are usually uniquely adapted to the player, and often custom-made.

"[It's] no different than you would get your unique hockey gear or any other type of gear, your chair is really built to you," said Adam Loo, a member of the P.E.I. Mustangs team.

One player from Ontario will be at a disadvantage for the tournament. Some of his equipment was stolen this week, so he will be playing with borrowed equipment.

Able-bodied players are welcome

Under Canadian rules able-bodied players can compete.

In this tournament, teams are allocated 15 points for players allowed on the floor at any one time, with each player assigned 1 to 4.5 points depending on their level of disability.

All players must abide by rules that say they cannot use their legs or lift themselves out of the seat.

"If you're able-bodied and you join the sport, the first thing you have to get used to is the fact your legs are bound to the chair," said Loo. "We use actual bindings. We're bound to it."

Able-bodied players cannot compete internationally.

In many ways it's like any sport

Wheelchair basketball requires specialized skills for moving around the court and shooting the basketball.

For example, players can tilt their chairs up onto one wheel to give themselves a height advantage.

"It's no different than any sport," said Loo.

"It's all about basic mechanics and learning them, and repetitions."

The championship runs from Friday to Sunday at UPEI. Tickets are available at the door or at the ParaSport and Recreation P.E.I. website.

More P.E.I. news