To be eligible to play wheelchair rugby individuals must have a disability which affects both the arms and the legs.  They must also be physically capable of propelling a manual wheelchair with their arms.  Athletes with neurological disabilities must have at least three limbs with limited functions; athletes with non-neurological disabilities must have limited function in all four limbs.

The majority of Wheelchair Rugby players have spinal cord injuries which have resulted in full or partial paralysis of the legs and partial paralysis of the arms. Other disability groups who are represented include polio, cerebral palsy, some forms of muscular dystrophy, dysmelia, amputations, and other neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

Men and women are classified equally and compete on the same teams; i.e. there are not separate teams for men and women’s competitions. Since 2008 each team is allowed an extra 0.5 points on court for each female player.