WheelchairGames.org

2021 NVWG ATHLETE GUIDE(Hybrid Edition)

NYC

40th Anniversary

The 2021 National Veterans Wheelchair Games Athlete Guide (Hybrid Edition) serves to

clarify the events and rules for New York City. We are proud to offer a hybrid version

of the 40th National Veterans Wheelchair Games. The Hybrid version offers a

competitive in-person option and an engaging atHome version.

We wish we could have everyone in New York City this year but we have a

responsibility to be part of the solution, to support all efforts , to ending this

pandemic. We hope you will find your NVWG spirit and help us celebrate the 4oth

Anniversary in the hybrid version that fits your comfort level. So , whether we see

you in person or we support you virtually, we look forward to celebrating the 40th

National Veterans Wheelchair Games with you!

Dave Tostenrude Jen Purser

Director, NVWG Senior Associate Director, PVA Sports

Department of Veterans Affairs Paralyzed Veterans of America

2021 NVWG REGISTRATION UPDATE

ALL VETERANS MUST UPDATE THEIR 2021 NVWG REGISTRATION AND EVENT SELECTIONS

Registrations and Updates MUST be completed by APRIL 30, 2021,

Medical Forms must be received no later than June 15, 2021.

REGISTRATION CLARIFICATION

Veterans will attend and participate in the 2021 NVWG based on their CLASSIFICATION

If Veterans or Coaches have difficulty identifying a pre-classification or need

clarification on which Group to attend, please email Kristie Goedhard at:

Kristine.goedhard@va.gov

5-Event Rule is suspended for 2021.

Arrivals and Departure will be support through LaGuardia Airport or Penn Station Only.

Veteran housing and transportation will be limited to their specific event dates.

GROUP ONE AND GROUP TWO PARTICIPATION WILL BE LIMITED TO 150 VETERANS

GROUP ONE: Veterans Classification: 1A, 1B, 1C AND Veterans competing in

Motor Rally and Power Soccer.

Arrival: August 6

Event Dates: August 7-9

Departure: August 10

GROUP TWO: Veteran Classification: II, III, IV, V

Arrival: August 11

Event Dates: August 12-14

Departure: August 15

2021 NVWGatHOME: All veterans registered for the 2021 NVWG, INCLUDING Group One

and Group Two, can compete in the at home competitions during the week of

August 7-14, 2021.

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS: NVWGregistration@pva.org

2021 NVWG EVENT SCHEDULE GROUP ONE

August 6 All Day GROUP ONE ARRIVALS LaGuardia Int’l/Penn Stat.

August 7 9am Disc Golf, Field ALL Riverbank State Park

1pm Disc Golf, Field ALL Riverbank State Park

5pm 40th NVWG OPENING CEREMONIES Virtual

6pm Boccia IA, RAMP Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

Table Tennis IB Hilton—Grand Ballroom

August 8 9am Slalom IB,IA Sheraton-Metro-Ballroom

Table Tennis IC Hilton—Grand Ballroom

9-Ball II,III,IV,V Hilton—Rhinelander

1pm Power Soccer Hilton—Grand Ballroom

Boccia IC Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

6pm Power Soccer Hilton—Grand Ballroom

9-Ball IC Hilton—Rhinelander

Powerlifting Hilton—Grand Ballroom

August 9 8am Motor Rally The High Line

9am Slalom IC Sheraton-Metro-Ballroom

Boccia IB Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

10:30am Table Tennis II,III,IV,V Hilton—Grand Ballroom

1pm WC Rugby Hilton—Grand Ballroom

Motor Slalom Sheraton-Metro-Ballroom

3pm 9-Ball IB Hilton—Rhinelander

Table Tennis IA Hilton—Grand Ballroom

Boccia II,III,IV,V Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

6pm WC Rugby Hilton—Grand Ballroom

9-Ball IA Hilton—Rhinelander

August 10 All Day GROUP ONE DEPARTURES LaGuardia Int’l/ Penn Stat.

August 14 5pm 40th NVWG Closing Ceremonies Virtual

Adaptive Fitness—Available in the Hilton—Grand Ballroom—Drop In

2021 NVWG EVENT SCHEDULE GROUP TWO

August 7 5pm 40th NVWG OPENING CEREMONIES Virtual

August 11 All Day GROUP TWO ARRIVALS LaGuardia Int’l / Penn Stat.

August 12 8am Softball Randall’s Island

Field Randall’s Island

Disc Golf Randall’s Island

1pm Softball Randall’s Island

Field Randall’s Island

Disc Golf Randall’s Island

5pm Powerlifting Rockefeller Center

7pm 9-Ball II,III Hilton—Rhinelander

August 13 8am 9-Ball IV Hilton—Rhinelander

9am Table Tennis II Hilton—Grand Ballroom

Boccia III Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

11am 9-Ball V Hilton—Rhinelander

2pm/6pm Basketball Rucker’s Park

August 14 9am Boccia II Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

Table Tennis IV Hilton—Grand Ballroom

Slalom V Sheraton-Metro-Ballroom

12pm Boccia IV Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

Table Tennis V Hilton—Grand Ballroom

Slalom II,III Sheraton-Metro-Ballroom

5pm 40th NVWG Closing Ceremonies Virtual

6pm Boccia V Hilton—Beekman/Sutton

Table Tennis III Hilton—Grand Ballroom

Slalom IV Sheraton-Metro-Ballroom

August 15 All Day GROUP TWO DEPARTURES LaGuardia Int’l/ Penn Stat.

Adaptive Fitness—Available in the Hilton—Grand Ballroom—Drop In

2021 NVWG - atHOME Edition

August 7 5pm 40th NVWG OPENING CEREMONIES Virtual

August 14 5pm 40th NVWG CLOSING CEREMONIES Virtual

August 15 12pm 2021 NVWGatHOME Awards Ceremony Virtual

All Veterans registered for the 2021 are eligible to compete in the atHOME Edition of

the 2021 National Veterans Wheelchair Games. The NVWG 5-Event rule is waived for

2021.

Veterans will have between, August 7—14, 2021 to submit scores and videos as

required by each event. Specific guidelines for submitting scores will be released prior

to the event.

For those Veterans competing in either Group One or Group Two, you’ll still have to

submit your atHOME scores between August 7 — 18, 2021.

atHOME Edition Events include:

Adaptive Fitness

Adaptive E-Sports

Air Rifle

Bowling

Cycling

Powerlifting

Swimming

Trap Shooting

2021 NVWG - EXPO

August 9 9am—2pm 2021 NVWG EXPO (GROUP ONE) IN PERSON

August 10 10am—6pm 2021 NVWG EXPO VIRTUAL

August 11 4pm—8pm 2021 NVWG EXPO (GROUP TWO) IN PERSON

We are excited to offer a Hybrid event for the 40th NVWG Disabled Sports, Recreation,

and Fitness Expo.

Visit the Expo during the hours listed above to meet with exhibitors from assistive

device manufacturers, adaptive vehicle companies, wheelchair companies,

pharmaceutical companies, medical suppliers, and more!

The virtual option will give you an opportunity to set up 1-to-1 appointments with

exhibitors through Zoom from the comfort of your home.

Please note that all registered athletes in Group One and Group Two are required to

attend the in-person expo on your respective day in order to receive your gift card,

which will be given out in lieu of the normal receptions. Athletes who participate in the

virtual expo will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win one of ten (10) $25 gift

cards that will be given away throughout the day.

2021 NVWG EVENT RULES

AIR RIFLE—atHOME Edition Only. Air Rifle is a precision shooting event which is held at the

Paralympic level. While the NVWGatHome will conduct a 40-shot match, typical matches consist

of 60-shots in 50 minutes. Shooters are given a 15-minute period prior to the match starting to

adjust their position and shoot unlimited sighters. The sighters are used to adjust their sights be-

fore the match and do not count towards their score. Being this is a Paralympic event considera-

tion is given to participants physical limitations to make the sport accessible.

Available adaptations include:

• Spring Stands for SH-2 shooters

• Sip/puff triggers for those with limited hand control

• Shooting tables to allow shooters to compete in Prone matches from a chair.

The Postal Match format will be used for the NVWGs this year, with consideration given to current

social distancing restrictions. Postal Matches are held at the National level and allow participants

to take part in matches while minimizing traveling. The targets are mailed to competitors for the

match and returned for scoring. These matches us the Orion Scoring System, which allows the

targets to be scanned for consistent scoring.

ADAPTIVE ESPORTS—atHOME Edition Only. Is a form of sport competition using video

games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, between

players, individually or as teams. Adaptive Esports considers a person ’s physical, cognitive and/or

psychosocial limitation and modifies the experience to promote maximum participation.

Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Battle Royale shoot-

er where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for

fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier. Master an ever -growing roster of

diverse Legends, deep tactical squad play and bold new innovations that level

up the Battle Royale experience.

THE COMPETITION: Practice sessions are available now! The competition will be conducted as an

Open for those using regular controllers and those using adaptive controllers. Top three places for each earn medals. The tournament begins Aug 7-14, 2021.

2021 NVWG EVENT RULES

ADAPTIVE FITNESS—All VETERANS (GROUP ONE, TWO and atHOME Only). The competition

will be by Division, Gender and Class will be grouped as: II-III, IV-V, IB-IC, 1A. Trophies will be

awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place for each group.

Group One and Two—Your competition will consist of completing a Workout of the Day “WOD” in

New York for a score. Then you will compete in the Powerlifting Event and your max lift will

added to your score for a total.

atHOME Competitors Only—Your competition will consist of completing one preliminary Workout

of the Day “WOD” August 7-9 and a final WOD August 12-14. The combined WOD scores will give

the total score.

BOCCIA—Group One and Two Only. Will be played by Division and Classification.

Competitions will not be broken up by gender. Boccia will be played as individual boccia, one-on-

one. The object of the game is to throw or roll games balls so that they land as close as possible

to a target ball, called the jack. The game begins with a player throwing the white target ball on

the court, followed by the same player playing one of his/her colored balls. The opponent then

throws. The player that is not closest to the jack must then throw until he/she puts a ball closer to

the jack. When all the game balls have been thrown, a referee determines the points awarded to

the individual. The closest player receives the number of points equal to the number of balls

closer to the jack than the opponent’s closest ball. Players have four minutes to throw all their

balls in a single game. Ramp players have six minutes to play all their balls. Game time will be

strictly enforced in all games.

Each game will have four “ends” or rounds with a fifth if a tiebreaker is required. The player with

the most points after will advance to the next round. The game can also be adapted to allow

players with functional limitations to use chutes and ramps to place their game balls into play.

Ramps will be available. Players can use their own ramps if authorized by the Boccia Head

Official.

BOWLING—atHOME Only. American Wheelchair Bowling rules will be followed. Winners will be

determined by counting the total pins attained in three complete games. Averages and handicaps

will not be taken into account. Handle and stick bowling will be allowed for Classes IA, IB, and IC.

Ramp bowlers who have been classified as ramp bowlers by the NVWG Classifiers. Ramp bowlers

will be divided into two categories hand controls and head/mouth controls.

Competition will be by type of bowling (Manual, Stick, Handle, Ramp—head/mouth/ hand control),

Class, Division and Gender.

2021 NVWG EVENT RULES

CYCLING—atHOME Only. During the week of August 1-5, 2021, Veterans will compete for the

number of miles logged during that time period. Verification of the miles must be made by providing

results of distance using a bike computer of preferred app, I.E. Fitbit, Garmin, Strava, etc.

Competition will be by Gender, Division and combined classes (II-III; IV-V, IC, IB and IA).

DISC GOLF—Group One and Two Only. Veterans will not be assigned for specific times, the

venue will be opened for a specific period of time and the Veteran can attend within that time.

Veterans will compete by combined groups (II,III,IV,V) and (IA,IB,IC). Each group will compete as

Open regardless of Class, Division and Gender. Trophies will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd

place winners. Equipment will be provided. Personal equipment may be allowed, but must be in-

spected and authorized by the event Head Official.

FIELD—Group One and Two Only. Veterans will not be assigned specific times and will need to

attend within that period to their own accord. For classes IB—V, field events include javelin,

shotput and discuss. Class IA throws the Discuss and Club. These events are performed from a

stationary, stabilized position. All equipment will be provided. No personal throwing implements will

be permitted. Competitors may use their personal throwing chairs, if desired. The official women’s

javelin is used. The Discus weighs one Kilogram (2lb,3 1/4 oz). Class IB men and women use the

two kilo shot, Class IC men and IC-V women use the three kilo shot, and class II-V men use the

four kilo shot. Medals are awarded by Class, Division and Gender.

MOTOR RALLY—Group One Only. The Motor Rally is designed for people using motorized

wheelchairs or scooters. This is not a timed event. At the starting point, the participant will receive

a map, a set of instructions, answer/score sheet and volunteer escort. No personal escorts

allowed. Veterans will answer questions at a series of 10 stops (worth points) and receive a playing

card at five checkpoints. All checkpoints must be completed. Based on the score of the question

and value of the poker hand formed by the playing card received, winners will be awarded. Ties are

broken by a tiebreaker question and/or best poker hand. Specific point values and course info will

be provided at the start of the event.

The use of electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc., is not allowed. Medals are

awarded by Division.

2021 NVWG EVENT RULES

POWERLIFTING—All VETERANS (GROUP ONE, TWO and atHOME Only). Veterans will

conduct three lifts, the final score is the amount of weight of their largest lift.

IA, IB, and IC Veterans will compete in Class, Division and Gender.

The Class I Division “High Para” will consist of athletes classified as Class II and III.

The Class II Division “Low Para/Amputee” will consist of athletes classified as Class IV and V.

Athletes in the Class I and Class II Divisions will compete by Class, Division, bodyweight and Gen-

der.

Medals will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place for each weight, Class, Division and Gender

within each Group One, Group Two and the atHOME Competitors.

The lift will be completed using the Powerlifting lift defined by the IPC Powerlifting Rules. Competi-

tors will begin their lift at height and then lower the bar to the chest in a fully controlled manner

without heaving of bouncing the bar while visibly stopping on the chest and then press it upwards

again. There must be a visible break in the lowering motion and the raising movement when the

bar touches the chest of the competitor. Once the competitors arms are locked out and the bar is

firmly under controlled, then the competitor can “rack” the bar. Assistance to rack the bar is

permitted.

atHOME Competitors Only—Competition will be the same. A scorecard will be provided. The ath-

lete and their coach are gym representative will sign off on your weight and three lifts.

POWER SOCCER—(GROUP ONE Only). Power Soccer combines the skill of the athlete with the

speed and power of the chair to create an extremely challenging game similar to soccer and foot-

ball. The game is played on a regulation size basketball court with two teams of four players who

attack, defend and maneuver an oversized soccer ball in an attempt to score goals. The bottom of

the ball can rise no more than 50cm above the floor.

The tournament for 2021 will be determined once the number of players registered for Power

Soccer is identified.

All competitors must bring their own motorized wheelchairs. No scooters allowed—only motorized

four-wheeler chairs accepted. Wheelchair guards and game ball will be provided. Personal

equipment will be allowed after inspection and approval by the event Head Official. There is a

maximum speed of 6.2 mph during play. All powerchairs will be tested over a 50ft course where

they go faster than 5.5 seconds. It is the responsibility of each athlete to ensure compliance with

this aspect of the rule.

Medals will be given to the First, Second and Third place teams.

2021 NVWG EVENT RULES

SOFTBALL—(GROUP TWO Only). All softball competitors need to report 1 hour prior to the pub-

lished start time of the first game. If a competitor does not show up by the published start time of

the first game, they will forfeit their spot for the rest of the tournament and it will be given to the

next Veteran on the Stand-By List.

Softball is played on a hard surface. Teams are made by a draw system to choose players in each

classification to form teams. Team size will be limited to 15 players (8 teams). All team members

must bat and remain in the batting rotation for the entire game. All team members must also take

the field for a minimum of one inning. Batters come to bat with a one-ball, one-strike count. Height

of pitches: 6ft-10ft. Run ahead rules: 12 after 4 innings/10 after 5 innings.

All competitors must bring their own wheelchairs. Not scooters or motorized chairs will be allowed.

Medals—Awarded to first, second and third place teams.

SLALOM—(GROUP ONE and GROUP TWO Only). Slalom competition is a test of agility,

strength, skill and speed. The event is held on an exhibition hall floor or other smooth surface and

is defined by cones around which the athlete must maneuver the chair both forward and back-

ward. In addition, obstacles of different sizes are added and may include ramps, platforms,

slopes, hurdles, textured surfaces, etc. Missing any of the gates results in disqualifications. Each

cone struck or assistance given to prevent falls will result in a time penalty.

Motor Slalom—Motorized slalom will follow the same rules as above. Athletes will be divided into

three categories: hand, head(chin) and mouth controls.

Scooters and motor/power assist wheelchairs are not approved for slalom competition.

Medals will be awarded by Class, Division and Gender. Motor Slalom will further be awarded by

Hand Control, Head(chin) Control and Mouth Control.

SWIMMING—(atHOME Only). All swimming events start in the water. No bodysuits, assisted

devices or buoyant foot protection are allowed. Socks and mesh water shoes are acceptable. For

2021, the swimming events will be:

Class IA,IB and IC Veterans:

25 Yard—Backstroke, Freestyle and Breaststroke.

Class II, III, IV and V Veterans:

50 Yard— Backstroke, Freestyle and Breaststroke

100 Yard—Freestyle

200 Yard—Freestyle

Competitors will submit video and verification of the time by August 14, 2021.

2021 NVWG EVENT RULES

TABLE TENNIS—(GROUP ONE and GROUP TWO Only). Class IA,IB and IC are permitted to

secure the paddle to their hand by tape or a brace. All competition is governed by the United States

Table Tennis Association rules, with modifications as necessary to accommodate wheelchair move-

ment.

For 2021, the tournament will include a double-elimination system. Competition will be best three of

five games. An 11-point scoring system will be used. No white shirts are allowed during the compe-

tition.

Veterans are allowed to bring their own paddles and are subject to inspection and authorization by

the event Head Official.

Medals will be awarded by Class, Division and Gender.

TRAP SHOOTING—(atHOME Only). Competitors will be provided a scorecard and must be

certified by a range official after completion of the competition. Each shooter must shoot 50

targets for the base score. They then will shoot and another 50 score to determine tie breakers

and place. Winning ties will be given duplicate awards.

Basic Amateur Trapshooting Association Rules will apply. All competitors must utilize a wheel-

chair for competition and both feet must be placed on the wheelchair footrests.

Shooting must occur between August 7-14 and submitted no later than August 14. Medals will be

awarded by Class, Division and Gender.

WC RUGBY—(GROUP ONE Only). Wheelchair Rugby is a unique, competitive sport for individu-

als with a disability that impacts (4) limbs. It is played on a basketball-sized court by four-member

teams using a WC rugby ball. The objective is to carry the ball across the opponent’s goal line.

Shot clock will be enforced.

Players are classified according to the WSQRA Classification System as 0,0.5,1.0,1.5,2.0,2.5, 3.0

and 3.5. Men, age 45 and older will have their classification reduced by 1/2 point. Women Classes

are a 1/2 point less than their functional test. Each class has a point value and teams are bal-

anced by limiting the number of points allowed on the court. Teams will be limited to 10 players.

The WC Rugby tournament at the NVWG for 2021 will be determined after registration closes the

number of competitors are determined.

Medals will be given to the First, Second and Third place teams.

2021 NVWG EVENT RULES

9-BALL—(GROUP ONE and GROUP TWO Only). Nine Ball is a game of rotation, where the

object is to pocket the balls in numerical order. The winner of each match will be determined by

winning two out of three games. All games will be subject to a 10-minute time limit. At the end

of 10-min, if the game is not concluded, the Veteran that has legally hit the most balls in is

declared the winner of that game.

Nine ball is played with numbered balls one through nine and a cue ball. On each shot, the cue

ball must first contact the lowest numbered ball on the table. Neither shots nor pockets need to be

called. The plyer who pockets the nine ball on a legal shot wins the game.

Breaks: The first break is determined by flip of a coin. The winner of the flip is the first breaker

and he/she must contact the one ball when breaking and either pocket a ball or drive at least four

balls to the rail, without pocketing cue ball to achieve a legal break. If the terms of a legal break

are not met or the cue ball is pocketed, the incoming player has the cue ball in hand anywhere on

the table. If the breaker completes a legal break and makes a ball while breaking, he or she will

shoot again a the lowest numbered ball on the table and continue to shoot until missing, fouling,

or winning the game.

Fouls: All fouls carry the ball-inhand penalty anywhere on the table. Fouls can only be called and

must be called before another shot is executed. Fouls can only be called by the plyer himself/

herself or by his/her opponent, no outside assistance is allowed. All the following are considered

fouls:

Cue ball goes in the pocket or off the table.

Any object ball jumped off the table.

Primary contact with a ball other than the object ball.

During a shot, if the object ball is not pocketed and no balls are driven to the rail after

contact with the object ball.

Pushes or double hits with object ball and split hits (when you hit the object ball and an-

other ball at the same time).

Equipment: Pool cue sticks will be provided. Participants may use their own equipment but is sub-

ject to inspection and approval by the event Head Official. All players must use their own adaptive

equipment. All players must remain in their wheelchairs while shooting and feet may not touch the

floor.

Medals will be awarded by Class, Division and Gender.