Paris 2024 Paralympics: Para sports vocabulary

With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games competitions opening in exactly one week's time, Olympics.com brings you a glossary of the various essential words you need to know in each of the 22 Para sports on the Paralympic programme.

Tilt. A Va'a. Callers. Spotters. A kumikata. The key. Backspin lob. These few specific words from the Paralympic vocabulary will become familiar over the next few days, as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games get underway.

An overview, Para sport by Para sport, of the words you need to know to live the Paralympic experience to the full.

Wheelchair basketball

Travel

To progress with the ball, the player may not perform more than two wheel pushes while holding the ball on his thighs. Otherwise, he «travels ». A player who receives the ball at a standstill can therefore make a pass, attempt a shot, make a pivot and a push, make two pushes or make two pivots.

Tilt

The action of standing on one wheel while lifting the other to make oneself taller, particularly for shooting, impeding the shooter or recovering a rebound.

Boccia

Jack

The main target ball (white) which the game is played to. Players have to get as close as possible to it to score points.

Lob a ball

An aerial shot played to move a target ball by attacking over a ball.

Pyramid

The ball rises above the opponent's balls and above the Jack and stays there. If the ball touches the Jack and the opponent's ball touches the Jack as well, both players can score points in the same round.

KON or knock on

A shot in which the player pushes own ball closer into a target area e.g. Jack ball or scoring space.

KOFF or knock off

A shot in which the player pushes opposition ball away from the specific target.

INOFF or ricochet

A shot played to rebound off a ball into a scoring zone.

Ramps

The equipment used by BC3 athletes to propel the ball onto court. The main qualities of a ramp are its stability, its ease of use for the assistant and the efficiency of its gradient.

Pins or pointers (assistive devices)

Pins (or pointers) are used by BC3 athletes to trigger their shot: pushing or releasing the ball into the ramp. Three types are available: head (unicorn), hand/wrist or mouth (according to the rules of the game). You need to adapt your pin to your ability to reach all areas of the ramp.

Box

The area of the court a player sits to take their shots. With two colored sides - one blue, the other red - to enable the referee to indicate which player should play the next move.

Blind football

Voy

When moving towards the ball carrier, the blind defender must signal his arrival by shouting “Voy”, which means “I'm going” in Spanish. In Blind football, players rely solely on sound, so spectators must remain silent.

Wheelchair fencing

Weapons

Foil, sword or saber. All have a flexible steel blade with a knob at the front end (except the saber) and tang at the rear end (included in the handle when the weapon is mounted).

Fencing wheelchair

Custom-made, it is an essential element of performance. The side grip on which the fencer stands “replaces” the action of the legs. It also makes it more effective to lunge towards the opponent with a thrust, as well as to withdraw into a defensive position or return to guard.

Straps

In addition, straps can be added to optimize the shooter's movements on the chair (lower limbs) and/or improve the weapon's grip (for quadriplegics).

Goalball

Collective foul

A collective foul occurs when the ball does not cross the halfway line within 10 seconds, or when the coach makes a mistake in the call (penalized by a penalty where only one player instead of three can defend against the shooter).

Captain

The player in the center acts as captain. Slightly advanced, he's the best defender. He doesn't shoot much, so as not to tire himself out. This player is often not replaced, as he structures the team's play.

Sound ball

To help Goalball players find their bearings in space, a sound ball containing bells is used. It has a circumference of 76 cm and weighs 1,250 g.

String

To make it easier to find your bearings in space, all the lines except the goal lines are fitted with a string under the adhesive tape. This gives relief to the line and helps players to mark out the playing areas.

Para athletics

Racing chairs

Chair weights vary from 8 to 10 kg and lengths from 170 to 185 cm. In track events, athletes can reach speeds of up to 36 km/h. Today, for performance, athletes mostly choose lenticular carbon wheels. Athletes use hard or soft gloves, often handcrafted, and a helmet.

Throwing chairs

For certain disability classes, throwing chairs fixed to the ground are necessary for practice.

Tether and mask

Blind runners also need special equipment: eye patches to be placed under opaque glasses and a guiding tether to put all athletes on the same level, whatever their visual impairment.

Prostheses

These consist of a socket and a carbon blade.

Para rowing

Head of stroke

In crewed boats, the athlete furthest back in the direction of travel assumes the role of stroke leader.He is responsible for setting the pace for all crew members, especially during the crucial start and final sprint phases.

Floats

Compulsory for PR1 rowers, but optional for other categories.

Strap

A trunk strap is mandatory for the safety of PR1 rowers and must be attached to both sides of the backrest. If there are two straps, they must be positioned in the same direction for faster opening.

Para badminton

Pushing the wheelchair

Even when pushing the chair, the racket must remain in your hand. It's a technique that takes time to master effectively.

Half-court

In categories WH1 and WH2, the game is played in a wheelchair. In this case, the playing surface is limited to a half-court for singles (13.4 x 6.1 m in size), excluding the front and back areas when serving. In the SL3 category, players are limited in their ability to move around. In singles play, the playing surface is limited to half a court, including the side alley (except when serving).

Para canoë

Va'a

It's a pirogue based on a simple paddle propulsion system. It has a float, which acts both as a support and a brake. You need to use it efficiently, with one aim: to keep it out of the water throughout the gliding phase.

Cushioning

These include inserts for amputees, molded shells for paraplegics and custom-made seats and footrests. Interior adaptations are not standardized as in other disciplines, but they are validated by the classifiers and can no longer be changed without authorization during the season.

Para cycling

Handbike

The cyclist uses upper limb strength to operate the pedals. The bike is a three-wheeled, hand-powered machine with chainrings, derailleurs, cranks and brakes adapted to the rider's functional abilities.

Tricycle

A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle that may have to be adapted to meet specific disability requirements. Double braking on the rear wheels is required for tricycles.

Pilot

The visually impaired cyclist rides in tandem with a guide, called a pilot, positioned in front of him or her.

Para equestrian

Stop and backwards walking

Among the most difficult figures to perform in Para dressage are the stop (three stops: one at the entrance, one in the middle of the program, one at the end of the program) and the backwards walking.

Callers

Callers stand outside the arena and call out the letters that the rider is passing or heading towards.

Para judo

Golden score

If both fighters are tied after 4 minutes, a golden score is contested. The first fighter to score (ippon, waza-ari, shido or hansoku-make) wins.

Stickers

The combat area must be correctly delimited. Two different-colored stickers enable visually impaired judokas to reach their positions when the fight is interrupted. Blind judokas are also guided to their positions by their guides.

Kumikata

This is a standardized grip with one hand on the opponent's sleeve and the other on the backhand. It is performed at the start of each bout or sequence.

Para swimming

Assistant

Visually impaired swimmers can be helped by an assistant. He or she uses a pole with a foam block at the end to touch the swimmer's bonnet, to warn him or her of the approach of the wall at the time of the turns and the finish of the race. Assistants can also help swimmers into and out of the water.

Pole

Equipped with a foam tip to touch the swimmer's cap, it enables assistants to warn the visually impaired athlete of the approaching wall during turns and at the finish.

Opaque goggles

All visually impaired swimmers are fitted with opaque goggles to ensure perfect equality at the start of the event.

Para powerlifting

Spotters

When the referee calls “Start”, the athlete lowers the bar to chest level. He must then pause to prevent the bar from bouncing back. The bar must be raised without any gap between the two arms (no “staircase” raising) and must never come back down. At the end of the movement, with elbows locked, the bar must be controlled until the referee signals “Rack”. The athlete can then place the bar back on its supports, assisted by the two spotters (who intervene in case of danger to the athlete).

Bench press

A specific bench is required for bench presses, which is longer and wider than the bench used for bench presses by able-bodied athletes. This allows the athlete to lie down completely, strapping his or her legs in place, and therefore being more stable. The bench is 2.10 m long, 61 cm wide and 30.5 cm wide at head level. Its height is between 48 and 50 cm.

Para taekwondo

Hogu

Translated into English, hogu means chest or chest protector. It’s a protective armor for the trunk that must be aimed at to score points with kicks (direct or spinning). Points are counted by electronic sensors located in the hogu and in the foot protectors.

Para table tennis

Backspin lob

This is a technical stroke, specific to Para table tennis. Class 1 and 2 players use this up-and-under shot. The player raises the ball very high with a slice effect. It falls just behind the net and returns to the player's court without the opponent having touched it. Difficult to execute, but decisive.

Orthesis

It is permitted to adapt the grip of the racket. Players with gripping difficulties can use an orthosis to fix the racket to their hand or use a strap if they cannot hold the handle on their own.

Para archery

Compound bow

In addition to the classical bow, there is also a category using compound bows. In this case, archers use a bow fitted with a scope, visor and pulleys to limit the force required to maintain the bow's tension. To tension the bow, athletes need a release that can be held in the hand, attached to a shell or a belt at shoulder level to accommodate their handicap. Shooting takes place standing or seated, at a distance of 50 meters, on a target whose diameter is reduced to 80 cm to leave only the 10 to 5-point zones.

Play-off arrow

In an individual match, this is played if the two archers are still tied at the end of the sets.

Para shooting sport

Shelf

Allows the athletes to rest their elbows in a lying or reclining position.

Para triathlon

Transition zones

There are two decisive stages in a Para triathlon race: the first occurs between the Para swimming and the Para cycling and the second between the Para cycling and the Para running. The rules also allow triathletes in categories PT1 and PT2 to benefit from human assistance during transitions, to help them move around, get dressed, put on a prosthesis or get into their sports equipment, for example.

Wheelchair rugby

Key

Within the restricted area - known as the “key” (8m × 1.75m) - only three defenders may enter, and attackers may not stay inside for more than 10 seconds.

Shocks

Shocks between chairs are part of the game, which is why they have a rigid frame, two anti-tilt wheels and a reinforced bumper.

Time-outs

Each team has 4 30-second time-outs during the match, which can be called by players at any time and are an essential tactical tool. Coaches also have 2 60-second time-outs that can be called during stoppage times.

Wheelchair tennis

Reversed backhand

This is a technical shot that only exists in Wheelchair tennis. It consists of returning the ball with a backhand, but with a forehand grip. In this way, the player retains power, even when caught off guard.

Second bounce

Permitted in Wheelchair tennis, the second rebound can be either inside or outside the court. The opponent must hit the ball before the third bounce.

Sitting volleyball

Net

Set at 1.15 m for men and 1.05 m for women. It is 80 cm wide.

Zones

The court is divided into two zones: a 2 m front zone and a 3 m rear zone. The pitch is 6 m wide.