Inclusion
The court is open and accessible to every ability, gender, and background. If you want to play, we'll find you a chair, a coach, and a team.
Toronto · Accessible · Inclusive · Not-for-profit
Three seconds
Three seconds
on the ball.
That's the whole sport in one rule. Catch it, and the clock starts. Wheelchair handball is fast, physical, and inclusive by design — mixed-gender teams, every ability, one court. TAU is making it accessible in Toronto for anyone who wants to play.
About TAU
Proud memberof Handball Ontario, the provincial governing body for the sport.
Built by volunteers, for the community.
TAU started with a simple idea: that great sport belongs to everyone, and the best thing a club can do is open its doors. We're based in Toronto, we're powered by the time and goodwill of volunteers, and we exist to grow a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive wheelchair handball community — one practice, one open session, one new player at a time.
We don't take a profit. What we raise goes straight back into equipment, court time, coaching, travel costs, and the youth programs we believe can change young lives. The name TAU carries an old idea of service to others — that's the spirit we play with.
Proud memberof Handball Ontario, the provincial governing body for the sport.
100%
of proceeds returned to the community
All ages
youth, adults & families welcome
Open
no experience needed to start
Toronto
on the court since day one
The game
Handball, at wheel height.
If you've never seen it: think basketball's pace, water polo's physicality, and a shot clock that runs in your head. The rules follow international indoor handball almost exactly — with a handful of amendments that change everything.
Two teams of four. You score by throwing the ball into a 3-metre goal. You defend by getting your chair in the way. There's a goal area around each net that no attacker may enter with the ball, so shooters launch from the edge of it — which is why so many goals look like someone flinging themselves at a wall of chairs and finding a gap.
Teams are mixed by rule, not by custom. At least one female player has to be on court for her team at all times. Players are also classified by level of impairment, and a team's total classification points on court are capped — so a lineup is a genuine tactical decision, not just a list of your best throwers.
Matches are two ten-minute sets, scored separately, with a five-minute break in between. Every set needs a winner: level at the buzzer means golden goal, next score takes it. And if the teams finish with a set each, a five-minute third set — the tiebreaker — settles the match.
Class 1 · green
Class 2 · yellow
Class 3 · blue
Class 4 · red
4
players per side on court
1+
female player on court for each team, always
2 × 10
minute sets, scored separately, 5-minute break
Golden goal
decides any set that ends level
5 min
tiebreaker set if it's one set each
1.7 m
goal height, on a full-size court
3seconds
The rule that makes the sport what it is. You may hold the ball for three seconds. You may push your chair for three seconds. You may rest the ball on your lap while you push — for three seconds.
Take your hand off the wheel and the next thing has to happen inside three: dribble, pass, or shoot. Nobody stands still, because standing still isn't an option.
You can
- Throw, catch, stop, push or hit the ball with your hands, arms, head and torso.
- Push the chair and dribble, or carry the ball on your lap while you push.
- Use an open hand to play the ball out of an opponent's hand.
- Use your chair to block an opponent in a struggle for position, as long as you're not flying at them.
- Use bent arms to make contact and track an opponent as they move.
- Touch the chair to pick the ball up off the floor.
You can't
- Enter the goal area while you have the ball under control.
- Cross the sideline with the ball — your chair has to stay in the field.
- Pull or hit the ball out of an opponent's hands, or take it off their lap.
- Hold an opponent's chair, body or uniform, even briefly.
- Stop the ball with your chair outside the goal area.
- Rise out of the chair for an advantage — legs are strapped at the thigh and shin.
Where it gets strict
- The chair is part of the player. A non-accidental collision between chairs is a foul like any other body contact.
- Front contact is tolerated. Side and rear contact isn't. Hitting someone who can't see you coming is punished, every time.
- Punishments escalate: yellow card, then two-minute suspension, then disqualification. Driving into an opponent at speed skips straight to two minutes.
- Lifting is a two-minute suspension — and if a goalkeeper lifts while defending, the other team also gets a 7 m throw.
The chair itself
- Manual only. No powered chairs, anywhere in the game.
- Five or six wheels, with anti-tip devices at the back and a hand rim on each drive wheel.
- A protective wing covering the front and sides, so chairs meet padding instead of metal.
- Seat height capped at 63 cm, and every chair is inspected before a tournament starts.
A note on formats: the four-a-side game described here is the IHF format, and the one played at the World Championship you can watch below. The contact and chair rules above are drawn from the IHF's original six-a-side rulebook, which the four-a-side game builds on: IHF Rules of the Game — Wheelchair Handball (PDF).
See it played
Twenty seconds in, you'll get it.
Brazil against France in the bronze medal match at the 3rd IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship, Cairo, September 2024. We've cued it to open play so you land mid-attack rather than mid-anthem.
World stage
IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship · September 16–20. The best four-a-side teams in the world, showing just how fast, skilful, and inclusive this sport can be. Inspired? Come and try it with us.
What we believe
Four ideas that hold the team together.
Short, because they're meant to live on the court — not on a poster.
Community
We're a non-profit. Every dollar returns to the people who make the sport — players, families, and volunteers.
Youth
Sport can change a young life. Our programs prioritize kids and teens finding their place on a team.
Sport
Handball is fast, joyful, and physical. We celebrate the game, the work, and the first goal of a brand-new player.
What we do
Programs for new players, regulars, and the wider community.
Turn up and try it
Drop-in, come-and-try days for new and curious players. No experience needed. Chairs and coaching provided — just turn up.
Skills and confidence
Fitness, ball work, and chair handling for younger players. Families are welcome on the sideline, and we work with schools and youth groups across the GTA.
Demos and scrimmages
Demos, scrimmages, and fundraisers that bring more of Toronto to the court. Want to host one with your school, workplace, or community group? Let's talk.
Coming soon
An open session is on the way.
We're putting the finishing touches on our next come-and-try day in Toronto. Drop us a line and we'll send you the details — date, location, what to bring — as soon as it's set. No spam, just one note when we're ready.
Let me know when
Get in touch
Want to play, help, or learn more?
We'd love to hear from you — whether you're a future player, a parent, a coach, a volunteer, or a partner who wants to back what we do.