Deaf basketball


Deaf basketball is basketball played by deaf people. Sign language is used to communicate whistle blows and communication between players.

National associations

The game played by deaf people is organized with national and international associations including Deaf Basketball Australia, Deaf Basketball UK and United States of America Deaf Basketball.

Players

Deaf basketball has gained great visibility because of athlete like Lance Allred who played basketball with the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers. Allred is Hard of Hearing, with a 75-80% hearing loss wearing a hearing aid. He later on continued to play basketball professionally in the European basketball leagues.
Another high-profile deaf basketball player is the Slovenian professional basketball player Miha Zupan, born with impairment similar to that of Allred, yet plays power forward at highest professional level in Europe.

Deaf International Basketball Federation

The Deaf International Basketball Federation is a world governing body for international deaf basketball with support of International Basketball Federation and in cooperation with Deaflympics and its confederations. In February 2003, it was recognized at the Congress of Comité International des Sports de Surds and its confederations. DIBF also maintains a documented history of the basketball by recording and reporting on all major international contests from the inception of international competitions to the present.