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Water Polo is a ball game played in water between two teams of seven players, with six reserves. Players throw the ball single-handed to each other, and attempt to reach positions in the pool from which goals can be scored into an opponent’s net. Like many sports, key criteria are speed, endurance, accuracy and team spirit. Although water polo is a physically demanding sport played by both men and women, technical and tactical aspects have grown in significance with the development of the game.
The objective is to win the match by scoring more goals in the opponent’s net than you concede in your own net. The defined match comprises four quarters of 7 minutes each. With the exception of the goalkeeper, all players must remain in the water without touching the bottom of the pool or supporting themselves in any way, and may not hold the ball with both hands or use their fist to direct the ball. The team in possession of the ball must throw at the opposing goal within 35 seconds after they take possession.
Two referees, goal judges, timekeepers and secretaries make up the ten officials controlling a water polo match.
Equipment
Water Polo is played in a swimming pool with coloured markers placed on both sides of the pool to indicate the various play zones.
The ball is waterproof with a circumference of around 70cm for men and 66cm for women, weighing between 400 and 450 grams.
One of the teams wears dark blue caps and the other white caps. The goalkeepers wear red caps for easy identification. All caps are numbered.
History
The first ball games played in water date back to around 1840 and involved players astride barrels pushing a ball towards a goal with paddles. The similarity to polo on horseback gave rise to the name of water polo.
Although games called Water Polo were recorded from around 1840, it was not until around 1870 that the first rules were written and these were refined through to the 1880s, at which time the sport became similar to that played today. Championship competitions are held every four years in the Olympic Games and every two years in the World Cup. |