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Rules of Water Polo Summary
Water polo is a team sport played in deep water where two squads of seven players (six field players and one goalkeeper) attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing net.
Players are not permitted to touch the pool bottom, possess the ball with two hands.
The Basics
- Team Size: Each team suits up a roster of usually 13 players, with only seven in the water at any time.
- Duration: Games consist of four periods (quarters), typically lasting 8 minutes each. The clock pauses whenever the ball is not in active play.
- Movement & Positioning: Players must constantly tread water—often utilizing the ‘eggbeater kick’ to remain elevated. Touching the bottom of the pool or resting on the sides is prohibited.
- Scoring: A goal is awarded when the entire ball crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. It can be scored with any part of the body, except for a clenched fist.
Field & Equipment
- Pool: The pool depth must be at least 1.8 meters (roughly 6 feet), preventing anyone from standing.
- Markings: Pool boundaries are color-coded. The red line is 2 meters from the goal (attackers cannot enter unless they have the ball), and the yellow line is 5 meters out.
Key Rules
- The 30-Second Shot Clock: Similar to basketball, the attacking team has 30 seconds to take a shot. If they fail to do so, possession is turned over to the defending team.
- One-Hand Rule: Field players can only hold or control the ball with one hand. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to use two hands.
Fouls
2 referees (ideally) control the game primarily by blowing their whistles to award throws or ejections:
- Ordinary (Minor) Fouls: The most common fouls. They occur during routine defending, such as impeding a player without the ball or hitting the ball with a clenched fist. The offended team is awarded a free throw, but cannot shoot directly at the goal unless the foul happens beyond the 5-meter mark.
- Exclusion Fouls (Major Fouls): These involve illegal physical contact like intentionally sinking, pulling back, or splashing an opponent in the face. The offending player is sent to a penalty box for 20 seconds, forcing their team to play ‘man-down’ (a 6-on-5 advantage for the offense).
- Penalty Fouls: Awarded if a major foul is committed inside the 5-meter area to prevent a ‘probable goal’ (e.g., tackling an attacker with a clear shot). This results in an undefended penalty throw from the 5-meter line.
