March 6, 2013
When first being introduced to the sport of water polo, the rules and terminology can be overwhelming. After many years of experience with the sport, some details can be forgotten, so its helpful to review water polo basics.
Game Overview
A game of water polo is made up of four seven-minute quarters. At the start of each quarter, each time lines up on the goal line, waiting for the referee to blow the whistle. Once the referee blows the whistle, field players from each team sprint towards the middle of the pool, where the ball has been dropped. The team to take first possession of the ball is the first to be on offense.
Meet the Players
During the game, there are six players and one goalie from each team in the water. The goalies are easily identified by their red caps, whereas field players wear white are dark caps. The field players are made up of different positions, including attacker, center, defender, and utility.
Possession and Field Play
¬The ball is moved across the pool when field players are swimming with or passing it. There are two kinds of passes: wet and dry. A “wet pass” is when the ball is thrown and lands in the water near the player it is thrown to. A “dry pass” is when the ball can be caught out of the water. When a team is on offense and in possession of the ball, there is an active shot clock. The shot clock starts at 35 seconds and counts down the time that the offense has to shoot the ball.
Goal!
There are four different types of shots when attempting a goal: the power shot, sidearm shot, skip shot, and lob shot. A power shot is when the player propels their body out of the water to help them shoot the ball. When a player shoots the ball with a backspin so that it slides across the water and into the goal, they are completing a sidearm shot. The skip shot occurs when the player aims the ball at the water to bounce into the net behind the goalkeeper. When a player arches the shot to pass over the goalkeeper’s hands and into the goal, they are utilizing the lob shot. A goal is scored once the ball has passed the goal line and is in the net. All goals are worth one point, whether it is a penalty shot or not.
Reviewing water polo basics allows spectators to have a better understanding of the game when watching and gives players a fair game.
