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Insurance

General Liability Insurance

In order for General Liability Insurance to be valid, current USAWP club-organized activities must be supervised by a USAWP certified coach with a current USAWP coach membership and necessary requirements. In addition, in order for this policy to be active, all participants (athletes, coaches, referees) must also be current USAWP members.

Underwritten by Aspen Specialty Insurance Company

What insurance coverage comes with my USAWP Club Membership?

All USAWP Club practices are covered with USAWP General Liability Insurance
Per Occurrence Limit: $1,000,000
General Aggregate Limit: $2,000,000
Products-Completed Operations: $1,000,000
Personal Injury Limit: $1,000,000
Excess Liability: $2,000,000
Damage to Premises Rented to You Limit: $300,000
Medical Expense Limit: $5,000 (Excluding Participants)

Separate from the GL policy, USAWP Member clubs also have coverage for Abuse and Molestation - $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate

* In order for these policies to be active, ALL athletes, coaches, individuals participating in supervised club practices and sanctioned events must be current USAWP members. Roster program is also available to ensure event participants are all active members.

Secondary Accident Coverage

Summary of Coverage
Underwritten by Zurich American Insurance Company

Current USA Water Polo athletes, coaches, and referees are covered with secondary accident insurance policy. A secondary policy may cover what primary insurance policy does not cover.

What insurance coverage comes with my USA Water Polo Membership?

Accident Medical Expense: $75,000
Dental Benefit Amount $5,000
Physical Therapy Benefit Amount: 30 visits (per accident)
Durable Medical Equipment: Included
Accidental Death and Dismemberment $25,000
Deductible: $500

Note: This is a secondary accident policy. If other insurance exists, you must submit your claim to your primary carrier first. The listed coverage does not reflect the full scope of coverage available. Please inquire for more information.

How do I file an injury claim?
To obtain an electronic claim form, please contact insurance@usawaterpolo.org. Please note: Claim forms must be completed by the Event Organizer, Coach or person of supervisory capacity over the practice or event. Upon e-signing the document it will be sent back to insurance@usawaterpolo.org. After verifying membership, USAWP will then submit the claim to the insurance company for you. You will be notified by the insurance company within 30 days of filing

How long do I have to file a claim/seek treatment?
Consult must be conducted within 30 days of injury in order to file a claim. Each member has a 52 week benefit policy from date of injury, if consult was conducted within 30 days. Claim must be submitted within 30 days of date of injury or as soon as practical.

Is there a deductible to file a claim?
Yes, there is a $500 deductible per claim.

Is travel to and from sanctioned practices and events covered with my USAWP General Liability Insurance or Secondary Accident Insurance?
No, only activity in and around the pool facility as it relates to practice/training is covered.

More Questions?
Contact the USA Water Polo National Office
USA Water Polo
6 Morgan, Suite 150
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: (714) 500-5445
Fax: (714) 500-5052
insurance@usawaterpolo.org

Sanctioned Events Liability

All approved USAWP sanctioned events are covered with USAWP General Liability Insurance. Sanctioned events are defined as more than two teams competing. A scrimmage with two teams is covered under the club practice coverage. In order for this policy to be active, all participants (athletes, coaches, referees) must be current USAWP members, unless approved beforehand.

Below is a list of questions pertaining to Event Sanctions. For the entire Event Sanction Terms & Conditions, click here.For Open Water Event Sanction Terms & Conditions, click here.

Who is providing this policy?
The GL and Excess insurance policy is provided by Aspen Specialty & Allied World. The secondary accident coverage is provided by Zurich American

Why do I need to sanction an event?
The General Liability Insurance policy that comes with USAWP Club Membership only covers club practices. Any events other than club practices are not covered under your USA Water Polo General Liability Club Insurance.

What events need to be sanctioned?
Any water polo competition your USAWP Club is hosting other than a regular practice.

Do I need to sanction a practice scrimmage?
Practice scrimmages with two teams or less are covered with your club membership insurance policy. Any practice scrimmages with three or more teams need additional insurance (Event Sanction).

What is required to sanction an event?
You must have a current USAWP Club membership. You need to either fill out a Sanction Application or you can submit an event sanction online, through a club administrator. You can mail your applications to the National office; 6 Morgan, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92618.

How can I submit an Event Sanction Request?
If your club would like to sanction an event there are two ways to submit a sanction application...

1) The club administrator can log in to his/her personal USAWP Membership account and fill out an event sanction request by looking within the "Club Admin Area" tab on the left column and clicking on the "Event Sanction" option.

* If you are not sure of who the club administrator(s) are for your club, contact the National office by phone (714) 500-5445 or by email membership@usawaterpolo.org.

2) Download an Event Sanction Application or an Open Water Event Sanction Application, fill out and mail to the National Office.

Can a single event sanction cover multiple dates?
Yes, as long as the event dates are relating to the same event, and all dates are included on the sanction application. Example: A league that spans over the course of three weekends where results continue to accumulate until the final competition weekend. Tournaments should consist of no more than a 7-day span and Camps/Clinics/Leagues should not exceed 12 weeks in duration unless previously approved by USA Water Polo.

What if an International team wants to participate?
International teams are allowed to participate, but are not covered under USAWP Insurance.

Please visit the International Insurance section below

Is there a fee to sanction events?
Yes, if you sanction a pool based event...
90+ days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $35
60-89 days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $65
30-59 days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $100
8-29 days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $125
7 or less days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $150

If you sanction and Open Water event...
90+ days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $85
60-89 days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $115
30-59 days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $150
8-29 days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $175
7 or less days before the start of the event, the sanction costs $200
Note: Fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

In order for this policy to be active, all clubs, athletes, coaches and referees participating in the event must be currently registered with USAWP. Please visit the Event Sanction Terms & Conditions or Open Water Event Sanction Terms & Conditions for requirements regarding USAWP sanctions.

How do I show proof my event has been sanctioned?
You can request a copy of your insurance certificate on the sanction application. You can also request copies to be sent to your zone chair and other organizations that require a copy of your insurance certificate.

Request Certificate of Insurance

To request a certificate of insurance for your club, a verified club administrator must first login to the USA Water Polo membership database and request club insurance online. Once logged in, the club admin will need to expand the "My Club" section located on the left-hand side of the screen under Club Administration. Once the options appear, please select "Request Club Insurance". Be sure to enter all pool sites and any additional insured information required by your facility. Scroll to the bottom and select the Request button to send the request directly to the insurance company.

Upon submission, you will receive a confirmation email of your request. Certificates are trypically processed in 2-4 business days.

Optional Insurance Plans

Our insurance broker, Buckner, has put together a few packages of additional, optional insurance plans to help you run your club. Please see the information and applications below. You can reach out to Buckner directly at ngb-apps@buckner.com with any questions.

NGB Small Package Info – Brief summary of small business commercial coverages including Business Personal Property, Inland Marine, and Auto
NGB Small Package Application – to be filled by individual clubs and sent to ngb-apps@buckner.com for discounted individual policies (pricing dependent on coverages needed)
NGB D&O Information Doc – Brief summary of D&O insurance including what is D&O & why clubs need coverage
Directors and Officers Liability Coverage Application – to be filled by individual clubs and sent to ngb-apps@buckner.com for discounted individual policies ($600 unless more underwriting is required)

Hosting an International Team

International teams, confirmed through their host federation, are allowed to participate in USA Water Polo practices and sanctioned events, but are not covered under the USAWP Insurance policy.

We require the following items from the visiting/International team:

International Team Participation Waiver form (below) prior to entering the water for a practice, training, or game.
A letter from the host federation, confirming the team is in good membership status with their host federation.
A certificate of insurance naming USA Water Polo as additional insured
It is also recommended they provide a certificate of insurance naming your club as additional insured.
International Team Waiver

Insurance Quick Links

COVID-19 Insurance Q&A Doc

Insurance Informative Brochure

USAWP Playing Rules

Spectator Guide - Coming soon!

Coach Manual

Parent Handbook

Zone Governance

Understanding the Game

Field of Play

A standard (championship) course is 30m x 20m for men and 25m x 20m for women. The depth should be at least 1.8m. Despite these regulations, many non-standard (smaller) courses are in use throughout the USA.

The field of play is segmented into zones marked by colored markings along the side of the pool:

Goal line - white
A goal counts only when the ball goes completely across the goal line and into the goal (close does not count); the ball is out of bounds if it goes completely across the goal line and not into the goal
2-meter line - red
No offensive player is allowed to swim inside of the 2-meter line unless he/she has possession of the ball
5-meter line - yellow
If a defensive player commits a foul inside of the 5-meter line, which prevents a "probable goal," the defensive player is charged with a penalty (personal) foul and the opposing team is awarded a penalty throw (a "5-meter"). If an offensive player is fouled outside of the 5-meter line, the offensive player may pick up the ball and take an immediate shot at the opponent's goal (i.e., two players do not have to touch the ball before a goal can be scored)
Center line - white
Mid-pool: After each goal is scored, play is re-started at mid-pool; the goalkeepers are not permitted to go across the mid-pool line.

Players

Each team must have seven players (six field players and one goalkeeper) in the water when the game starts. Normally, the home (or higher seeded) team wears white (or light colored) caps, starts the game to the left of the scoring table, and is on the left (or upper) portion of the scoreboard. The visiting (or lower seeded) team wears blue (or dark colored) caps, starts the game to the right of the scoring table, and is on the right (or lower) portion of the scoreboard. The goalkeepers wear red caps with earguards and numbers to match those of their teammates. Either team may substitute players freely after a goal is scored, during a time-out, or between periods. During actual play, substitutions must occur through the team's re-entry area (the corner of the pool in front of the team's bench).

Fouls

The referees whistle two different kinds of fouls: minor (ordinary) fouls and major (personal) fouls. There is no limit to the number of minor fouls a player may commit. In contrast, once a player has committed three major fouls, that player must leave the game and may not return.

Minor Fouls

The referee normally signals a minor foul with one blast of the whistle and holding one arm out straight in the direction of the attack. If the minor foul is whistled against the team with the ball, the referee normally signals this with two blasts of the whistle but the arm signal is the same. After a minor foul, a member of the fouled team puts the ball into play by taking a free throw. If the foul is committed outside the 5m line, the player may take the free throw as a "direct shot" at the goal.

The most common minor foul is impeding the free movement of a player who is not holding the ball. This is a standard defensive tactic and the majority of the whistles that lead to free throws are for impeding. Other (less common) minor fouls are whistled for:

Delaying too long before taking a free throw
To waste time (most often when a team elects not to shoot the ball and instead throws the ball to a vacant part of the pool and swims away without trying to retain possession)
Holding the ball underwater so that the opponent cannot play it
Touching the ball with two hands (does not apply to goalkeeper inside of the 5-meter line)
Walking on or pushing off the bottom of the pool (does not apply to the goalkeeper inside of the 5-meter line)
Tipping the ball out of the field of play
Failing to take a shot within 30 seconds (letting the shot clock expire)
For the goaltender to go past the center line

Major Fouls

A major foul is assigned to the player who commits it. Thus, a major foul is often referred to as a personal foul. Some major fouls result in the player being excluded for 20s, some for the entire game with a substitute allowed back in after 20s, some for the entire game with a substitute allowed back in after four minutes, and some with a penalty throw awarded to the opposing team. The referee normally signals an exclusion in this manner: (1) two short then one long blast of the whistle; (2) pointing at the excluded player then moving the arm towards the re-entry area; then (3) putting up one or both hands and signaling the number of the excluded player. For exclusion with substitution, the referee makes a circular motion with both hands. For a brutality foul, the referee crosses his/her forearms with the hands in a fist. The referee signals a penalty foul in this manner: (1) two or three blasts of the whistle; (2) the number 5 held up with the right arm; then (3) putting up one or both hands and signaling the number of the offending player.

Major Fouls - Exclusion for 20s

The most common major exclusion foul is holding, sinking, or pulling back a player who is not holding the ball. Other (less common) exclusion fouls are whistled for interference with a free throw or for kicking or striking.

Major Fouls - Exclusion for 20s and Substitution

The exclusion with substitution is reserved for serious infractions. Generally, this kind of a foul is assessed either for violence or disrespect. Although there are other situations where this can be the result, they are very rare.

Major Fouls - Brutality

The brutality foul requires that the offending player demonstrate obvious intent to injure another player. This is much more serious than mere violence. As a result of this foul: (1) the offending player is removed from that game and (at least) the next game; (2) that team may not substitute for that player for four minutes of game time; and (3) the offended team is awarded a penalty throw. Brutality occurs very rarely.

Major Fouls - Penalty Fouls

A penalty foul is awarded when a player commits any kind of a foul in the penalty area (inside the 5m line) that, in the opinion of the referee, prevented a probable goal. This is most commonly awarded in situations where the attacker turns or gets inside the defenders and is fouled from behind.

Conduct Fouls

When the behavior of participants not in the water (players, Coaches', or any other team personnel) is inappropriate, the referees can issue yellow or red cards. The yellow card is reserved only for the head coach and is a warning that the behavior of someone (including the head coach) on the bench is inappropriate. The red card is awarded when the behavior is bad enough that the referee must order that person to leave the bench. Someone who receives the red card may not have any visual, verbal, or electronic communication with any member of the team for the remainder of that game and all (including the pre-game warm-ups) of the next game.

5 Ways

USOC 5 Ways