Water Polo
What is Water Polo?
Water polo is a contact sport played in an all-deep pool. There are 6 field players and one goal keeper on each team. In high school water polo, the home team wears dark color caps, and the visiting team wears light color caps. Goal keepers wear a red cap. A junior varsity game plays 6 minute quarters and a varsity came plays 7 minute quarters. Tournaments will vary in the length of quarters and number of timeouts each team will receive. This is often determined by the host of the tournament.
In water polo there are two different kinds of fouls. A minor foul is one blast of the whistle holding one are out in the direction of the attack. If the minor foul is whisteled against the team with the ball, two blasts of the whistle signals the foul with the same arm position. After a minor foul, the fouled team puts the ball into play by popping the ball into play and making a free (no interference) pass to a teammate. If the fouled player is outsde the 5 meter line, they can pick up the ball and shoot on the goal. This must happen without hesitation.
A major foul is assigned to the player who commits it. It is often called a major foul. A major foul can result in an ejection or exclusion from the field for 20 seconds. This means that this player returns to the corner of the pool by their team bench. The 20 second clock starts when the player is in the corner. The team with the ball will play "man-up" meaning they have 6 players in the field and the defending team plays "man-down" with 5 players until the 20 second penality clock runs out or a goal is scored.
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Why Play Water Polo?
The physical benefits of playing water polo are:
- Toning: players must tread water and swim without touching the bottom of the pool for extended periods of time.
- Stamina: Water polo is a high-paced game where players are treading water or sprinting around the pool.
- Power: Players have to fight against the weight of their opponent pressuring them in close contact while swimming or treading water.
- Works the core: Players need to tread water, pass and catch the ball with one hand, twist and turn directions in the pool quickly.
- Easy on the joints: While water polo is a physical game, it is easier on the joints than dryland sports such as soccer, lacrosse, football, etc.
- Fun: Let's be honest, sometimes swimming laps can get boring. Water polo supports strength and conditioning (cross-trainting) for swimmers and athletes of other sports.
The mental benefits of water polo support teamwork and good communication. Players develop a strong sense of problem-solving skills when learning offensive and defensive strategies. Water polo requires players to think and act quickly.
This information was gathered from swimming.org
Who should play Water Polo?
Good swimming skills are essential to the sport of water polo. Swimming heads up freestyle and performing the eggbeater kick are essential skills in the sport. Ball handling skills such as passing and catching are also important. Regardless of swim speed or knowledge of the sport, players must be willing to put in the grit and determination to improve their own skills and work well with their teammates.