Water Polo Skills

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Waterpolo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

The Basic Skills of a Water Polo Player:
There are a number of skills that a water polo player must possess to effectively play the game. A lot of these skills are useful and overlap with other sports and activities, while many of them are specific to just water polo.

Swimming:
A water polo player must have the ability to swim to play the sport. During a game of water polo, players are required to be able to swim from end to end in a pool measuring 30 meters in length many times during the course of a game, and they are not allowed to touch the sides or bottom of the pool. As a result, the players must also have exceptional swimming skills and enough stamina to play an entire game.

Players in waterpolo use specific swimming techniques in order to play the game, called the front crawl stroke. This swimming technique allows for players to peak their head above the surface of the water so that they are able to see the playing field and maintain awareness during the course of a game. The arm stroke used by water polo players is also a lot quicker than usual, a technique done to help keep the ball defended. Also, a backstroke is used mostly by defending players so that they are able to move up into position as they are tracking the ball. This backstroke is different from a traditional backstroke because the player sits upright in the water and rely almost entirely on the motion of their legs to propel them.

Ball Handling:
Players of water polo are only able to use one hand at a time when clutching the ball. Skilled players are able to catch the ball and fire a pass and shot all in one quick motion. Clutching the ball can be quite hard for a younger player, which makes waterpolo a sport for older people or children.

Treading Water:
Treading water generally involves a motion from the legs called an “eggbeater motion”. This is done to keep players in an active position so that they can adjust easily and because they are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool. The eggbeater motion also requires less energy than other forms of treading water and allows players to keep a steady position.

Water Polo Balls

A water polo ball is a piece of equipment that is used in water polo and canoe polo, and can be easily distinguishable by its bright yellow color and the rough texture to make it easy to grip in a wet environment, despite the relatively large size of the ball. Water polo balls come in different sizes, one for men’s water polo and one for women’s water polo. A men’s water polo ball is 28 inches in circumference and a women’s water polo ball is 26.5 inches in diameter. Smaller balls may typically be used for junior water polo games, but are typically green in color.

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Waterpolo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

History of the Water Polo Ball:
The game of water polo first emerged from a 19th century game called rugby football, which was generally played in rivers and popular in England and Scotland. The ball in this sport was about three to four inches in diameter and made out of rubber. Eventually, the sport was called water polo. Soon, equipment in this sport was replaced with a soccer ball, which forced players to swim above water instead of under the surface. Eventually, players began to notice that these soccer balls substituted as water polo balls became heavy and slippery when wet. Eventually, a California water polo coach by the name of James R. Smith developed a new water polo ball designed to be used in the water, non-absorbent, and equipped with a rough texture so that it can be easily gripped.

Modern Water Polo Balls:
Official water polo balls are regulated by the National Federation of State High School Associations Rules Committee and the NCAA. Traditionally, water polo balls are yellow to allow for spectators and players to follow the ball easily, though black, red, blue, and green colored stripes were added to official water polo balls and approved by both the NCAA and NFHS. Mikasa Sports, the company that created the new water polo ball with additional colored stripes has stated that the ball allows for players to keep better track of the ball while allowing them to see spin on the ball as well.

Water Polo Game

The water polo sport is a team-based game played in a pool, requiring the ability to swim to compete. Waterpolo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. Each team competing in water polo are only allowed six substitutions per game. The team that has the most goals at the conclusion of the time limit in a water polo game is declared the winner. Water polo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

Offensive Strategy in the Water Polo Sport:
When a water polo game is started and at the start of each period, both teams line up at their own goal line, three players to each side of the goal, with the goalkeeper starting in goal. When the referee blows the whistle to start the match and/or period, both teams sprint swim to the center of the field, and the ball is dropped into the pool. In many international competitions, the ball is held at the center by a ring and each water polo team races to gain possession of the ball to start the first attack of the game and/or period. When a goal is scored, the team that had the goal against them starts with the ball and play is resumed when one teammate passes the ball backwards from the center.

In water polo sport, the ball is advanced either by swimming while pushing the ball (called dribbling) or passing it to a teammate. This is to get closer to the goal and have a better chance of scoring. In water polo sport, an offensive player is not allowed to push a defender away to free up a passing lane or a shot. If he or she does this, it is ruled a turnover and the ball is given to the defending team.

Advanced Strategies in a Water Polo Game:
The primary goal of players in a water polo game is to set up the ball at the center of the pool by passing to teammates so that a decent shot can be made to score a goal. Passes are done either “wet” or “dry”; meaning that if the pass purposely hits the water and bounces to a teammate, it is a wet pass. A dry pass travels through the air without touching the surface of the water.

Man Up:
Man up occurs in a water polo game when a defender commits an ejection penalty and is ejected from the game for twenty seconds. The team that committed the foul has a disadvantage and is down a player (6 on 5).

Five Meter Penalty:
This occurs in water polo sport when a defender commits a foul within the five meter area near their own goal, preventing a possible goal from occurring. The player with possession is then granted a free penalty shot or throw.
A goal is then scored if the entire ball passes between the goal posts and underneath the top crossbar.