Waterpolo Rules
The following rules below are just a summary and are hopefully written
in plain English! Use the link
above to read the full FINA rules. Information shown in bold represents changes
made at the start of the
2005/06 season.FINA Website - http://www.fina.org
GENERAL
- 13 players in each team. 7 players
per team in the water at anyone time.
- Played
over 8 minute (actual play) quarters.
- Players are only allowed the
use of one hand (except for the goalkeeper)
- Players are not allowed to stand
on the bottom of the pool. In shallow pools standing is permitted at
the refereeís discretion, but no advantage should be gain by anyone player
over another.
- A player can only be tackled
when they have hold of the ball.
- The ball is not allowed to go
under the water when tackled.
(A) FIELD OF PLAY
- Should be 30m long and 20m wide
and have deep water throughout.
- Most pools have one deep end
goal and one shallow end goal instead and are 25m long by the width of
the pool.
- Markings provided on the side
of the pool indicate the 2m and 5m and represent that following
- Red = 2m (off side and corner
throw line)
- Yellow
= 5m (penalty and foul line)
- White = Centre of pool
(B) THE BALL
- Size 4 = Ladies and Junior ball
- Size 5 = Mens ball
- Predominantly yellow but now
in a range of alternatives.
(C) CAPS AND TRUNKS
- Traditionally blue (away) or
white (home), with the goalkeepers wearing red. However other colours
can be used.
- Hats are number 1 to 13, with
1 being the Goalkeeper and have ear protectors.
- A player is not allowed to change
cap number during a game except with the permission of the referee and
notification of the scoring table.
(D) TRUNKS
- Usually, normal costumes are
worn as a 1st layer then rubbers (specialist waterpolo costumes)
on top and possibly a ‘box' in between for men.
(E) TEAMS AND SUBSTITUES
- There are 7 players per team,
including the goalkeeper.
- The total squad for a game can
have a maximum of 13 players.
- Unlimited substitutions take
place throughout the game.
- Teams change ends at the end
of each quarter (or half in an all deep pool).
- If a change is made during play,
the re-entry area must be used and the incoming player must not enter
the pool until the exiting player is completely out of the water or in
the lane-roped substitution area(if the pool
has one set up). Get out anywhere else during play and you will be ìdressing
roomedî!
(F) REFEREES, TIMEKEEPERS AND TABLE SECRETARIES
- Normally games require two referees
(one at each side of the pool) and 2 no timekeepers (game time and shot
clock) and 1 no secretary (records game events) to run the table.
A referees decision is final. Any ìchat
backî will result in an exclusion
foul for disrespect. Referees use a whistle and a number of hand signals to communicate
their decisions. A full list is given in the FINA rules but make sure you know
the basics which are;
-
- Free
throw ordinary foul ñ short whistle and hand point in the direction
of play to indicate who has possession
- Exclusion
foul ñ one short whistle and finger pointed at the offending player,
followed by the hat number represented by appropriate digits on the
hands.
- Penalty ñ one
short whistle and hand with fingers splayed moved downwards.
- Corner
- one short whistle and two fingers moved towards side of pool from
which the corner throw should be taken.
(G) DURATION
- Four
periods or ìquartersî of 8 minutes actual play (clock is stopped when play stops).
- Two minute interval between periods
Normally a ìshot clockî is used requiring the attacking team to
have a shot on goal within 30 seconds of taking control of the ball. This clock
is reset to 30 seconds if ;
-
- a shot
is taken and rebounds back to the attacking side or is put out by the
goalkeeper.
- an exclusion
foul is given against the defending team.
- the attacking
side lose control of the ball.
- A ìshot clockî is only practical
when there are at least 3 table officials present. IF less than 3 then
time keeping and event recording take president.
(H) START OF PLAY
- Before start, captains toss coin
to choose the starting end.
- At the start of each period,
players take up positions on their respective goal lines, with only 2
players within the goal mouth.
- The whistle commences play and
the ball is released by the referee at the half way mark.
(I) TIMEOUTS
- Each team is allowed two 1 minute
timeouts per game, with a third only allowed if extra time is played.
- Timeouts should only be called
by the Coach or Captain and when their team has possession.
During a timeout players must stay in their own halves. On the referees first whistle players can take up any position in
the field of play.
- Play is restarted on the second
whistle by the team in possession at the half way.
(J) GOAL-SCORING
- The whole ball must cross the
goal line!
- You cannot score directly from a free throw unless it
is an immediate shot from outside the 5m mark (yellow marker).
(K) RESTARTING AFTER A GOAL
- After goals all players return
to their respective halves and the team who conceded the goal ‘kick-off'
from the half way on the referees whistle.
(L) CORNERS
- Awarded only when the ball is deflected or put out by the goalie
or put out (not deflected) by a defender.
- Taken on the 2m line (red marker) on the side nearest to which the
ball crossed the goal line, as indicated by the referee.
(M) NEUTRAL THROWS
- Usually awarded if;
- At the start of the period the
ball has fallen in a position to the definite advantage of one team.
- When the referee cannot tell
which team should be awarded the foul
- At neutral throws, one player
of each team attempts to gain control of the ball thrown in by the referee.
(N) FREE THROWS
- Awarded for an ordinary foul
or exclusion foul or goal throw.
- Must be taken from where the
foul was committed or just behind.
- You
cannot score directly from a free throw unless it is an immediate shot
from behind 5m (yellow marker). Otherwise the ball must be passed
at least once before a shot can be taken.
- Free throws can be taken to yourself. If so, the free throw should
be taken in a manner to enable players to observe the ball leaving your hand.
- If a free throw is not taken without undue delay then the possession
will be reversed.
(O) ORDINARY FOULS
- Awarded as a free throw for the
following simple definitions;
- Holding/pushing off goal posts.
- Standing (to gain an unfair
advantage in shallow pools over an opponent).
- Pushing ball under water when
being tackled
- Using two hands or blocking
with two hands.
- Being within the defending teams 2m area and receiving a pass (AKA
offside).
- To impede or otherwise prevent the free movement of an opponent
who
is not holding the ball.
- To push or push off from an opponent who is not holding the ball.
- Timewasting.
- Ball leaves field of play.
- Shot clock is run down.
- Instead
of awarding a foul advantage may be played by the referee.
(P) EXCLUSION FOULS OR ìMAJOR FOULSî
- Awarded as a free throw.
- Majors awarded for the following
reasons
- Interfering with taking of the
free throw/corner
- Intentionally splashing opponent
- Hold, sink or pull back opponent
not holding the ball
- Kicking and hitting opponents (brutality)
- Misconduct, foul language, violent
or persistent foul play
- If committed, the referee will
blow the whistle once while pointing at the offending player, then blow it again while indicating with his hand the
direction of the re-entry area and the number of the offending player.
- Whilst swimming to the re-entry
area, the player must not interfere with play.
- Players move to the re-entry
corner and sit on the poolside until instructed to return to the water.
- The excluded player is permitted
to re-enter after the earliest occurrence of one of the following;
- When 20 seconds of actual play
has elapsed
- When a goal is scored
- When the excluded players team
has retaken possession of the ball
- When the excluded players team
is awarded a free throw/goal throw
- Do not push/jump off the wall
when re-entering
- The substitution of the offending
player is permitted where the new player enters the water in place of
the offending player once instructed to do so.
(Q) ‘ROLLED' OR ìDRESSING ROOMEDî OR ìWRAPPED UPî
- Awarded if the following happens
(a red flag will be shown from the table)
- Player has accumulated 3 majors
- Committed a serious major foul,
such as brutality, leaving the field of play in the wrong place or
continual misconduct.
- In this case, player is sent
off the poolside for the rest of the game(a substitution can take place,
but not if player has been sent out for brutality)
(R) PENALTIES
- Awarded
as a penalty on the 5m line (yellow marker) for the following reasons;
- When defender commits a foul
where goal would have probably resulted.
- When goalkeeper or defending
player takes the ball under water when tackled within the 5m area
- When excluded player re-enters
improperly.
- Penalty taken in one movement
towards the goal on the referees whistle.
- All players must be outside 5m
area and at last 2m from penalty taker.
(S) TACKLING
- If a player has the ball in his
hands the defender is entitled to try and get the ball.
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