Adapted by Jim, loosely based on http://www.usawaterpolo.org/resources/understanding-the-game.html and https://m.wikihow.com/Understand-the-Rules-of-Water-Polo. There is another longer article Learn the Rules.
Foul Strategy
You will often see an offender who is under attack briefly let go of the ball and get awarded a free throw. This is an “impeding” foul for blocking a player for the brief moment they are not holding the ball.
A player cannot pass to another player of his own team inside of the 2-meter “red” zone, zone, since one of the two will be without the ball. This is the water polo version of “off-sides.”
A defender can get possession of the ball just by pushing their opponents arm underwater; if the ball goes under too, it’s theirs!
When a major foul is committed, the attacking team is awarded a free pass and the defending team must temporally play a player down. The defender must swim to the nearest corner and stay for anywhere between 0 and 20 seconds. If a player is excluded three times in the game, they must be substituted, and can not play for the rest of the game.
Fouls
Fouls in water polo are common and do not usually stop the game.
Minor Fouls, or, “What’s that whistle?”
A player who gets a minor foul gets possession of the ball and can pass to a teammate without interference, or if they are outside of the 5-meter (yellow) zone, score directly. The throw can be blocked after the ball leaves the player’s hands.
Top Ten:
- blocking a player who is not holding the ball (“impeding”).
- Holding the ball underwater so that the opponent cannot play it (“ball under”).
- Touching the ball with two hands, or the fist (does not apply to goalkeeper inside of the 5-meter line).
- Sending the ball out of the field of play
- Being in the 2-meter “red” zone without the ball.
- Failing to take a shot within 30 seconds (letting the shot clock expire)
- Delaying too long before taking a free throw, or just wasting 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).
- Walking on or pushing off the bottom or sides of the pool (does not apply to the goalkeeper inside of the 5-meter line).
- For the goaltender to go past the center line.
Major Fouls
Major Fouls – Simple Exclusion
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 interference with a free throw or for kicking or striking.
Major Fouls – Exclusion and Substitution
The exclusion with substitution is reserved for violence or disrespect. The offender cannot return to play for the rest of the game.
Major Fouls – Exclusion and Suspension
The brutality foul is when the offending player demonstrates obvious intent to injure another player. As a result of this foul: (1) the offending player is removed from that game and (at least) the next; (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.
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 is inappropriate, the referees can issue yellow or red cards. The yellow card is given to 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.
Fun Fact
The word “polo” is an Anglo-Indian noun from Balti, the Tibetan language of the Indus valley, where they call a ball “pulu.” England imported horse polo, an ancient game in Southeast Asia, in 1871, and the “pulu” transferred over to water polo which was developed during the same general time.