About
About
Aim of the game
Two teams of seven players face each other in the pool with the objective of throwing the ball into the opposition's goal – the team that scores the most goals wins
Why should you watch this?
Physical, fast-paced and with lots of goals – on average more than 10 per match – the water polo pool will be overflowing with thrills at the Rio 2016 Games
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Egg-beater
A form of treading water that allows a player to maintain a steady position in the pool
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Skip shot
A shot that is aimed at the water and bounces off the surface
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Man-up
When one team has an extra player for 20 seconds because an opponent is excluded for foul play – leaving his team a 'man-down'
Impress your friends
Duration
Matches consist of four periods of eight minutes, with intervals between each. The clock is also stopped every time the ball goes out of play or there is a foul, meaning matches generally last 55-65 minutes in total.
Each team has 30 seconds to complete its attack on the opponent’s goal, after which it loses possession.
If a game finishes in a tie in the knockout rounds, it will go straight to penalty shots
Start
At the start of each period, the two teams line up on their goal-lines at opposite ends of the pool. The referee blows the whistle and the ball is released in the centre of the pool using a special device, at which point the players race to win possession. The clock starts when the ball is first touched.
Not allowed
Fouls are awarded for touching the bottom or side of the pool, sinking the ball underwater or holding or pushing an opponent. A player who commits a serious foul is excluded for 20 seconds – three such fouls by the same player in a game result in exclusion for the rest of the match, although a substitution is allowed.
Teams
Squads consist of 13 players, with seven in the pool at any one time: six outfield players and a goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player who can hold onto the ball with two hands and use his or her fist to punch it away.
Kit
Women play in a swimsuit and men in swimming trunks. The ball weighs 400-450g, although the type used in men’s matches a little larger than that used in women’s.
Nylon caps with ear protectors must be worn throughout the match. They have the player’s number on the side and the country’s acronym on the front. Teams must use caps of contrasting colours – usually blue and white. Goalkeepers always use a red cap.
Playing areas
The red area marks 2m from the goal. An attacking player may only enter this area if they have the ball, or if the ball is already inside.
The yellow line is 5m from the goal and marks the penalty area: if a defender commits a foul inside this area, impeding a probable goal, a penalty throw is awarded to the attacking team.
Stats
Top Medalists
| Men | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HUN
HUN
|
9 | 3 | 3 | 15 | |
|
USA
USA
|
1 | 5 | 3 | 9 | |
|
YUG
YUG
|
3 | 4 | 0 | 7 | |
| Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
usa
USA
|
1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
|
AUS
AUS
|
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
|
ITA
ITA
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
