Section 1: Introduction
1.1 Overview and Governing Body
Water polo is one of the oldest Olympic team sports, with men's competition debuting at the 1900 Paris Games and women's added at the 2000 Sydney Games. Governed by World Aquatics (formerly FINA) under the World Aquatics Water Polo Rules (WP 1–WP 22), the sport is played between two teams of seven players in a pool. Often described as one of the most physically demanding team sports in existence, water polo combines swimming endurance, ball-handling skill, tactical awareness, and physical contact in a continuous aquatic environment.
1.2 History and Olympic Status
Water polo originated in late 19th-century Britain as an aquatic form of rugby. The sport was included in the second modern Olympics (Paris, 1900) and has appeared at every Summer Games since. Women's water polo gained Olympic status a century later at Sydney 2000. Hungary holds the most Olympic gold medals in men's water polo, while the United States has dominated the women's event in recent cycles. The sport is played professionally in leagues across Europe, with Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia maintaining top-tier domestic competitions.
1.3 World Aquatics Structure
World Aquatics, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, oversees all aquatic disciplines including swimming, diving, artistic swimming, open-water swimming, high diving, and water polo. The Water Polo Technical Committee (WPTC) develops and updates the rules, which are revised on a four-year Olympic cycle. Continental federations (LEN for Europe, UANA for the Americas, etc.) administer regional competitions under World Aquatics rules.
Section 6: Scoring
6.1 Valid Goal
A goal is scored when the entire ball passes fully across the goal line between the goalposts and under the crossbar. The ball may be thrown, pushed, or deflected by any part of the body except a clenched fist (field players). The goal is valid if the ball was last legally touched by an attacking player, entered off a deflection from a defending player, or crossed the line directly from a penalty throw.
6.2 Goals from Various Situations
- A goal may be scored from anywhere within the field of play (including by the goalkeeper from their own half)
- A goal may not be scored directly from a free throw outside the 5 m area without the ball first being played by another player or being deflected
- A goal may be scored directly from a free throw taken inside the 5 m area
- Goals may be scored directly from a corner throw without additional touches
- The last field player to legally touch the ball is credited with the goal
6.3 Penalty Throw
- Taken from the 5 m line, directly in front of the goal
- All players except the shooter and the defending goalkeeper must be behind the 5 m line and at least 2 m from the shooter
- Goalkeeper must position on the goal line without moving beyond until the ball leaves the shooter’s hand
- Shooter must throw the ball with a continuous arm motion without faking; any interruption results in a turnover
- If the goalkeeper commits a violation (moving early), the penalty is retaken if the shot is missed
6.4 Winning the Match
The team with the most goals at the end of regulation time wins. If the match is part of a knockout tournament and ends in a tie, overtime periods and then a penalty shootout are used to determine the winner (see Section 5.1).
Section 7: Violations & Penalties
7.1 Ordinary Fouls (Turnovers)
Ordinary fouls result in a free throw to the opposing team. Common ordinary fouls include:
- Impeding or blocking the movement of an opponent who is not holding the ball
- Pushing the ball underwater
- Taking the ball underwater when tackled
- Holding the ball with two hands (field player)
- Wasting time (failing to progress the ball)
- Pushing off an opponent to gain position or momentum
- Standing on or pushing off the bottom of the pool (if depth allows it physically)
- Deliberately splashing water in an opponent’s face
7.2 Exclusion Fouls (20-Second Penalty)
Exclusion fouls result in the offending player being removed from the water for 20 seconds of actual play, or until a goal is scored, or until the excluded player’s team regains possession. The excluded player must leave the water and enter the penalty area immediately.
- Holding, sinking, or pulling back an opponent who is not holding the ball
- Interfering with a free throw, goal throw, or corner throw
- Deliberately impeding the free movement of an opponent during a dead-ball situation
- A goalkeeper going beyond the half-distance line
- Intentional splashing to distract or impede a player taking a throw
- Misconduct (showing disrespect toward officials, using offensive language)
7.3 Accumulation and Ejection
- 3 exclusion fouls: Player is permanently excluded from the remainder of the match; a substitute may enter after 20 seconds
- The ejected player’s team plays short-handed for the 20-second exclusion period of the third foul
- A substitute wearing the ejected player’s cap number enters after the exclusion period ends
7.4 Penalty Fouls
A penalty throw is awarded when an exclusion foul is committed inside the 5 m area by a defending player against an attacker who has possession of the ball and a probable scoring opportunity. Penalty fouls include:
- Pulling back, holding, or sinking an attacker with the ball within the 5 m area who has a probable goal
- A goalkeeper or defender deliberately pulling down the goal to prevent a goal
- A field defender using two hands to block a shot inside the 5 m area
- A defender committing an act of brutality inside the 5 m area during a probable-goal situation
7.5 Brutality
- Red card: Player permanently excluded with no substitution for 4 minutes of actual play
- Team plays one player short for the full 4-minute penalty
- Defined as kicking, striking, or attempting to strike with malicious intent; head-butting
- May be called regardless of whether the ball is in play
- The offending player must leave the competition area entirely (not just the pool)
