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Water Sports
6–12 players
indoor
ball, cap
10 essential rules
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 seve...
Key Fact: Water Polo balls must be approved by World Aquatics for international competition and have a textured grip coating.
Men's ball: Circumference 68–71 cm (26.8–28 in), weight 400–450 g (14.1–15.9 oz); Women's ball: Circumference 65–67 cm (25.6–26.4 in), weight 350–400 g (12.3–14.1 oz); Waterproof, non-absorbent outer surface with a textured grip coating
Each team wears distinctly colored caps: one team wears white, the other dark blue (or contrasting dark color); Goalkeepers wear red caps, numbered #1 (starting goalkeeper) or #13 (reserve goalkeeper); Field players numbered 2–13 (excluding 1 and 13 for non-goalkeepers)
Width: 3 m (9.84 ft) between the inner edges of the goalposts; Crossbar underside: 0.90 m (2.95 ft) above the water surface when water depth is 1.50 m (4.92 ft) or more; 2.40 m (7.87 ft) from the bottom when depth is less than 1.50 m; Goals may be rigid (anchored to the pool deck or wall) or floa...
Swimwear: Non-transparent, one-piece or two-piece swimsuit (no body suits extending past shoulders or knees); Mouthguards: Recommended but not mandatory under World Aquatics rules; No jewelry, watches, or hard accessories permitted
Men’s field: 30 m × 20 m (98.4 ft × 65.6 ft) for FINA/World Aquatics and Olympic competitions; Women’s field: 25 m × 20 m (82 ft × 65.6 ft) for FINA/World Aquatics and Olympic competitions; Domestic and junior competitions may use shorter fields (minimum 20 m × 10 m)
Played in a regulation water polo pool or defined area within a larger pool.
2 m line (red/red markers): Marks the zone in front of each goal; ordinary fouls by the attacking team inside this area result in a free throw at the 2 m line; 5 m line (yellow markers): Penalty throw line; also defines the zone where exclusion fouls that prevent probable goals are upgraded to pe...
Visible shot clock (30-second countdown) displayed on both sides of the pool; Game clock showing actual playing time per period; Electronic scoreboard visible to teams, officials, and spectators
7 players per team in the water (6 field players + 1 goalkeeper). Roster maximum 13.
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