What you can't watch without
The rules you will see every few minutes, in the order you meet them. Each opens on its answer.
B · Beginner · 7 rules · Step 1 of 4The game
- How many players are in a water polo team, and what do the cap colours mean?Seven players from each team are in the water, and one of them must be a goalkeeper when the match starts.
- How long is a water polo match?A match is four periods of eight minutes of actual play, 32 minutes in all.
- How long can a water polo team keep the ball before it has to shoot?A men's team has 25 seconds of actual play to shoot at goal, and a women's team has 30.
- How does a water polo period start, and what happens after a goal?Each period starts with both teams lined up on their own goal lines.
- When does a goal count in water polo, and can you score with any part of the body?A goal counts when the entire ball has passed fully over the goal line, between the posts and under the crossbar.
Fouls and cards
- What are the everyday fouls in water polo, and what do they cost?An ordinary foul costs a free throw to the other team and nothing more.
- Why do water polo players keep getting sent to the corner?An exclusion foul sends the player to the re-entry area in the corner and gives the other team a free throw and an extra player.