How big is a water polo pool, and can the players touch the bottom?
Officials' detail · The game · 1 of 1The goal lines are 25 metres apart for men and women, and the whole field of play measures 25.60 by 20 metres. The water must be at least 1.80 metres deep, or 2 metres at the Olympic Games and world championships. Each goal is 3 metres wide with its crossbar 0.90 metres above the water.
How it works
- Length: "The distance between the goal lines shall be 25 metres. This shall apply to men's and women's matches."
- The whole field: 25.60 metres by 20.00 metres. The extra length is the space behind each goal line.
- Depth: "consistently not less than 1.80 metres", and not less than 2.00 metres at the Olympic Games and world championships.
- Water temperature: 25 to 27 degrees Celsius.
- The goals: the inner sides of the posts are 3 metres apart. The underside of the crossbar is 0.90 metres above the water. Limp nets enclose the goal.
- Side markers: marks on both sides show the goal lines, the lines 2 metres and 6 metres from them and the half distance line. A red marker stands at 5 metres, where penalty throws are taken.
- The re-entry areas: a box 2 metres long in each corner on the side away from the official table. Excluded players wait there.
- The flying substitution areas: a strip along the side where the benches are, between each team's goal line and the centre.
- The ball: 400 to 450 grams. Its circumference is 0.68 to 0.71 metres for men and 0.65 to 0.67 metres for women.
The glossary has the field of play, the 6 metre area, the 2 metre area and the exclusion re-entry area.
Tricky cases
Can a player stand on the bottom of the pool?
No. Taking an active part in the game while standing on the floor, walking or jumping from the floor is an ordinary foul. The one exception is the goalkeeper inside their own 6 metre area.
Is the women's pool shorter than the men's?
No. In the rules read for this page, the 25 metres between the goal lines applies to both. The women's ball is smaller.
Can a player push off from the wall or hang on the goal?
No. Holding or pushing off from the goal posts, the sides or the ends of the pool during play is an ordinary foul.
The ball hits the roof. What happens?
The referee restarts with a neutral throw. The rule covers a ball that "strikes or lodges in an overhead obstruction".
Why the rule exists
The depth is what makes the sport. With 1.80 metres or more of water under them, players cannot stand, so every pass, shot and tackle is made while treading water. The lines at 2, 5 and 6 metres are there because the fouls and the throws change with the distance from goal.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Aquatics events | 25 metres between goal lines, depth at least 1.80 metres | WP 1.2; WP 18.1 |
| Olympic Games and world championships | Depth at least 2.00 metres, a roof at least 7 metres above an indoor pool | WP 18.2 |
| Shallow pools | Under 1.50 metres of water, the crossbar is set 2.40 metres from the floor of the pool | WP Appendix 4 (20.4.2.2) |
| Beach water polo | Goal lines 15 metres apart and a field 10 to 12.5 metres wide | WP 19.1.1 |
From the rule book
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Six: Water Polo Rules (in force as from 1 January 2025), Articles 1.1 to 1.3, 8.4, 8.5, 14.1 and 18.1 to 18.3, and Appendix 4. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (PDF).