New to Water Polo?
Below are some informative links to help players and parents better understand the game and rules of water polo.
Rules of Water Polo - Explained!
Watch this short tutorial video guide on how to play Water Polo under Olympic and FINA rules. Learn about goals, ordinary fouls, major fouls, brutality fouls, penalty shot, swimming, kickouts, and more.
Understanding the Game
In this series we explain the various whistles, foul calls, and rules of the game of water polo. We also cover basic concepts that every player should know before playing their first game.
Referees don't generally speak during a game. They use hand signals and whistles to communicate with players and make calls during a game.
What’s With All the Whistles?
Confused by all the whistles during a water polo game? In this video we explain what they mean. This video is great for beginning or intermediate players as well as water polo parents and spectators to learn the basic rules of the sport. The following concepts are discussed: getting live, putting the ball into play and foul and drop.
EGGBEATER:
THE KEY TO WATER POLO
Eggbeater is the very efficient, hands-free water polo method of treading water. It’s one of the first things new players learn. Water polo is played in deep water. Players never touch the bottom or sides of the pool. Therefore, if a player isn’t swimming, he/she is doing eggbeater.
Learning to eggbeater efficiently is critical for a water polo player to be successful with stability, balance, defense, offense, passing, shooting, and goal-tending.
Things to keep in mind when doing/learning eggbeater:
Be patient when learning eggbeater, it can take weeks to get it right and feel natural.
Eggbeater with a straight back, flexed ankles, flat feet, wide legs and knees up. It will look and feel like sitting in a chair when done correctly.
A wide/triangle base is critical. The wider the legs, the more water the player can contact.
Rotate the legs INWARD - “pull” water in and “push” it back out, alternating legs
Below are two short videos which will provide a helpful visual in addition to the coach’s on-deck teaching.