What is water polo?
Competitive water polo demands intelligence, strength, stamina, skill, and above all, consistent teamwork. The superb quality of Oxford’s academics, athletics, and social life provides an ideal environment for water polo excellence. The modern game originated as a form of rugby football played in rivers and lakes in England and Scotland with a ball constructed of Indian rubber. This “water rugby” came to be called “water polo” based on the English pronunciation of the Balti word for ball, pulu. Water polo is the oldest team sport in the Olympic Games, with the first Olympic water polo game taking place in 1900 in Paris. The Varsity match is an annual game between the ancient Oxford and Cambridge universities, and is the longest running waterpolo fixture in the world, having run since 1891. Women’s water polo became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games after political protests from the Australian women’s team.
Definition – “WATER POLO: a sport combining basketball, rugby, swimming and wrestling…with some of the best conditioned athletes in the world.” Water polo is played with a yellow volleyball-like ball in a pool with six players and a goalie on each team. The object is to put the ball into the opponent’s net, similar to soccer or basketball.
As a team sport that can be enjoyed in a body of water, water polo incorporates some of the elements of competitive swimming, handball and football into one popular pastime. Played with two opposing teams, the purpose of water polo is to score goals against the opposing team. Each successfully completed goal is worth one point. The water polo team is composed of a total of seven members during active games. Six of the members function as water polo players who actively work to score against the other team. The seventh member of the water polo team is the goalkeeper or goalie. In most levels or types of water polo, team members must enter and exit the playing area in front of the area designated as the team bench when a game is in progress. During periods when no play is taking place, players may enter or exit at any location around the field of play. Water polo is divided into four distinct periods. Depending on the level of the game, the length of time for each period will vary.
The aim of water polo is pretty simple – you have to score more goals than the other team. Squads are made up of 13 players with a maximum of seven in the pool at any one time. The goalkeeper, who guards a goal measuring three metres by 90cm, is the only player who is allowed to touch the bottom of the pool. In front of him the team consists of two sets of three players – three guards in defence and two wingers and a centre forward in attack. The key to success is quick passing and dribbling as teams only have 35 seconds in which to shoot after they have gained possession. Holding or pulling people under water, grabbing, pushing, eye-gouging or swimming trunk yanking are very common! To play water polo you need to be very fit, strong and fast at swimming. Even when not involved in play, as you can’t touch the sides or floor of the pool and must tread water.
