Learning Water Polo Basics
Jul 26th 2023
When you’re looking to embark on a new challenge, especially in the water, it's time to play some water polo. It's known to be one of the most challenging games to play, even by Olympic standards, so you can imagine how rigorous the training for the sport is.
Knowing the rules and basics is crucial to further your understanding of the game and getting started playing it yourself. If you’re looking to know the rules, positions, and techniques needed for the game, you’ve come to the right place. Here is what you should know about water polo:
Knowing the Rules of the Game
Water polo is known to be an extremely difficult sport, even being touted as one of the hardest games that’s currently a part of the Olympics. When you’re looking to master the sport, knowing the rules is the basic foundation which you must build all other knowledge from. A standard water polo course for HS and college is 25 meters long and 20 meters wide, with the average depth being 1.8m. Water polo techniques are crucial here, as staying afloat for the entire game is necessary to play the game at all. If you are planning to play water polo, you will also have to look for pools in your area that meet these dimensions.
There are two teams for a game of water polo, and each team has seven players, including the goalkeeper. The objective of the game is to score a goal in the opposing team’s goal, similar to soccer or hockey. The goal only counts when the ball has fully crossed the goal's netting. A water polo basic you must know is that a game will typically have four quarters, with each quarter lasting six, seven or eight minutes depending on the level of competition.
An ordinary foul means that the opposing team will get a free throw. An exclusion foul leads to a player being ejected for a specific time. However, players can also be interchanged throughout the game.
Water Polo Basics: Positions
Learning about water polo techniques means that you must be aware of each position and what they need to do. There are five positions during the game:
- Defenders: They typically guard against the opponent’s center and try to disrupt any attacks that are made by these opponents. Strength and positioning are water polo basics that these players need to know.
- Center: They are usually in front of the opponent’s goalpost, where they receive passes and score goals.
- Attackers: They position themselves on either side of the pool and excel both offensively and defensively. They generally pass, shoot and provide opportunities for scoring.
- Goalkeeper: Needs to defend the team’s goal. They need to have excellent agility and reflexes to block any incoming shots.
- Utility Players: Versatile players that play a host of roles, according to their team’s strategy. Need to be adept in a combination of water polo techniques, including speed, passing ability, and shooting skills.
Fundamental Swimming Skills
For any person to be great at water polo, the basics of swimming are a must. You need to know fundamental skills that will enhance your water polo playing skills. Having an efficient swimming technique is ideal as players need to get from one end of the pool to another in little time, and speed can determine which team ends up shooting the goal. Knowing the freestyle stroke and eggbeater kick is essential to staying afloat in the water and maintaining balance.
Since players generally utilize the eggbeater kick to stay afloat and tread in the water, they need to maintain and strengthen their leg muscles, even when out of the pool. Strength and interval training are crucial for players to maintain their stamina and form while they’re playing water polo.
Water Polo Techniques
Once you have mastered the water polo basics, you can get started on learning techniques that are specific to water polo. Players should have strong ball handling skills, as knowing how to swim with a ball and shoot with it are critical to winning a game of water polo. Training in techniques such as wrist snap, ball fakes, and even body positioning is necessary when you’re learning ball handling.
Players should also learn different types of passes and which types of passes work best for their position and abilities. “Wet passes” and ”dry passes” are the two types of passes used throughout the game, and practicing these as often as possible is a great exercise for a water polo player.
Training
Even learning the basics of water polo requires a high level of strength and training. If you’re planning on taking up water polo full-time, you have to invest time in conditioning programs that will increase your endurance and strength for the game. Include drills that focus on improving swimming technique without compromising on form. Ball handling, passing and shooting accuracy, and defensive skills are other areas that require consistent training.
Working with coaches is necessary to ensure that you have a solid training program that focuses on increasing your skills without any injuries or overexertion. Studying past game footage is also a good idea to understand how actual games play out and what you can do to improve your own gameplay. It might also be a good idea to engage with other water polo players and discuss tactics and gameplay with them.
Mastering Water Polo
Being mentally tough is not only a crucial skill in life but in the game of water polo as well. Besides learning water polo basics, you need to mentally prepare yourself for physical challenges and the tough competition that awaits you. Learn how to do goal setting and visualization so you can maintain focus and be successful while actually playing.
Water polo is a challenging sport that requires a unique combination of swimming techniques, technical skills, and strategic thinking. Whether you're a beginner or an aspiring water polo player, learning water polo basics is crucial to your overall skill level at playing the game.
