Water polo

   About

   Women's water polo was one of the new events at the Sydney 2000 Games, adding another dimension to a game long ranked among the most demanding. Prohibited from touching the bottom or side of the pool through four seven-minute quarters, water polo players swim up to five kilometres in a game. They require the technique and endurance of a champion swimmer, plus a football player's finesse in passing, dribbling and shooting for goal and a rugby player's strength to battle for the ball.

   In fact, water polo began as an aquatic version of rugby in the mid-1800s in England, before evolving into a waterborne semblance of football (soccer). By the turn of the century, it had become so popular in Europe and North America that it was included in the programme for the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris.

   Tall, long-armed athletes are the prototype for the game, where 85% of the body is submerged. About the same underwater percentage holds true for the grabbing, holding, kicking, wrestling and yanking of swimsuits that makes the game even tougher.

   Competition

   Eight teams qualify for the women's division at the Olympic Games while 12 compete in the men's division.

   In the men's event, the qualifying teams are divided into two pools of six for a round-robin preliminary heat. The top four teams from each pool advance to the quarter-finals, and the quarter-finals winners advance to the medal rounds.

   The women's teams play a full round-robin preliminary heat, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals. The two teams failing to advance play to determine fifth and sixth place.

   List of events

   -- water polo Men

   -- water polo Women

Water polo: History

   Descipline's origin

   Water polo was developed in Europe and the United States as two separate sports. In the United States it was termed softball water polo, with the ball being an unfilled bladder. The sport was very rough, often degenerating into numerous fights. In 1897, Harold Reeder of New York formulated the first American rules for the discipline, which were aimed at decreasing the excessive roughness of the game. The game is called water polo because players initially rode on floating barrels that resembled mock horses, and swung at the ball with mallet-like sticks, similar to those used in equestrian polo.

   Ultimately, the European style of water polo predominated and today it is the form of the game practised universally. It is more scientific, faster and less dangerous than the original American game. The current game consists of seven-man teams playing four seven-minute periods.

   Olympic History

   Men's water polo was played during the 1900 Paris Olympics. It has been contested at all Games since 1908. By far the greatest exponents of water polo have been the Hungarians. Between 1928 and 1980, Hungary never failed to win a medal at the Olympics, and took home 6 of 10 possible gold medals between 1932 and 1976. Despite the fact that Hungary did not compete in 1984, a team from that country did win one Olympic bronze medal between 1980 and 1996. In 2000, Hungary came back to win its 7th water polo gold medal.

   Women's water polo made its Olympic debut during the 2000 Sydney Games. The Australian team became the first to win gold in this new event.

Water polo: Equipment

   Ball

   The ball weighs between 400g and 450g. The circumference of the ball is 0.68m to 0.71m for men and 0.65m to 0.67m for women.

   Bathing caps

   Coloured bathing caps with individual numbers and ear protectors.

   Used to distinguish the various players on a team as well as to provide protection.

   Lane ropes & Buoys

   Used to distinguish the field of play and imaginary distances from the goals.

   Goals

   Two goals, 3.0m wide and 0.9m high, float on the water.

   Swimsuits

   The swimsuit should be non-transparent or with a separate undergarment.

Water polo: Glossary

   Advantage rule: A rule permitting a referee to refrain from calling a foul if it appears the call would advantage the offender's team.

   Backhand: A deceptive shot or pass flipped backward.

   Ball under: A foul called on a player for taking or holding the ball underwater when an opponent tackles the player.

   Brutality: Dangerously rough play, such as elbowing an opponent in the face or punching.

   Centre-back: A defensive player whose main task is to counter the opposition's centre-forward.

   Centre-forward: A team's main attacking player, usually big and strong in men's play, who takes position directly in front of the opponent's goal between the two-metre and four-metre lines; also known as the hole man, hole set or two-metre man.

   Corner throw: A throw used to restart play if a defensive player touched the ball last before it went out over the goal line.

   Dead time: The time between the whistle for a foul and the restarting of play and the clock.

   Dead-time foul: Any foul committed during dead time.

   Double dead-time foul: Simultaneous fouls by both an offensive and defensive player during dead time.

   Double hole: An offence using two hole sets, one in front of each post of the goal; also known as a double post.

   Double post: An offence using two hole sets, one in front of each post of the goal; also known as a double hole.

   Dribble: To swim with the ball.

   Drive: To swim quickly into the space in front of the goal on offence without the ball.

   Driver: A player, usually a fast swimmer, whose main task is to move the ball into goal-scoring position.

   Drop: A defensive strategy in which the players drop back to protect the centre of the pool and help block shots.

   Dry pass: A pass made so that the receiver can catch it before it hits the water.

   Eggbeater: The alternating leg kick used to tread water and lift players vertically out of the water.

   Exclusion area: The designated area outside the field of play where excluded players wait to return to the game.

   Exclusion foul: A foul serious enough that the offending player is sent to the exclusion area.

   Face off: A throw by a referee giving each team an equal chance to reach the ball following a stoppage where neither team was solely to blame; also called a neutral throw.

   Field player: Any player other than the goalkeeper.

   Four-metre foul: A foul by a defensive player inside the four-metre line directly aimed at preventing a goal.

   Four-metre line: An imaginary line marked with yellow buoys four metres from each goal line.

   Free throw: The standard method of restarting play after the ball crosses the sideline or after any foul that does not earn a penalty throw.

   Front: To defend between the ball and the hole set, preventing the hole set from receiving a pass.

   Goal throw: A throw by the defending goalkeeper to restart play if an attacking player was the last to touch the ball before it went out over the goal line.

   Half-distance line: An imaginary line marked with white buoys that divides the field of play into two equal ends.

   Hold: To lift or carry the ball, press it underwater or place the hand over or under it.

   Hole guard: A defensive player who takes position in front of his or her own goal and guards the hole set.

   Hole man: A team's main attacking player, usually big and strong in men's play, who takes position directly in front of the opponent's goal between the two-metre and four-metre lines; also known as the centre-forward, hole set or two-metre man.

   Hole set: A team's main attacking player, usually big and strong in men's play, who takes position directly in front of the opponent's goal between the two-metre and four-metre lines; also known as the centre-forward, hole man or two-metre man.

   Impeding: To hinder the movement of a player not in possession of the ball.

   Inside water: The position of being in front of a defender and moving toward the goal.

   Lane press: A defensive strategy where players are positioned in the passing lanes, or between the ball and the players they are guarding, instead of between the offensive players and the goal.

   Live time: When the clock is running.

   Man-down: A 20-second situation for the defensive team where it plays with one less player than the offence after a defensive player commits an exclusion foul.

   Man-up: A 20-second situation for the offensive team where it plays with one more player than the defence after a defensive player commits an exclusion foul.

   Moving pick: A move by an offensive player to swim in front of a player defending another offensive player, freeing that team-mate for a pass or shot .

   Neutral throw: A throw by a referee giving each team an equal chance to reach the ball following a stoppage where neither team was solely to blame; also called a face off.

   Ordinary foul: An infringement by a player that, in most cases, leads to the referee awarding possession of the ball to the opposing team.

   Penalty foul: A foul committed by a defending player within his four-metre area that is judged to have prevented a goal from being scored.

   Penalty throw: A throw from the four-metre line by a member of the attacking team, defended only by the goalkeeper, after a penalty foul against a defending player.

   Personal foul: An exclusion foul or penalty foul recorded against a player.

   Point: The position on offence that is farthest from the goal in the 12 o'clock position.

   Press: To extend the defence beyond its normal range to increase the pressure on each offensive player.

   Seven-metre line: An imaginary line marked with green buoys seven metres from each goal line.

   Sink: To push a player under the water during a tackle.

   Splashing: An exclusion foul for deliberately splashing water in an opponent's face.

   Stalling: An ordinary foul for a team's failure to shoot or advance the ball within 35 seconds.

   Stationary pick: A move by an offensive player to stop in the path of a player defending a team-mate, freeing that team-mate for a pass or shot.

   Swim-off: A race for the ball in the centre of the field of play to start each period.

   Two-metre man: A team's main attacking player, usually big and strong in men's play, who takes position directly in front of the opponent's goal between the two-metre and four-metre lines; also known as the centre-forward, hole man or hole set.

   Two-metre violation: An ordinary foul called when a player is inside the opponent's two-metre line and the ball is not farther ahead.

   Wet pass: A pass from one player to another, but designed to land in the water.

   Wet shot: A shot attempted while the ball is controlled in the water, usually a quick wrist shot.