JUNIOR WATER POLO RULES - Year 2-3

• Team Consist of 6 players in the water at one time 1 goalie and 5 field players.

• To defend or throw a player can stand on the ground but jumping isn’t allowed.

• You can catch with 2 hands and it's encouraged to throw the ball with 1 hand, but while learning 1 hand will only be enforced for scoring goals.

• Games are 20 minutes long – 2 x 9 minute halves

• To start the game you line up on the goal line and wait until the referee blows the whistle to start the game.  They will put the ball in the water at halfway.

• One player swims or walks to get the ball and throws it back to team mates.  Then you walk or swim to the other team’s goal and try and score a goal.

• A goal is scored when the whole ball passes over the goal line in the goal area.

• When a goal is scored you go back to your own half.  The team that did not score takes a throw from half way.

• You can’t walk with the ball but you can swim or dribble it in front of you.

• You can steal the ball from a player dribbling the ball as long as you go for the ball not the player and they have not got the ball under their arm. If the ball is free on the water you can grab it.

• If the ball goes over the goal line outside the goal area, when you’re trying to get a goal, a free throw is given to the goalie.  But, if it is last touched by the goalie or a person trying to stop the ball you get a corner throw from the two-metre line (red marker/cone) on the referee side of the pool.

• Defenders are not allowed within the one-metre mark to defend the goal. Marked by the red cone (Red zone – this helps stop the whole team standing in the goal)

(NB to help spread players in the pool it is recommended that you have 2 defenders, 2 in the middle of the pool and 2 attackers)

• The ball can be dribbled by swimming with it, pushing it in front of you or hold the ball under one arm and using the other in a freestyle action. You must pass the ball if you are blocked by a stationary defender. (To promote passing). 

• When the person with the ball stands to pass the defender must move back 1 metre.

• You cannot tackle (take the ball from) another player if they are holding it.

• You cannot push the ball under water. 

• You cannot shoot a goal from a free throw.

• The goalie can catch the ball and throw it with two hands. The goalie can’t go past half way.

• Players may not play below their age group or in a team that is registered in a lower grade than the team they are registered to play for.  Players are not permitted to play in two teams within their age group.

•  For safety reasons players are not permitted to wear goggles or spectacle glasses of any kind.  All jewellery, bracelets, earrings, large hair clasps and piercing must be removed before entering the water.

• Supporters are to stay back from the area on the side of the pool the referee is working in.

• No abuse from supporters to officials will be tolerated.

JUNIOR WATER POLO RULES -  (Main Pool - Year 4-6)

Rule 

Description

1. 

Seven Players 

A team consists of 7 players in the water at one time – 1 goalie and 6 field players. A  team  can  have  up  to  5  substitutes who  can  either  be  interchanged after a goal has been scored and before play has started again OR at  any time from their corner of the pool, but only when the player being replaced has  reached his/her corner of the pool, so as to ensure there are only 6 field players in  play per team at all times. 

2. 

Game Duration 

A game is made up of 2 halves of up to 9 minutes each with teams switching ends  at halftime. The break at halftime is approximately 1 minute. 

3. 

Starting play 

To start the game, players line up along their 2 metre marks ( Red Cone). At the referees  whistle, the referee drops the ball in the middle of the pool and players move to the centre line. Position is granted to the team who reaches the ball first. The first pass must be backwards to a teammate. 

4. 

Goal 

A goal is scored when the whole ball crosses the line of the front 2  posts  (the  ball  does not need to touch back of net). The ball carrier can only shoot when they are in  the  attacking  half  of  the  court.  It  is  not  permissible  to  shoot  from  one’s  own  half. 

5. 

After A Goal

To start play after a goal is scored, players from each team must return to their own  half.  The  ball  starts  at  halfway  with  a  player from the  team  who  did  not  score the  goal.  On  the  referees  whistle,  the  player  with  the  ball  must  pass  backwards  to  a  team mate and then the game will continue. 

6. 

Corner Throw 

A corner throw (taken from beside the red 2 meter cone) will be awarded if the ball is  knocked out of play by a defending player or goalie. 

7. 

Free Throw  Infringements

Minor foul  or  infringements  below  will  result  in  a free throw  being  awarded  by the  referee. The free throw must be taken from the where the foul occurred or an area not closer to the attacking goal of the team awarded the foul. The player taking the  free throw cannot shoot at goal after receiving a foul and defenders cannot interfere  with the taking of the free throw. 

All  of  the  infringements  below  will  result  in  a  free  throw  being  awarded  by  the  referee.  

• A player cannot contact the ball with 2 hands (exception being the goalie)  

• A player cannot take the ball under the surface of the water  

• A player cannot walk or run with the ball  

• A player cannot hit ball with a closed fist  

• A player cannot swim on or over an opponent’s legs  

• A defensive player cannot contact an attacking player  

• An offensive player cannot fend away a defensive player  

• Offside play

8. 

Major Foul  Infringements

Major foul infringements will result in a free throw awarded to the attacking team by  the  referee  and the  defending player  excluded to  his/her team’s  corner  of the  pool  for a period of either 20 seconds or when the referee signals the player back into the  court of play. 

9. 

Exclusion  Infringements 

Aggressive play and  use of abusive  language  are  prohibited in the  game of Waterpolo  and  the  penalty  will  be  exclusion  for  the  remainder  of  the  game  WITH  a  substitute entering play on signal from referee (aggression is defined as deliberately  striking or attempting to strike a fellow player). 

10.  

Team 

Players not  in the game are to sit on the team bench or designated bench  area. Players  are  not to  wear  items  such  as  jewellery,  goggles,  glasses  or  anything that  could  cause harm or injury to another player or yourself. 

11.  

Coaches

During the  game  coaches must  be  situated  in the  corner  of the  pool  where their  team  is  located  and  can  only  move  between  that  corner  of  pool  (up  to  the  2m  cone) and the goal that his/her team is defending. 

12.  

One Hand Only 

Players can use only one hand only to catch, pass, shoot or defend the ball. The  exception to this is the goalie, who may use both hands. 

13.  

No Ball = Walk;  Ball = Swim Or  Pass 

The  pool  is  shallow,  (approximately  1  metre)  allowing  players  to  stand  on  the  bottom of the  pool. Players are  permitted to  walk  along the  bottom  if they  do  not  have the ball. When defending standing on the ground with 1 hand raised is ok but no jumping up and down for throwing or defending.

However, If in possession of the ball the player must swim or pass.  

14.  

Ball Under 

A player cannot take the ball under the  surface of the water. Note that the player whose hand is closest to the ball will be the player deemed to have taken the ball under. 

15. 

 No Contact 

A  player  cannot  swim  on  or  over  an  opponent’s  legs,  a  defensive  player  cannot  contact  an  attacking  player,  an  offensive  player  cannot  fend  away  a  defensive  player –  if this occurs, a minor foul/free throw  is awarded. NO  splashing,  sinking,  holding  or  pulling  back  –  or  a  major  foul/exclusion  for  20  seconds  will  be  enforced. NO  aggressive  play  (striking  or  attempting  to  strike  another  player)  or  use of abusive language – this results in exclusion for the remainder of the game  with a substitute at the referees signal. 

16.  

Neutral Throw 

When 2 players simultaneously gain possession of the ball, the referee will signal a  neutral throw. The 2 players involved face the referee, close to the side of the pool,  same side as their goalie; the referee then blows the whistle and throws the ball high  in  the  middle  of  the  2  players,  who  attempt  to  gain  possession  by  jumping  and  tapping the ball to a player on their team. 

17.

Defending with 2 hands up

The referee will award a free throw (minor foul)to the attacking team if any defensive players defending an opposing player in possession of the ball with 2 hands in the air. If any defensive player other than the goalie stops a shot at goal with 2 hands within the 2 metre area, the referee will award a penalty shoot.

18. 

Penalty Shot

A penalty shot involves a one on one shot involving the goalie and any player from the attacking team. The goalie must be on the goal line and the attacking player will be stationed 4 metres from the goal. No defending players will be in this space. On the referees whistle the attacking player must shoot immediately without any fake shots. 

19. 

 Spectator or  Coach behaviour

NEW  RULE  The  league  coordinator  will  have  the  right  to  warn  coaches  or  spectators  about  abusive  behaviour  and,  if  the  behaviour  continues,  request  the  person to leave the pool facility.