The rules of water polo are the rules and regulations which cover the play, procedure, equipment and officiating of water polo. These rules are similar throughout the world, although slight variations do occur regionally and depending on the governing body. Governing bodies of water polo include World Aquatics, the international governing organization for the rules; the NCAA, which govern the rules for collegiate matches in the United States; the NFHS, which govern the rules in high schools in the USA; and the IOC, which govern the rules at Olympic events.
Core rules Note: Rules below reflect the latest FINA Water Polo Rules. The sport of Water Polo, as its name suggests, is played in a pool of water that resembles a soccer or hockey court, having 2 goal posts at each end of the pool.
Number of players Senior games consist of seven players from each team (six field players and a goalkeeper) that are allowed in the playing area of the pool during gameplay. FINA reduced the number of players in U20 (and younger) competitions that they sanction to six (5 field players and a goalkeeper) in 2014. If a player commits an exclusion (major) foul, then that team will play with one player fewer until the player is allowed to re-enter (typically 18 seconds). If a player commits a particularly violent act, such as striking a player, then the referee may signal a brutality foul, in which case that team is required to play with one fewer player in the water for 4 minutes, and the excluded player is ejected and must leave the pool area and cannot return. The excluded player may not be allowed to compete in a given number of future games depending on the governing body.
Players may be substituted in and out after goals, during timeouts, between quarters, and after injuries. During game play, players enter and exit in the corner of the pool (called the re-entry area), or in front of their goal. When play is stopped, they may enter or exit anywhere.
If at any time during play a team has more players in the pool than they are allowed, a penalty is given to the opposing team. If a team starts with less than six outfield players, the referee may yellow card the coach for allowing it to happen and give a major foul to the opposition on 6 metres, if the 6th player then joins the game illegally.
A variation is beach water polo, which has four players including the goal keeper, and a smaller field, and some other differing rules.
Caps The two opposing teams must wear caps which contrast: with both (or either) goalkeeper cap color, with the other team's cap color and with the ball color.
In practice, one team usually wears dark caps and the other white (usually white for the home team, and dark for the away team for FINA). Teams may choose to wear different cap colors (e.g. their team colors). For instance, Australia's women's water polo team wears green caps. For NFHS, CWPA, and NCAA rules (United States) the home team is dark and the away team is white.
The water polo cap is used to protect the players' heads and ears, and the numbers on them (1-13) make them identifiable from afar, especially by the referee(s). Both goalies wear red or red striped caps. The first choice goalkeeper is usually marked "1" with the reserve being marked "13" (under FINA rules) or "1A" (under NCAA and NFHS rules).
Duration of the game The game is divided into four periods; the length depends on the level of play. There is no overtime nor ties in international water polo, and games proceed to a shootout if a victor is required. At the collegiate level there are two straight 3-minute periods; and if still tied, multiple 3-minute golden goal overtime periods thereafter. Lower levels of play have different overtime rules depending on the organization.
A two-minute break follows every period (including overtime/shootout), but there's also a 5-minute halftime intermission. Level of play Team level Time each period Authority Notes Olympics National 8 minutes FINA FINA Water Polo World League National FINA European Leagues Club LEN Senior club play Club 9 minutes FINA US College Varsity 8 minutes CWPA US College Club 7 minutes CWPA US High School Varsity NFHS US High School Junior Varsity 6 minutes NFHS US High School Freshman/Sophomore 5–6 minutes NFHS USA Water Polo 14 and unders 5–7 minutes USAWPR
Game and shot clock The game clock is stopped when the ball is not in play (between a foul being committed and the free throw being taken, and between a goal being scored and the restart). As a result, the average quarter lasts around 12 minutes of real time. Since 2025, especially for the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics, a team may not have possession of the ball for longer than 28 seconds without shooting for the goal unless an opponent commits an ejection foul. After 28 seconds, possession passes to the other team, and the shot-clock is reset. The clock is also reset for 28 seconds after a goal or neutral throw, or penalty in which possession is exchanged. Like basketball, the final five seconds is measured in tenths.
However, if a team shoots the ball within the allotted time, and regains control of the ball (e.g. after a rebound from the goal post), the shot clock is reset to 18 seconds. It is also reset for 18 seconds after a major (exclusion) foul, corner throw, or rebound from a penalty throw if the attacking team retain possession.
Pool dimensions
Dimensions of the water polo pool aren't fixed and can vary between 20×10 and 25×20 meters (World Aquatics approved matches require a 25x20 meter pool for both genders), therefore short course pools can be used. Minimum water depth must be least 1.8 meters (6 feet), but this is often not the case due to nature of the pool (as many have shallow ends). The goals are wide & high.
The middle of the pool is designated by a white line. Before 2005, the pool was divided by 7 and 4 meter lines (distance out from the goal line). This has been merged into one 5 meter line since the 2005–2006 season, and '6 meter' line since the 2019–2020 season. The 6 meter line is marked by a yellow line. It was brought in by FINA in 2019, and relates to the method of taking a free throw after an ordinary or exclusion foul. The '5 meter' line is where penalties are shot and it is designated by a yellow line. The '2 meter' line is designated with a red line; and no player of the attacking team can receive a ball inside this zone. Those are being used since the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021. Since 2022 this rule has been updated to allow for players of the attacking team to be within the '2 meter' line, so long as they are at least 2 meters away laterally from the outside of the nearest goal post.
Water polo balls are generally yellow and of varying size and weight for juniors, women and men.
In a game, if the ball goes out of the playing area (or hits the edge of the pool then falls back in to the water), a free throw is given to the team that did not touch the ball last before it went out of play. Shots that go out over the goal line are given 'goal throws', even if blocked by defenders before going out. If touched by the goalie, a 'corner throw' is given to the attacking team instead.
Also, the referee should not pick up the ball when it is at the side of the pool during a break in play, and hand it to the attacking team - as this can lead to an advantage to that team.
Gameplay Beginning of play
In an all-deep water pool, the home team starts on the left side (looking across the pool from the scoring table). The teams change ends at halftime. In a pool with a shallow end, there is a toss of a coin to decide which team starts on which side. The teams change ends at the end of two quarters.
At the start of each period and after every score, teams line up on their own goal line. The most common formation is for three players to go to each side of the goal, while the goalkeeper stays in the goal. If the ball is to be thrown into the pool's center, the sprinter will often start in the goal, while the goalkeeper begins either in the goal as well, or to one side of the goal.
At the referee's whistle, both teams swim to midpoint of the field (known as the 'sprint' or the 'swim-off') as the referee drops the ball on to the water. Depending on the rules being played, this is either on the referee's side of the pool or in the center. In international competitions the ball is normally placed in the middle of the pool and is supported with a floating ring. The first team to recover the ball becomes the attacker until a goal is scored or the defenders recover the ball.
Exceptionally, a foul may be given before either team reaches the ball. This usually occurs when a player uses the side to assist themselves gain a speed advantage (i.e. by pulling on the side to move faster). The non-offending team receives a free throw from the halfway line in such scenarios.
The swim-off occurs only at the start of periods & after scores. There are 4 swim-offs in a game, as the game is divided into 4 quarters of 8-minutes each.
The referee(s) should check the players' nails before the start of play (to prevent scratching). Goggles and jewelry are not normally allowed.
Scoring A goal is scored if the ball completely passes between the goal posts and is underneath the crossbar. If a shot bounces off a goal post back into the field of play, and the ball is regained by the attacking team, the shot clock is reset (to 18 seconds), and play continues. If the shot goes outside the goal and touches the rope, or onto the deck (outside the field of play), a goal throw (to the defence) occurs, and the clock is reset (to 28 seconds). This has to be taken without delay (time limit not specified in rules). If the goalie, however, is the last to touch the ball before it goes out of play behind the goal line, or if a defender purposely sends the ball out, then the offense receives the ball for a 'corner throw' on the two meter line. From a corner, which also has to be taken without delay (again time limit not specified in the rules), the player can swim with the ball, shoot at goal or pass. Goals are also scored if shots are taken before shot clock hits 0 and/or game clock hits 00.0, provided the ball is free from the player's hands.
When the goalie blocks a shot, the defense may gain control of the ball, and make a long pass to a teammate who stayed on his offensive end of the pool when the rest of his team was defending. An own goal can occur (rarely) and then the goal is awarded to the attacking player that last touched the ball.
Restart after a goal After a goal is scored, the teams may line up anywhere within their own half of the pool. This is usually near the center of the pool. Play resumes when the referee signals for play to restart and the team not scoring the goal puts the ball in to play by passing it backwards to a teammate.
Timeouts Each team may call a variable (according to the rules being used) number of one 1-minute timeouts (USA/FINA) or 2-minute timeouts (NCAA/NFHS); and one timeout if the game goes into overtime/shootout. During game play, only the team in possession of the ball may call a timeout. Timeouts don't carry over to overtime/shootout. The penalty for calling a timeout during play without possession of the ball is a penalty foul going against the team.
FINA Water polo rules allow for two timeouts for each team in a match. They can be taken in the same period.
NCAA and NFHS rules allow for three timeouts during regulation play. If the game goes into overtime, each team is allowed one timeout for the duration of overtime.