The Pitch
The pitch should be 23 x 35 metres (this is often relaxed for lower leagues).
The side lines and goal lines of the pitch are marked by floating ropes, or the sides of the pool are used in smaller pools.
The pitch is split into several areas - there should be 6 metre markers, 4.5 metre markers and halfway markers. This results in a pitch like below:
Substitutes should wait in their own substitute's area. They can pass through the 'no waiting' area, but shouldn't stay there. Players on the pitch can paddle round the back of the goal across the full width of the pitch.
Goals
Goals are suspended 2 metres above the water. They are 1.5 metres x 1 metre, and they should have a net and red stripes on the poles.
The Ball
Men use size 5, and women use size 4 water polo balls.
Officials
There can be up to eight officials:
- 2 x referees
- 2 x timekeepers
- 1 x scorekeeper
- 2 x goal line judges
- 1 x scrutineer
Normally, one of the timekeepers is also the scorekeeper, and there are normally no goal line judges or scrutineer in lower leagues.
Referees should operate a 'leading and trailing' system, where all the players on the pitch should be between the two referees at any time.
Players
Each team has five players on the pitch and a maximum of three substitutes. There must be five players from each team on the pitch to begin the game.
Everyone should be in the same colour kit - i.e. same colour boat deck, spraydeck, helmet, buoyancy aid and shirts. (In lower leagues, only buoyancy vest colour really matters, though player should try their best to have matching coloured kit).
Each player should have a different number from 1-15 on their buoyancy aid (and helmet in higher leagues).
Kit
There are many specifications concerning kit. See the full rules for the full list. Here are just a few of the more important ones:
- All players must wear a shirt which covers the shoulders and upper arm.
- Helmets must be CE approved.
- Paddles must be of an approved thickness.
- No jewellery of any type may be worn.
- Players can exchange their kit whenever they want with another team member or from their substitute's area.
Game Time
The minimum playing time is 6 minutes each way, and the maximum is 10. Play ends at the sound of the timekeepers horn/whistle, not at the referees whistle (The only exception is if a goal penalty shot has been given before the timekeepers signal, but has not yet been taken. In this case play ends after the ball hits the water or rebounds back into play after the shot.). Half time lasts at least 1 minute, after which the teams change ends.
General Game Rules
The referees should be in complete control of the game - what they say goes. They give signals to inform you of their decision. These are shown later on.
Free throws are indirect - you cannot shoot directly at goal.
Free shots are direct - you may shoot directly at goal (you do not have to).
For both free throws and free shots, the player taking the throw/shot must present the ball by holding it above their head. If you do not do this you may be penalised with a free throw to the opposition.
A free throw or shot may be taken either at the site of the foul or where the ball lies when the foul is committed. This is at the discretion of referee, who will decide which position best advantages the attacking team.
Players have five seconds in possession of the ball. This is explained in more detail later.
Sanctions
The referee can give several sanctions (punishments) for illegal play. These are briefly described here.
Two obvious sanctions are a free throw and free shot (explained above).
Another of the sanction a referee can take is to give cards. These have various meanings.
Green Card - Warning. Green cards are given for repeated minor offences, unnecessary verbal communication with the referee and unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Yellow Card - Sent off for 2 minutes. Yellow cards are given to any player receiving three green cards. They are also given outright for abusive or foul language, disputing referees decisions repeatedly and dangerous play.
Red Card - Player sent off for the remainder of the game. Tournament organisers have the right to exclude the player from the rest of the tournament and bring the player before the B.C.U. Polo Committee. Red cards are given to any player receiving two yellow cards, to a player disputing a yellow card or to a player who does not change their attitude after receiving a yellow card. They are also given outright for a personal attack on a player or referee or for repeated foul and abusive behaviour.
A further sanction is a goal penalty shot (penalty). This is given for deliberate fouls on a shooting player who is within the 6 metre area, or deliberate fouls on a player who is about to obtain a near certain goal (e.g. the goal is undefended and player is fouled in the act passing to a player in a position to shoot).
In a goal penalty shot, all players from both teams must retreat beyond half way (note that there is no goalkeeper). One attacking player remains, positions himself on the 6 metre line, and is thrown the ball by the referee. On the referees whistle, play restarts, and the attacker has five seconds to shoot, during which time he cannot be touched.
Starting The Game
The teams line up with their kayaks touching the goal line (or the pool side in a small pool). One referee throws the ball into the middle of the pitch and blows their whistle. One player from each team is allowed to attempt for the ball. All other players must be at least 3 metres away from the body of their own player.
If one team starts before the whistle, or other players are too close to their own player who is trying to win the ball, this is a start infringement. A start infringement signal is given, and a free throw is given to the opposition.
Ball Out Of Play
If the ball touches the plane of the side line, it is out of play. Side lines move with the ropes (if ropes are being used). A free throw is given to the team that didn't have possession, from the place the ball went out. You must take the throw from where the ball left the pitch.
If the ball touches the goal line, it is also out of play. The goal lines move with the plane of the face of the goal (see diagram below). If the defending team was last to touch the ball, a free throw from either corner is given to the attacking team. If the attacking team was last to touch the ball, then a free throw from the goal line is given to the defending team. The throw can be taken from anywhere along the goal line.
The ball is not in play until it travels 1 metre horizontally - if someone touches the ball before it has gone this far, they are penalised.
You can not purposely bounce the ball off another player or their kit and off the pitch to get a sideline or corner throw. This gets you a green card.
In the above diagram, the red region is out of play, and the blue is in play.
The ball is also out of play if it hits a rope suspending a goal. A goal line throw or corner is given as normal.
If the ball hits an object (like the ceiling or a water slide), the ball is given to the team who did not have it when it was thrown against the obstruction. The thinking is this - ceilings and obstructions are always there, so if you are silly enough to throw the ball against them, tough luck! (The only exceptions are things like overhead wires which can't easily be seen).
Scoring A Goal
The whole ball must cross the face of the goal for a goal to count.
After a goal is scored, both teams line up in their own half. Only the bodies of the players need to be in their own half. Play is restarted by the team who conceded the goal, upon the referees whistle. There is no need to present the ball.
Substitutions
Substitutions can take place at any time during the game. A player may be substituted once they and all their kit have completely left the pitch at their own goal line. The only exception to this rule is when substituting a capsized player who has left their kayak - this player may be substituted at the next break in play as long as all their kit has been removed from the pitch.
Play does not stop for a capsized player unless they are causing an obstruction or are in a dangerous position.
An illegal substitution is penalised with a yellow card - the team play with one less player for the duration of the yellow card.
Illegal Use Of Paddle
Easily summarised - if it is dangerous or unfair on another player, it is illegal. A free shot is given to the victim's team. The following things are illegal:
- Touching an opponent's body with your paddle.
- Playing the ball when it is within reach of an opponent and they are trying to reach it.
- Putting your paddle within arms reach of an opponent when they have the ball in their hands (goalkeepers are excluded from this rule as long as their paddle is not moved and it is not dangerous).
- Pushing off another players boat with your paddle or restricting another players movement with your paddle - technically this comes under illegal holding (see later).
- Playing an opponents paddle with your own.
- Throwing your paddle.
Illegal Possession
A player is in possession when:
- They have the ball in their hands (even if they are capsized).
- They can reach a ball lying on the water with their hands (unless they are capsized).
- They are balancing the ball on their paddle.
A player has lost possession when the ball travels one metre horizontally from their hand, or they pass it to another player.
Illegal possession is penalised by a free shot (except when someone forgets to present the ball - this is a free throw). Illegal possession is when: -
- A player is in sole possession for longer than five seconds.
- A player moves their kayak with paddles or their hands when the ball is resting on their spraydeck.
- A player fails to present the ball above their head when taking a free throw or free shot.
The five second rule does not apply to two players in joint possession.
Illegal Hand Tackle
You can hand tackle a player in possession of the ball by pushing them with one hand on their back, upper arm or side.
This is illegal when the tackle doesn't make contact with the back, upper arm or side, or when the tackle endangers the player. (Pushing a player against a boat or poolside is dangerous; pushing a player against a floating side/goal line is not.)
Illegal Kayak Tackle/Jostle
A kayak tackle is moving your kayak against an opponents kayak to win possession of the ball.
A jostle is moving your kayak within the 6 metre area to gain position (when not trying to get the ball).
Both an illegal kayak tackle and an illegal jostle are penalised by a free shot.
Kayak tackles are illegal when: -
- Contacting the body of the opposing player (not including their arms)
- Continuing paddling into an opponents spray deck after a legal tackle.
- Any tackle which is by momentary contact and between 80 and 100 degrees to the opponents kayak - i.e. hitting the opponent's kayak hard in the side.
- Tackling a player who is not within 3 metres of the ball.
- Tackling a player who is not competing for the ball
- Moving or unbalancing a goalkeeper (see later)
Jostles are illegal when: -
- Moving a player by more than ½ a metre (in one movement) whilst jostling
- Jostling a player behind the goal line (not counted as 6 metre area)
- The jostle is hard like a kayak tackle.
Obstruction
Obstruction is technically described as illegal screening. Obstruction is where a player actively impedes the movement of another player. Actively means that the player committing the foul is making paddle strokes or that their kayak is moving. Obstruction does not apply when both players are competing for the ball, they are jostling within the 6 metre area or one player is in possession of the ball. This receives a free shot to the victim's team.
Illegal screens are often poorly refereed, mainly due to a misunderstanding of what is really quite a simple rule. The easiest way to look at it is this: - if you were a player and someone purposely got in your way when you were going somewhere, you wouldn't be happy, right? This is obstruction. For a more thorough description of Illegal screen, see the full rules.
Illegal Holding/Leaning
These offences are punishable by a free shot. This falls into three areas: -
- You are not allowed to impede/hold on to a player with your body or kit.
- You are not allowed to propel yourself using another player, their kit or the playing area equipment (including the pool sides or floating ropes, usually referred to as 'pushing off the side/boat').
- You are not allowed to use another player, their kit or the playing area equipment for support (generally known as 'leaning').
Foul On The Goalkeeper
Goalkeepers have special privileges. A goalkeeper is defined as the defender most directly under the goal in a position to defend it with their paddle. The goalkeeper must be facing onto the pitch. Note that a player cannot be defined as the goalkeeper if their own team is in possession on the ball - if their own team has the ball they are treated like any other player on the pitch. A 'foul on the keeper' occurs when: -
- An attacker moves or unbalances a goalkeeper with their kayak or body.
- An attacker pushes a defender onto the goalkeeper, thereby moving the goalkeeper. This is not illegal if the defender has reasonable time to prevent this contact.
- An attacker impedes a defender from taking up a position as a goalkeeper.
Note that if attackers are pushed on to the goalkeeper by defenders, and they do not have a chance to prevent the contact, there is no foul.
If any of these offences are committed, the goalkeeper receives a free shot.
Unsporting Behaviour
If a referee deems the behaviour of any player unsporting, they may penalise that player with a green card (or worse if sufficiently unsporting or dangerous). Examples of unsporting behaviour are:-
- Committing an infringement during a break in play.
- Stopping a capsized player from righting themselves (they must get their head and both shoulders above water before they can be tackled again).
- Interfering with another player's equipment including moving it away from them.
- Deliberately delaying play (e.g. throwing the ball away).
- Dissent, retaliation or foul language.
Advantage
A referee may decide to play advantage if a team would directly benefit from play continuing after a foul. This can only occur if neither referee has blown his whistle. The referee can still take action against an infringing player at the next break of play.
Referees should also signal play on if players mistakenly believe there has been an offence.
Referee's Ball
A referee's ball is given if two players are in joint possession for more than five seconds, or if play is stopped through no fault of either team when neither team is in possession.
One player from each team faces the side of the pool, one metre apart, with their paddles in the water not between the kayaks and their hands on their decks. No other player is permitted within three metres of the place where the ball will enter the water.
The referee throws the ball between the players whilst blowing the whistle. Players cannot touch the ball until it hits the water. The referee's ball can be retaken if the ball is thrown unfairly. See the diagram below of a referee's ball.
Extra Time/Shootouts
If a result is required, Golden Goal extra time lasting between 3 and 10 minutes each way is played. Any team scoring a goal during this time is deemed the winner.
If there is still no result, penalty shootouts are taken. Each team receives 5 shots, taken from the 4.5 metre line. A defending goalkeeper is allowed in shootouts (don't confuse this with a goal penalty shot from open play where there is no goalkeeper). If there is no winner after five shots to each team, the shootout becomes sudden death.
Referees Signals
Start Infringement |
Half/Full Time |
Goal |
Disallowed Goal |
Sideline Throw/Corner |
Goal Line Throw |
Time Out |
Referee's Ball |
Obstruction/Holding |
Illegal Tackle/Jostle |
Five Seconds |
Illegal Use Of Paddle |
Play On/Advantage |
Free Throw |
Free Shot |
Goal Penalty Shot |
Equipment Officer
I never swim!
Sometimes, however, I choose to not "wear" my kayak