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Water polo is a team sport played in a swimming pool or other water body, typically between two teams of seven players each (six field players and one goal keeper). The objective of the game is to score goals by throwing a ball into the opposing team's goal, while preventing the other team from scoring in one's own goal.

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Water polo has its origins in 19th century England and has since become a popular sport worldwide, with many countries having their own national teams and professional leagues. It is also a recognized Olympic sport, with both men's and women's competitions held since the early 20th century.

Water polo players wear swim caps, goggles, and often protective gear such as mouthguards, and use a small, lightweight ball made of rubber. The game involves a lot of swimming, endurance, and physical contact, and is known for being a challenging and physically demanding sport.

The sport has four periods with eight minutes each. There are two-minute breaks between each period. If the scores are tied at full time, there will be two three-minute periods of extra time. A team gains a point when the ball passes the goal line. The player can score a goal anywhere on the field, but the goal keeper cannot touch the ball beyond the half way mark.

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Similar Sports

• Beach Water Polo — an open water version of water polo played on a smaller field with four players per team.
• Water Basketball — a mix of basketball and water polo played in a swimming pool with basketball goals.
• Canoe Polo — players in kayaks attempt to score by throwing or hitting a ball through a goal suspended two meters above the water.
• Surf Polo — water polo played in the water at the beach while riding surfboards.
• Inner Tube Water Polo — a variation of water polo that is played while sitting on inner tubes in a pool.
• Kayak Football — participants in kayaks attempt to get a small soft football into the end zone.
• Water Volleyball — a team sport derived from volleyball in which the games are played in water.

Related Pages

• Polo (Horse Polo) — a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to hit a ball into a goal using a long-handled mallet.
• Water Polo at the Olympic Games
• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports