Water Polo

Water polo is a sport typically played in a pool with seven field players and a goaltender on each team. The objective is to score a soccer-sized ball in a net goal.

Water polo is similar to soccer and hockey. Each team defends their goal while trying to score on the other team's goal. To score a goal, players throw the ball between the posts and under the crossbar of the opposing team's goal. The team who scores more goals by the end of the game wins.

Water polo is played with 14 players, 7 on each team. Players are only allowed to have one of their hands on the ball at any time, except for the goalie. The goalie can use both hands and is the only player who can touch the bottom of the pool.

There are many fouls in water polo, which result in a loss of possession. A few of them include interference, shot clock violations, and push-offs. There are also major fouls, which result in the player being held out of play for 20 seconds. A few examples of significant fouls are kicking, splashing, and behavioral misconduct. Fouls are called by referees, who also judge when goals are scored and are in charge of stopping and starting play.

Water polo is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, as well as European countries such as Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Yugoslavia.

Men's water polo became an Olympic sport in 1900 and was the first team sport added to the Olympic program. Women's water polo was the last team sport to be added to the Olympic program in 2000, 100 years later.