How women started playing water polo
Water polo began in the second half of the nineteenth century. Its ancestor was Great Britain, with the help of a man named William Wilson. It was based on the principles of another game, rugby. In 1900, this discipline was added to the Olympic program. The World Water Polo Championship was first held in 1973, although at that time only men could participate.
Teams of women started playing on the world stage since 1986. The first evidence that women practised the sport is found in Great Britain. The engraving “Polo at Sea,” printed in 1875 in the pages of the London magazine Punch shows not only men but also women in bathing suits, standing in boats similar to kayaks, tossing a ball with a two-bladed paddle. It is believed that the first official women’s water polo match was played in Holland in 1906. However, there is anecdotal evidence of women’s water polo competitions in swimming clubs in British resort towns.
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Differences in women’s water polo
The women’s version of this discipline has some differences with its men’s version. In the beginning, only the parameters of the reservoir and game time differed. Other parameters were also related to goals and balls. In women’s competitions, the acceptable diameter of the field was no more than 18 x 12 m, and for men’s competitions it was 20-30 x 15-20 m. The goal height in women’s competitions was 80 cm and width 2.35 m. For men, the height was 1 m and width was 3 m. The game ball had to be 47-52 cm in diameter for women and 67-71 cm for men. Playing time for women was five minutes/period and for men was seven minutes/period.
Over time, most of these differences were removed. Today, the only differences that remain are the sizes of the court and the ball. The area of the court for women is 25 x 17 meters and for men is 30 x 20 meters. Requirements for the ball for women’s play: 0.65-0.67 m in circumference and 0.68-0.71 m in the case of men’s play.
Peculiarities of the competitions
There are a total of eleven women on the team. Seven of them are on the field – the goalkeeper and field players. The remaining four are substitutes. The substitutes replace the main players in case of injury.
The game begins with both teams standing at each goal. The ball is in the middle of the court. The referees give a signal, after which the fastest of the players try to grab the ball. Thus, the team that does this has a significant advantage. The moment a player gains possession of the ball, she/he has a maximum of thirty seconds to attack. The main goal is to score the ball in the opponent’s goal. A goal is scored if the ball has completely crossed the opponent’s goal line.
The competition is held in four stages. Each stage lasts eight minutes with two to five minute breaks.
Gestures and tricks underwater
Gestures are usually used by referees to communicate with the players. The whistle also helps. Athletes follow a number of supporting rules during the game:
- Always keep the ball in sight
- Quickly decide what to do
- Move as fast as you can
- Cover the ball with your body, protecting it from your opponent
- Watch your partner’s reaction before you pass: if she/he is not looking in your direction, you should not pass
- Do not keep the ball in your possession
- Do not obstruct your ally who has the ball
A sport like water polo requires stamina and concentration. Since the sport is played in water, the athletes have a more challenging environment. To succeed, a girl needs to become more than just a strong and great swimmer. It is important to combine physical training and strategic skills.
