The Positions In Water Polo


How this Sport Works

The game consists of 4 quarters in which two teams attempt to score goals by throwing a water polo ball into their opposition's goal. The team that scores the most goals in the four quarters wins. A team consists of 6 field players and 1 goalkeeper in the water at any one time.

The Positions

Each position in water polo comes with specific responsibilities and caters to a different skill set. Left handed? You should play on the right side while on offense. Have a great eggbeater and long arms? Consider goal keeper. Faster than anyone else in the water? You're going to make an excellent driver. That being said, positions in the pool are extremely fluid and each member of the team should be comfortable playing them all. As your skills develop and personal strengths come to light, work with everyone in the water to get to the best position possible during games.

Imporant Skills To Have

Being the Goalie: Strong eggbeater - Quick reflexes - Ability to make long, accurate passes - Loud voice and good sense of the game ; Being A Hole Set: Strong Legs - Toughness and Endurance - Reliable Sweep Shots and Backhands - Ability to Draw Fouls - Ability to Spot Open Teammates on Both Sides of the Goal ; Being Perimeter Players: Knowledge of Drives and Picks - Shooting, including Wet Shots and Dry Shots - Speed - Excellent Passing, Especially Under Pressure - Communicating plays and changes in defensive coverage ; Being a Defensive Player: The only defensive position set in stone is that of the hole set, defender, also known as the set guard. This player should be skilled at stealing the ball and strong enough to defend the other teams hole set. The rest of the field players will match up with an offender as they swim down the pool. As the other team sets up their offense, it may be necessary to for defenders to switch players, to put two defenders on one person, or to play in zones.