Water Polo Positions - Part 4

The first system to be explained is the Triangular System whereby, when the ball is on the right, the three defenders closest to the ball form a triangle while the two furthest away from the ball cover the player closest to the post whilst trying to intercept any high passes. If the ball is passed to an outside attacking player, then the triangle moves to the other side and the same is repeated.


Attack the ball

A more difficult variation of the man down defence is when every defending player attacks the ball in a piston movement, meaning jumping in and out so every opposing player is put under pressure.
Assuming that an outside attacking player has the ball, the closest defender attacks them while the other defenders close the goal area by blocking. It is imperative that the defending players all have their arms up and block a particular area of the post. Once the ball is passed then the next player attacks the ball and so on.

The 4 on 1
One other variation of the man down is the 4 on 1 play where the defending team lines up with the normal triangular defence. The difference is that when the ball is in flight on its way to attacker, the back line presses their respective attackers while the defender moves in between the outside attackers. The advantage you can get here is that the person on the left outside part of the pitch is usually a right handed shooter so when the ball is held by the player out the left flank, should they pass to the outside player again, they will have to bring the ball back across their body to be in a position to shoot or pass and thus you can try to take the ball off them. On the other hand, if the pass goes to the player on the outside right, the defender can try to intercept the ball. The player who usually is defending the outside two players is a fast player so if a shot is taken, they can get an advantage by counter attacking very quickly.

Water Polo Positions - Part 3

The third feature on different types of defensive plays is when playing a "Man Down".

Being a man down or as sometimes referred to as a power play, is inevitable during a game. It is something that needs to be practiced and constantly perfected because as statistics show, the teams with the better man up conversion rates usually win the match. This means that if you manage to keep the conversion rate down, you will have a good chance of winning the game.


For the sake of practicality, we shall be concentrating on man down situations which only involve the exclusion of one person, even though it can be that two players are sent out at the same time. During a man down situation, you will have to defend for 20 seconds with a man less and there are a number of different plays you can use.

These vary from the Triangular Defense, Attacking the ball and the 4 on 1 play. The various options will be discussed in a later article and in more detail.

For now, all you need to know is the basic position for each defending player and that is that every defending player must be able to cover two players at a time. It might sound difficult but there is a technique to be able to perform this correctly and efficiently which will be explained later.

Water Polo Positions - Part 2

In part one we discussed the zone defence and how it can be an effective type of play to use during a game.

The next variation we shall discuss is the PRESS.

The press is the simplest form of water polo defending but if it is not done correctly; it can be the cause of exclusions and goals. The press, as the name implies, means that you are as close to the opposing player as possible so they cannot get the ball. If they do, you are close enough to be able to hassle them and prevent them from shooting or passing as they will be put under pressure.

The press can be either a full pitch or half pitch press. With a full pitch press, you mark an opponent wherever they may be in the pool. This type of tactic is generally used towards the end of the game when you need to get the ball back as soon as possible and do not want to give your opponents any space to waste time with the ball. With the half pitch press, it means that once the opposing player crosses the half way line, the press takes effect. This is normally used when you are playing slower teams who have a tendency not to venture too high up the pitch because they would be worried about your counter attack. By retreating back into your half of the pitch, you can help out the central defender while waiting for the opposing players to swim down.

Water Polo Positions - Part 1

Once you have mastered the basics of the game, you need to have a good understanding of the concepts and different positions used.

These can be divided into two sections, mainly, Defensive and Offensive plays. For now we shall concentrate on Defensive tactics as these too are split into sub-sections namely:-

1. Zone Defense
2. Press
3. Man Down
4. 5 on 6 Defense

Zone Defense

When playing a zone, every player has a specific area of your end of the pitch to cover. If any opposing player ventures into your circle of responsibility, then "that" is the player you should be marking.

Zone marking can be a very effective method of defense if done correctly and if every player understands their area of responsibility. In simple terms, every defending player should remain in their "area" and never swim out or follow an opposing player. Teams usually use the zone defense, either when they have a good goalie and try to force the opposing team to shoot, the opposing team could have a dangerous centre forward or else to gain an advantage through a counter attack deploying fast swimmers.

Water Polo - The fun part

What are some pros and cons to water polo?

Pro's

• You save water by showering at the pool.
• You are automatically disinfected with all the chlorine found in the water
• You can blame the scratches on your body to the game
• Your tan line will be smaller than every one else's
• You can show off when going swimming with friends who are not comfortable in the water
• You body is so toned you are the envy of your friends
• You find it easier to make friends especially after seeing them naked in the showers
• Your arms become so powerful that your bowling shots start getting harder and love the sound the pins make when they are being destroyed
• Your eyes are used to seeing perfectly under water
• You can eat as much food as you like without putting on the weight
• You dont mind swimming naked as you get used to your suit being ripped
• People watching the game all know your name

Con's

• You smell of chlorine 24/7
• You hair turns to straw
• You have so many cuts and bruises people think you like getting into fights
• Your eyes become so red with the chlorine that your friends think you are on drugs
• Your most sensitive areas are usually attacked under water
• You end up spending so much money on bathing suits that you end up broke
• Your fingernails seem to be non-existant any more
• Waking up at 6.00 in the morning is the norm for early training
• People peeing on you during showere time becomes normal
• Your bathing suit is never dry
• The sound of a whisle turns your head
• You are sworn at by people who do not know anything about the game because you missed the last shot

Water Polo - The basics

Water polo combines strength, stamina, concentration, reflexes and power into one sport. The basic skills needed to be able to compete in this activity are:-

1. Swimming
2. Leg Work
3. Ball Handling and Shooting.

Swimming

To be able to play water polo effectively, a good background of swimming is essential. During the game, a player usually covers anything between 3 and 4 km so good swimming technique and stamina are a must.

Leg Work

Good legs and good leg conditioning are musts for the successful Water Polo player. The front and back flutter kicks should be extensively conditioned as they are constantly used in the sport. Breaststroke and sidestroke (scissor) kicks also find extensive use in Water Polo. They provide the thrust for what is commonly known as the lunge kick.

Ball Handling and Shooting

Ball handling preparation is sometimes overlooked by many coaches and players do not give it the necessary importance as they prefer shooting practice to passing. Without good ball handling skills, accuracy while passing and shooting will severely diminish and might cost the team the game. There have been countless occasions when players have either let the ball slip out of their hands or given the ball away to their opponents with a bad pass. The same can be said when players on the same team give an inaccurate pass and miss out on a golden scoring opportunity.

What are the benefits of playing Water Polo?

Water Polo is an incredibly tough and demanding sport which requires dedication and a willingness to be able to push through the tough training sessions. At times it can be amusing speaking to people who have never tried to play as they find it inconceivable that we can actually rise out of the water to shoot and swim. So what makes the sport so advantageous?

One of the biggest benefits of this sport is that it is played in water and thus, is the ideal medium for the prevention of injuries. Why? Because the water around the body acts as a cushion around the joints and muscles and helps in softening the strain.

The second benefit is that while swimming, you are not only toning your muscles but also losing weight and excess fats. The amount of energy used and calories burned during a typical training session is one of the highest when compared to other sports.

The third and one the most beneficial, swimming and water polo training have a huge positive impact on your back and spine. In fact, many doctors recommend patients who suffer from back pain to take up a swimming program because it strengthens the muscles around the spine.

How To Play Water Polo

Hi all and Welcome,

For the past 25 years I have been playing the sport of Water Polo and throughout this time I have tried to get more information to improve my skills and become a better player. Unfortunately, this information was not available anywhere and the only stuff I could find was very basic.

For this reason, I have put together a website so anyone interested in the sport can find the information needed. If you would like to learn more about How To Play Water Polo , just click on the link and it will take you directly to a treasure chest of information.

Look forward to seeing you around and please feel free to leave any comments.

Duncan