U.S. women’s water polo goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson discusses how her siblings helped mold her growing up.
Over a century after making its Olympic debut in Paris, water polo is returning to France for the 2024 Summer Games.
The sport was first played at the 1900 Olympics in the French capital. While the venues, rules and players will all be different this time around, the core of the sport remains the same.
Men's water polo has been contested at every Olympics since its debut 124 years ago, with the women's edition being added in 2000.
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Now, with the Olympics again headed to Paris, water polo will be back in the spotlight. Here's all the info you need to know about the sport:
How do you play water polo?
Water polo can be described as a combination of multiple other sports, including handball, soccer and hockey.
It involves two teams with seven players each, all trying to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposition's net. The all-deep pool is set up like a field with goals on each far side. There is one goalkeeper on each side, leaving six players from each team to battle it out for positioning in the middle. At the end of the four quarters (32 minutes), the team with the most goals wins.
What are the rules for water polo?
Here's a basic rundown of the rules for water polo at the Olympics:
- Each team has seven players: six field players and a goalkeeper. Players can be substituted in and out after goals, during timeouts, between quarters or after injuries. Each team has 12 total players on their roster.
- The two teams wear caps to protect heads and ears with numbers (for foul-calling) and matching team colors. Goalkeepers wear a different color cap from their teammates, similar to soccer goalkeepers wearing a different jersey color.
- There are four eight-minute quarters for the Olympics. If the score is tied after 32 minutes, the winner is decided by a five-round penalty shootout.
- The game clock is stopped when the ball is out-of-play.
- Each side has a 30-second shot clock when it possesses the ball. If a shot isn't taken during this time, an ordinary foul is rewarded to the other team.
- There are four types of fouls: exclusion fouls, ordinary fouls, penalty fouls and personal fouls.
- Exclusion fouls include interfering with a free throw, intentionally splashing water in an opponent's face, kicking or striking an opponent, using foul language, showing disrespect for a referee or other official and committing an act of brutality. The opposing team is given a free throw, the player who committed the foul is excluded from gameplay for 20 seconds or until a goal is scored or until the player's own team regains possession.
- Ordinary fouls include holding onto the goal posts, holding the entire ball underwater, hitting the ball with a clenched fist, touching the ball with both hands at the same time, impeding the free movement of an opponent who is not holding the ball, pushing an opponent and wasting time. The opposing team is given a free throw.
- Penalty fouls include committing a foul within five meters of the goal a player is defending if the referee decides that the foul prevented a likely goal, an act of brutality committed within five meters of the goal and tipping the goal box to prevent what likely would have been a scoring shot. The opposing team is awarded a penalty throw from behind the five-meter line.
- Personal fouls: When a player commits three fouls in a game, they must be substituted out and may not return for that game.
- The pool dimensions are 30m by 20m (98.4 feet by 65.6 feet) with a depth of at least 1.8m (5.9 feet). Each goal is 3m wide by 90cm tall (approximately 10 feet by 3 feet).
Where is water polo being held at the 2024 Olympics?
Preliminary water polo matches will take place at Paris Aquatic Centre. Then, for the final playoffs, matches will be held at Paris La Défense Arena.
What countries qualified for water polo at the 2024 Olympics?
There are 12 men's teams and 10 women's teams competing in Paris.
Men's Group A
- Croatia
- Italy
- Romania
- Greece
- United States
- Montenegro
Men's Group B
- Australia
- Serbia
- France
- Hungary
- Japan
- Spain
Women's Group A
- Hungary
- Australia
- Canada
- China
- Netherlands
Women's Group B
- France
- Greece
- Italy
- United States
- Spain
What countries are the best at water polo?
Three nations have at least 10 medals in water polo (men's and women's combined): Hungary, the United States and Italy.
Hungary leads the field with nine golds and 17 total medals, followed by the U.S. and Italy with four golds apiece. Team USA has 15 total medals compared to 10 for Italy.
Sixteen of Hungary's 17 total medals have come on the men's side. Recently, though, Serbia has ruled the pool. The Serbians claimed gold in 2020 and 2016 after taking bronze in 2012 and 2008.
On the women's side, the U.S. is on a historic run. The country has medaled in all six tournaments since the sport was added in 2000, including three straight golds in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
