Water Polo Rules.

[Printed through courtesy of Mr. Philip Bishop, Physical Director Haverford School and Advisory Coach of Swimming at Bryn Mawr College.]

Ball.—The ball used shall be a leather association football.

Goals.—The width of the goals to be 10 feet, the cross-bar to be 3 feet above the surface when the water is 5 feet or over in depth, and to be 8 feet from the bottom when the water is less than 5 feet in depth.

Field of Play.—The distance between the goals shall not exceed 30 yards, nor be less than 19 yards; the width shall be not more than 20 yards and shall be of even width throughout the field of play. The goal posts shall be fixed at least 1 foot from the end of the bath or any obstruction. In baths, the halfway line and also the 4 yards penalty lines shall be marked on both sides.

What greater pleasure can anyone enjoy during the summer than a good swim in the open. The picture shows the girls of the New York Public Schools Athletic League practising diving in one of their pools.

Volley Ball—a comparatively new game. It is splendid for growing school girls and may be played in recess periods—exciting, exhilarating, healthful.

Time.—The duration of the match shall be 14 minutes, 7 minutes each way. Three minutes to be allowed at half time for change of ends. When the ball crosses the goal line, whether it be a goal, corner throw or goal throw, it shall be dead until the restart of the game or until it leaves the hand of the player taking the throw, and such time shall be deducted. Time occupied by disputes and fouls, or when the ball is thrown from the field of play or lodges on an obstruction, as per Rule for Out of Play, shall not be reckoned as in time of play.

Officials.—The officials shall consist of a referee, a timekeeper, two goal scorers and two umpires.

Teams.—Each side shall consist of seven players, two forwards, two halves, two fullbacks and one goal keeper.

Starting.—The players shall enter the water and place themselves in a line with their respective goals. The referee shall stand in a line with the center of the course and, having ascertained that the captains are ready, shall give the word “Go,” and immediately throw the ball into the water at the center. A goal shall not be scored after starting or restarting until the ball has been handled (viz., played with the hand below the wrist) either by the members of one team, in which case the scorer shall be within half-distance of the goal attacked, or by a player of each team. The ball must be handled by more than one player before a goal can be scored.

Scoring.—A goal shall be scored by the entire ball passing beyond the goal posts and under the cross-bar.

Ordinary Fouls.—It shall be a foul:

(a) To touch the ball with both hands at the same time.

(b) To hold the rail or side during any part of the game, except for rest. Goal keeper cannot interfere while holding, but can hold all the time so long as she does not play.

(d) To interfere with an opponent or impede her in any way unless she is holding the ball.

(e) To hold the ball under water when tackled.

(f) To jump from the bottom or push off from the side (except at starting or restarting) in order to play the ball or “duck” an opponent.

(g) To hold, pull back, or push off from an opponent.

(h) To turn on the back and kick at an opponent.

(i) To assist a player at the start or restart.

(j) For the goal keeper to go more than 4 yards from her own goal lines.

(k) To throw the ball at the goal keeper from a free throw.

(l) To refuse to play the ball at the command of the referee after a foul or after the ball has been out of the field of play.

Note.—Dribbling or striking the ball is not holding; but lifting, carrying, pressing under water or placing the hand under or over the ball when actually touching, is holding. Dribbling the ball lip through the posts is permissible.

Wilful Fouls.—If, in the opinion of the referee, a player commits an ordinary foul wilfully, the referee shall at once order her out of the water until a goal has been scored. It shall be considered a wilful foul to start before word “go;” to deliberately waste time; to deliberately change position after whistle has blown with a view to taking an advantage of an opponent; to deliberately splash in the face of an opponent.

Free Throws.—The penalty for each foul shall be a free throw to the opposing side from the place where the foul occurred. A goal cannot be scored from a free throw, unless the ball has been handled (viz., played with the hand below the wrist), by at least one other player, the goal keeper excepted.

Penalty Throws.—A player wilfully fouled when within four yards of her opponents’ goal line shall be awarded a penalty throw, and the player who commits the offense must be ordered out of the water until a goal has been scored. The penalty throw shall be taken from any point on the four-yard line. In the case of a penalty throw it shall not be necessary for the ball to be handled by any other player before the goal can be scored, but any player within the four-yard line may intercept a penalty throw.

Note.—A player ordered out of the water for committing a wilful foul must remain out until a goal has been scored, notwithstanding that half-time may intervene or extra time be played, except by permission of the referee.

Declaring Fouls.—The referee or umpires shall declare a foul by blowing a whistle. The player nearest to where the foul occurred shall take the throw. The other players shall remain in their respective positions from the blowing of the whistle until the ball has left the hand of the player taking the throw. In the event of one or more players from each team committing a foul so nearly at the same moment as to make it impossible for the referee to distinguish who offended first, she shall have the ball out of the water and throw it in as nearly as possible at the place where the foul occurred in such a manner that one member of each team may have equal chance of playing the ball. In such cases the ball must be allowed to touch the water before it is handled and must be handled (i. e., played with the hand below the wrist) by more than one player before a goal can be scored.

Goal Keeper.—The goal keeper may stand to defend her goal, and must not throw the ball beyond half distance; the penalty for doing so shall be a free throw to the opposing side from half distance at either side of the field of play. She must keep within four yards of her own goal line or concede a free throw from the four-yard line to her nearest opponent. The goal keeper is exempt from clauses a, c, and f in Rule for Ordinary Fouls, but she may be treated as any other player when in possession of the ball. Except when injury or illness compel her to leave the water, the goal keeper can only be changed at half time.

Goal Line Corner Throws.—A player throwing the ball over her own goal line shall concede a free corner throw to her opponents, and such free corner throw shall be taken by the player of the opposing side nearest the point where the ball leaves the field of play; if the attacking side throw the ball over, it shall be a free goal throw to their opponents’ goal keeper.

Out of Play.—Should a player send the ball out of the field of play at either side, it shall be thrown in any direction from where it went out by one of the opposing side, and shall be considered a free throw. The player nearest the point where the ball leaves the field of play must take the throw. Should a ball strike an overhead obstruction and rebound into the field of play, it shall be considered in play; but if it lodges on or in an overhead obstruction, it shall be considered out of play, and the referee shall then stop the game and throw the ball into the water under the obstruction on or in which it had lodged.

Declaring Goals, Time, etc.—The referee shall declare fouls, half-time and time by whistle; the timekeeper may notify half-time and time by whistle.