The Sport of Water Polo: A cross between Football and Basketball played in the water
Water polo is a very fast-paced, exciting game played in pools around the world. It is a cross between football and basketball, with teams trying to score goals by shooting into a goal on either side of a pool. Teams consist of seven players on each side in the water, with six field players and one goalie. This interesting sport is also part of the Olympic Games and the 2012 Olympics in London will feature some of the best water polo players in the world. Water polo has a fascinating history as well as being subject to some controversies over the years.
Water polo’s history is not very well documented and its true origins are shrouded in mystery. The scant information that did leak through the pages of history tells us that the sport was a form of rugby played in the water in the mid 19th century. Games at that time were played with a small inflatable ball from India called a ‘pulu’. Soon ‘pulu’ became polo in English and the game became known as water polo over time. In 1870, the London Swimming Association came up with a set of rules for the sport in order to attract more people to swimming events at the time. The game continued to resemble rugby in the water until the introduction of the “Trudgeon stroke” by Scottish players. This brought the emphasis of the game on swimming, passing and shooting skills instead of simply taking a ball from one end of the pool to the other. The game started to resemble football more than rugby from that point on and has remained that way ever since. The new rules stipulated that players had to shoot the ball into the net instead of crossing a line with it. The sport at this point still did not resemble a proper game but was usually a wrestling match underwater with fights breaking out all the time. In 1900, the sport became so popular that it was the first team sport to be included in the Olympic Games. From that point on, the rest of the world caught on and the sport spread and became popular wherever people played sports in the water.
This interesting sport has numerous rules and regulations that ensure the smooth running of the game. Teams consist of 13 players on each team with 7 per side being in the water at one time; 6 players and one goalie. The objective of the game is to pass the ball to a teammate, who will then pass it to another teammate or try and score. A player can only handle the ball with one hand and if two hands are used a free will be called by the referee. In front of each team’s goal is a two metre line which only an offensive player can enter if he or she has possession of the ball. A player without the ball is not allowed in the opposing team’s 2 metre line. There is also a four metre line from where penalty shots are taken. The speed and accuracy and water skills of players make this game very interesting to watch and also to play.
Due to the fact that it is a full contact sport, water polo has seen some controversies over the years. One of the worst incidents happened in 1956 at the Melbourne Summer Games. A match between Hungary and Russia turned violent and was called ‘Blood in the Water’ from that point on. Shortly after the opening ceremony of the Games, Russian troops had invaded Hungary to crush the Hungarian revolution going on at the time. There was a lot of tension and animosity between players of the two countries and soon into the match, numerous fights broke out and many players on both sides were injured with many of them bleeding in the water. Due to the amount of blood that was in the pool, the infamous match got its above mentioned nickname.
This very exciting sport is all set to wow audiences and fans at the 2012 London Olympics, with many new venues being developed especially for the popular game. More people should be encouraged to take part in water polo as well as finding out about its history and its more interesting aspects. Water polo will continue to make a huge splash for many years to come.
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