About Water Polo
Water Polo games are divided into four quarters. The length of each quarter depends on the level, between 5 and 8 minutes, therefore total match times varies between 20 and 32 minutes. However the clock is stopped when the ball is not being played (such as between a foul and free throw or between a goal and match restart), so in actual fact an average match lasts a lot longer (usually between 2-3 times the actual playing time).
Other information about playing time is that a team may not have possession of the ball for longer than 30 seconds without shooting at goal, unless an opponent commits an ejection foul or the team shoots the ball at goal within the allotted time, and then regains control of the ball. In that case the clock is reset to 30 seconds. If no foul or shot is made, after 30 seconds the possession of the ball passes to the other team.
Competitions
- Water Polo at the Olympic Games
- Water Polo at the FINA World Swimming Championships
- Water Polo at the Commonwealth Games
Related Pages
- Another summary of the sport of water polo
- Water Polo Equipment
- Water Polo Online Store
- Water Polo home
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