Tournament Rules
Beach Water Polo Rules: * Subject to Modification Before Tournament Registration
(All standard water polo rules apply, unless described otherwise below)
- 15 x 10M field.
- Size 4 balls.
- 2.5 x 0.8M cages.
- Best of 3, 7 minute (running clock) rounds.
- 2 minute break and score resets between rounds.
- No shot clocks, but referees will discourage stalling and call turnovers when appropriate.
- Each team is allowed 1, 30 second timeout per round.
- Continuous play after goals, except at the start of each round which begins with a sprint.
- In the event of a tie in the third round, a modified shootout* will be held.
- 4 on 4 plus goalkeepers, suggested team size 6-10 players.
- Substitution rules are the same as standard water polo rules, except substitutions can be made anywhere along the team’s defending goal line.
- Ejected players must touch any corner of the field before returning to play, no ejection clock.
- Direct shots outside 5M allowed after fouls, goals and when inbounding the ball.
- Red and yellow cards are the same as standard water polo rules.
* Modified shootout rules:
- 3 offensive players are selected from each team
- teams will alternate taking shots
- the offensive player and the offensive team’s goalkeeper will start from their team’s goal line
- upon the referee’s signal, the offensive player will have 10 seconds to swim towards the opposing goal, catch a pass from the offensive team’s goalkeeper and take a shot
- the opposing goalkeeper will start with their head on their team’s goal line, but is free to move into the field of play after the referee signals the start of the 10 second countdown
- once the pass has been made, the offensive teams goalkeeper can no longer interact with the ball and the rules for regular play apply (it is essentially a one on nobody between the the offensive player and the defensive goalkeeper)
- if a winning team is not determined in the first round of 3 shots, the same shooters will go one by one until the winner is determined; it is not necessary to go through the full round of 3 shooters more than once. The winner could be determined in the 4th round of shooting or any subsequent round