Mark your space
Mark it once. Every card in water polo starts from this space and adds what it needs.
The space
A shallow pool the child can stand in, a field of about 15 m by 10 m marked with ropes or lane lines, and two small goals; at home a wall and a soft ball for the throwing cards on land.
Where it fits: shallow end of a pool (with a lifeguard), a wall at home for the land cards.
Mark in this order
- The field lines
- The goal line
- The halfway line
- A "hand-pass" distance of about 2 m
Chalk or tape is enough. Tick each mark as you make it.
Practice kit first
A size 2 or 3 water polo ball (or a soft ball on land), a cap with ear guards, goals or hoops.
Safety
A swim test before play; no sinking or holding an opponent; the lifeguard watches every session.
A clearly marked area of a depth that suits the children; water polo caps and mouthguards when there is a high risk of contact; nails, hair and clothing that do not get in the way; highly visible swimwear; children get cold quickly, so keep in-water time short in cool water; partners of similar size and strength; no breath-holding or underwater games.
awiseathlete.com/sports/water-polo/setup