BASIC RULES

•If you have the ball you cannot use your free hand to push attackers way or it is a turnover.(This means the other team is given the ball)

•You cannot touch the ball with two hands unless you are the goalie. The goalie can touch the ball with two hands up to the 4 meter line.

•When chasing an opponent on a breakaway you cannot pull his legs or shoulders. (This is called impeding a breakaway and is a major foul.)

•Your team has 30 seconds to shoot or the ball will be turned over.

•You are not allowed to hit the ball with a fist

•You can’t intentionally splash your opponent. This means that you can’t be mean and splash you opponent’s face when he is going to make a pass or shot. If you accidentally splash your opponent then that’s OK.

•You cannot pass the 2 meter line before the ball does.( Like the blue line in hockey)

•If you have just been fouled then you cannot shoot. You can shoot once you have passed to someone and they pass back

•If you put the ball underwater then the referee will call a turnover foul.

•You cannot push someone under the water if they do not have the ball. (This is a minor foul which means the referee will stop the play and give the ball to the player that got pushed underwater.)

•The game is composed of 4 quarters of 8 minutes.

•When a goal is scored, teams line up at centre and possession of ball is given to the non-scoring team.(usually the goalie)

FULL RULES:

See 'What is water polo' sub page

or

http://www.fina.org/rules/WP/rules_wp.htm