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In a 25 metre, six or eight lane pool, the entire pool constitutes the field of play. In larger pools, the perimeter of the field of play may be indicated by lane lines. The maximum size of the field of play is 25 metres long by 20 metres wide.
The pool (field of play) is divided into areas by coloured cones or markers along the side of the pool. The coloured cones are placed as follows:
A typical match is played over four quarters of seven minutes actual playing time. The playing clock stops when play stops.
Each team must have seven players (six field players and one goalkeeper) in the water when the game starts. The home team’s field players wear white (or light coloured) caps; the visiting team’s field players wear blue (or dark coloured) caps. The goalkeepers wear red or ‘quartered’ (red plus another colour) caps.
Either team may substitute players freely after a goal is scored, during a time-out, or between periods. During actual play, substitutions must occur through the team’s re-entry area (the corner of the pool in front of the team’s bench). If an illegal player (ie an 8th player or a player who has fouled-out of the game) enters the field of play, that player is excluded from the remainder of the game and the opposing team is awarded a penalty throw.
Ordinary foul: Examples include
The referee blows the whistle once and points in the direction of the attack (ie the direction in which the attacking team is moving).
The player who has fouled (or a team mate) puts the ball into the play by taking a free throw.
If a defender interferes with the taking of the free throw, the defender is excluded (see below).
A player taking a free throw cannot take a shot at the opponent’s goal unless he is outside of the 5-metre zone and takes the shot immediately.
There is no limit to the number of ordinary fouls that a player can commit during the game.
Exclusion foul: Examples include
The referee blows the whistle several tijmes, points in the direction of the attack with one arm, and with a sweeping motion of the other arm signals the player to the team’s re-entry area (the corner of the field of play immediately in front of the team’s bench).
The player who fouled (or a team mate) puts the ball into play with a free throw. As above (‘ordinary foul’), play does not stop during ‘dead time’.
The excluded player must swim to the team’s re-entry area without interfering with play. I fan excluded player interferes with play, that player is charged with a penalty foul and the offended team is awarded a penalty throw.
An excluded player may re-enter the game when:
When re-entering the game from the re-entry area, a player may not push off the side or bottom of the pool.
An exclusion foul is a ‘personal foul’.
If a player receives three ‘personal fouls’ (exclusion + penalty fouls), he/she is excluded from the remainder of the game with substitution.
Penalty Foul: Any offence within the 5-metre zone that prevents a team from scoring a ‘probable’ goal.
The referee blows the whistle twice and the raises his/her hand above the head with five fingers extended. When a penalty foul is called, the offending player is charged with a penalty foul and the opposing team is awarded a penalty throw at the 5-metre line.
If a team is awarded a penalty throw, any player on that team, except the goalkeeper, may take the penalty throw.
The player taking the penalty throw must take the throw from the 5-metre line in a continuous motion.
With floating goals, the defending goalkeeper must be entirely inside the goal (ie inside of the goal and behind the goal line). With wall-mounted goals, the goalkeeper’s hips must be on the goal line.
A penalty foul is a ‘personal foul’.