Archive for September, 2006

Water Box Ball

This game is played the width of pool in shallow water 3 to 4 feet in depth. The ball is made of rubber and about 7 inches in diameter. The goals-from which game gets its name-are 2 boxes facing playing area, one on each side of pool, and 3 feet back from edge. They should be about 5 feet up on a support or platform. Boxes should be a foot high, a foot deep, and about 2 feet wide. Open tops of the boxes face each other, and word GOAL may be painted inside.

Five-feet throw lines are marked parallel to sides of pool. Three or more players make up a team. The game consists of 2 halves of 7 minutes each. Object of game is to toss ball into goal. Ball must be thrown with both hands, and to be counted a fair score must hit in the back of box. Ball must be tossed from outside 5-foot throw line. Each goal counts one point.

Game is started by both teams lining up in the water at respective sides of the pool, holding the wall with one hand. The ball is thrown into center of playing area by referee at beginning of game, and after a goal is scored. No fouls are called, but any player guilty of rough play or other offense may be taken out of game.
Rules on tackling, ducking, holding, etc., should be agreed upon by players before game is started.

Uno-Goal Polo

This game proved highly popular when tried by the Department of Recreation and Parks in Los Angeles. Basically, it is a combination of basketball and water polo, and is a good game for fairly expert swimmers looking for a lead-up game before trying water polo.

A regulation water-polo ball is used in an area about 15 to 20 yards square, with water at least 3 feet deep. The goal is an inflated automobile inner tube. If possible, any old-style tube with as large a radius as possible should be used- a truck tube is ideal. Around goal there is an “imaginary” penalty area of 3 yards. Teams consist of 5 players and 3 substitutes. Goal tender is the only player allowed to enter penalty area or touch goal. Playing time is 20 minutes, divided into 4 5-minute quarters, with one minute between quarters and 5 minutes between halves.

At start of game, each team places one man in each corner of square playing area. Goal tenders face each other directly in front of referee who blows his whistle to signal the start and throws ball between them. Once the game is on, players may enter any part of playing area except penalty area around goal. A goal, worth 2 points, is scored when ball is thrown inside tube. No goals may be scored by goal tenders. If tie occurs at end of game, a 3-minute overtime is played. If score is still tied after overtime has been played, the first team to score a goal wins.

Following each goal, ball is dead and must be put back into play by opposing goal tender, who passes it. If ball lands within 3-yard penalty area, it must be retrieved by a goal tender who passes it out to a teammate. If ball is thrown out of playing area, referee tosses it to nearest opponent from where it left playing area.

Scored fouls count one point. An ordinary foul is called against the goal tender if he moves more than 3 yards from goal, or if he moves goal out of place as a ball is thrown toward it. Ordinary fouls are called against all players if they stand or touch bottom during deep-water play; hold ball for more than 10 seconds; hold it under water or strike it with clenched first; start play before starting whistle; delay game; hold or duck an opponent.

Penalty for an ordinary foul is a free throw to goal from place where foul occurred, taken by player from opposing team nearest the offender. All other players stay in position until ball has left his hands. Penalty for a “willful” foul is a free throw, as for an ordinary foul, and offender is removed from water, without substitution, until a goal has been scored. Willful fouls include: an ordinary foul committed deliberately; wasting time; any player except goal tender entering 3-yard area; changing position during a foul throw; goal tender interfering with a free throw; leaving field of play without permission of referee; refusing obedience to referee. A free throw which rebounds from goal remains in play.

Keywords: Sports, Water Sports, Skiing, Skin Diving, Scuba Diving, Kayak Surfing, Swimming

Double Water Ball

This game was originated and copyrighted by Nathan H. Kaufman of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1933. He reports that it is now being played all over the world and “it is the only game ever invented that is completely original for swimming since it is almost impossible to play on land.” The game of double water ball may be played in shallow as well as deep water. Two balls are used, each side controlling one ball at start of game. Object of the game is to protect your own ball from the opposite team while trying to secure their ball also. Zones should be 5 feet away from each wall inside pool. Balls used are rubber, about 7 inches in diameter. Each team may consist of from 4 to 10 players.

In case of a foul, offender is immediately disqualified and cannot return to game until a score has been made. Fouls include: rough play, ducking an opponent who does not have the ball (other ball must be secured by teammates and passed to ball carrier in order to score), intentionally throwing ball out of pool, hitting an opponent with ball, etc.

Full game consists of 3 periods of 4 minutes each. Captain must throw ball out of zone to a member of his team. Ball is passed around and kept away from opposing team by defenders. Attackers attempt to secure ball from other team.

When both balls are in possession of any one member of team, it shall count one point if balls are touched together. When played in deep water, a point cannot be scored if ball carrier holds onto ball.

Water Skim Ball

This game may be played either width or length of pool, depending on age and skill of players. Purpose of game is to secure ball from other team when thrown in by referee, and after passing it around, attempt to score a goal by “skimming” or bouncing ball on water so that it will strike goal or go through it, after bouncing on water once. Zones are 5 feet away from each wall on inside of pool. A solid goal or framework may be used; it should be 2 feet high and 4 feet wide. Balls used are 7-inch and of rubber; teams consist of from 4 to 10 players.

The goal watcher is the only one allowed to protect his goal and must pass ball out of his zone in 10 seconds or forfeit it to other side. Goal watcher cannot score unless he swims out of his own section. The game is made up of 8-minute halves. Teams line up in water, holding wall with one hand, in their own zones. No one is allowed to cross opposite zone line at any time during game. If ball, after skimming off water, hits anyone on opposite side and then strikes goal, it counts as a goal scored. Goals score 2 points; fouls score one point. Ball must be thrown with one hand and must be handled by more than 2 players before score can be made. Anyone holding ball may be ducked until it is released. An awarded foul throw must be made at an unguarded goal, from halfway between both goals, and must skim water and strike or go through goal to count. Fouls consist of holding onto wall with ball, rough play, stopping ball while holding onto wall, ducking player who does not have ball, etc.

Keywords: Sports, Water Sports, Skiing, Skin Diving, Scuba Diving, Kayak Surfing, Swimming

While water polo calls for expert swimming and physical stamina, there are other aquatic games which can be enjoyed as participants-by poor swimmers and even nonswimmers, and they are also fun to watch. Many variations of these games can be played and all sorts of rules added or modified, according to the wishes of the players. Rules, once established before the game, should be strictly adhered to, and a referee should be appointed for the sake of safety and harmony among the players. The games may be varied by applying rules from hockey, water polo, or basketball.

Marine Ball

This game was designed for playing in the large shallow area of a public pool.

PLAYING AREA: 40 yards by 20 yards. Water should not be more than 3 feet deep.

EQUIPMENT:

(1) Cork float boundary line (number of lines depending on shape of pool).
(2) One 8-inch rubber ball.
(3) Set of lacrosse or hockey nets-or any makeshift setup which serves the same purpose. (4) One set of bathing caps of the same color, choice of color to go to team winning toss.

RULES:

(1) Nets-To be placed directly opposite each other at each end of playing area, if possible on wall of pool.
(2) Number of players-Between 7 and 12 on a side, depending on size of shallow area.
(3) Players’ formation-
(a) Goal tender or guard, directly in front of net;
(b) at least 2 guards stationed right and left, 10 feet to either side of goal;
(c) a center;
(d) remainder of team are forward.
(4) Defense-Two methods of defense may be used, as in basketball, “man for man” and “zone.” If teams are picked
according to age or weight, “man for man” is best defense to use. This is a passing game, but tackling with no punish-
ing holds is allowed. Swimming ability does not play too much of a part in performance.
(5) Start and ball in play-Ball is tossed into the air from side of pool by referee, between two players who scrimmage for possession. Ball is passed to forwards who work it down to scoring position, passing as in water polo, but a player may touch ball with both hands. Only a player in possession of ball may be tackled, and never by more than one man. Referee to decide on rough tactics or foul play.
(6) Scoring-
(a) Ball must be thrown into net.
(b) Goal to count 2 points,
(c) If referee calls a foul, person fouled gets a free throw 15 feet from goal-this will count one point,
(d) Ball is put back into play by referee who tosses ball to a guard of team scored against.

Keywords: Sports, Water Sports, Skiing, Skin Diving, Scuba Diving, Kayak Surfing, Swimming

The Backstroke

The backstroke is a “sometime thing” in water polo. It is used mainly when a player, swimming rapidly wants to observe the action of the game. While swimming the crawl, he simply turns over and continues swimming backstroke without losing his forward speed.

Proponents of the “scientific” approach to water polo say that while this stroke may not be used very often, it should be practiced with emphasis on holding the head up. As an exercise, using the backstroke is said to develop all-around mobility in the water, and it utilizes groups of muscles which are used less in other swimming strokes although they are used in play during the game.

Treading Water

Treading water is the technique of keeping the body in a vertical position in the water and is a useful resting and starting position. With the body held vertically, the legs perform a motion which is a combination of the leg movements used in breaststroke and sidestroke. The legs in treading do not move together, but successively, which gives this exercise its name. By closing the legs together quickly, the player can rise high out of the water. While treading, the hands perform a fanlike motion close to the hips. In rising out of the water, the hands can help by exerting a downward pressure. While treading water, the player can practice holding and passing the ball, using one and both hands.

Dribbling

Dribbling-changing of position with the ball-is among the most important maneuvers in water polo. It is used in escaping from an opponent, in getting into scoring position, in moving the ball around in the field of play. The technique of moving the 27-inch-circumference ball around is based on the crawl stroke described earlier in this chapter. To hold possession of the ball, even when moving at top speed, the player’s body must be kept high in the water and his head and upper body well above the surface.

The objective in dribbling is to move the ball along about 4 to 8 inches in front of the head, on top of the wave created by the raised head and chest. With the proper water-polo crawl, the arms are bent inward at the elbow, speeding up the recovery portion of the stroke. Also, should the ball slide to the side, it may be controlled by the bent arms; the arms come alongside the ball at shorter intervals, and when necessary the ball may be grasped quickly.

Team Play

In many water-polo games, even in international and Olympic competition, the object of the game appears to be to get the player with the ball and hold him under water until loss of breath requires him to relinquish it, also to “dunk” an opponent frequently and for long enough periods, to impair his playing efficiency. Wrestling, holding, and other underwater forms of mayhem, are considered acceptable in many water-polo circles as long as they are not observable by the officials above the surface of the water.

In the early stages of water polo, the ball was thrown from one goal toward the other with no specific plan. Every player would swim toward the spot where the ball landed and strive for possession. Passing was done with rigidly outstretched arms, which made control difficult. In the modern “scientific” game, it was found that instead of long and random throws it was more effective to swim with the ball toward the opponent’s goal and ‘”shoot” for goals from shorter distances. Swimming with the ball, dribbling, and improved ball handling led to team techniques resembling those of basketball, with the ball often being passed to a swimming teammate and more “air” play of the ball.

Keywords: Sports, Water Sports, Skiing, Skin Diving, Scuba Diving, Kayak Surfing, Swimming

In European methods of training for water polo, a sharp distinction is made between the type of swimming used in competition and in water polo. The progress of a competitive swimmer in the water is continuous, with emphasis on speed and endurance for longer events. The water-polo

This is a relatively calm moment in a water-polo game, with competing players both above water and concentrating on the ball.

player’s swimming is varied in intensity and interrupted by the progress of the plays in the game. Also, the game calls for the player to hold his head high, in order to follow the progress of the ball and the game. In addition, the competitive swimmer need perfect only one stroke, while the competent water-polo player must be equally skilled in all the strokes and techniques he may need during the same. The “purists” of the sport decry the practice of many coaches of selecting aspirants who prove limited in competitive skill to form a water-polo team for a club or school. The strokes necessary in water polo are the crawl, side-stroke, breaststroke and backstroke, although the various strokes must be adapted to the specific needs of the player during a game.

The Crawl

The crawl stroke is used during the greater part of the game, for it is the stroke used by a player in changing his position within the playing area. Since the swimmer must keep his head high to observe the game and the other players, his head must be held up. With the head held up, the legs will sink deeper than in competitive swimming. This changes the position of the body in the water. The higher angle of the body makes the legstroke more difficult. To compensate for this, the legs must be bent more at the knees to bring the feet nearer to the surface.

The armstroke must also be adapted to the needs of the game. In order to give support to the raised head and shoulders, the recovery stroke must be shortened. This is done by bending the elbows slightly so that the hands reach the water more quickly, producing a more forceful arm-stroke. Swimming with the arms slightly bent is also necessary when dribbling the ball along the surface of the water.

The Sidestroke

For maneuverability during plays and for quick turns, the sidestroke is important in water polo. However, this stroke as used in water polo differs from the competitive sidestroke. It is a modified sidestroke with emphasis on the powerful scissors kick. The armstroke is also changed, with the elbow of the arm moving in the air being sharply bent, giving an accelerated armstroke. The body is turned high on its side, with the eyes looking to the side. The legs are submerged just enough to provide support for the scissors kick. This half-side body position changes when one of the arms swings forward during recovery. Then the body is turned on the chest so that the raised head looks ahead. With the body in this position, the player sinks the arm that is swung forward into the water, and a forceful pull occurs simultaneously with the closing of the legs, pushing the body forward. When the pull begins, the body is turned again on the side to reduce water resistance. During the pull, the other arm reaches forward under the water, so that when one arm, completing the pull, swings back into the air, the other arm provides a continuous glide with an oarlike motion toward the breast. The player should develop facility in using the sidestroke on both sides to meet the needs of the game.

The Breaststroke

During much of the action in a game, the player must rise high out of the water as in throwing or receiving passes, shooting goals, attempting interceptions. The goalkeeper must especially be ready to “jump” out of the water to defend his goal. For these situations, the breaststroke is advocated. Again, the stroke differs from its namesake used in competitive swimming. Here, emphasis is on the upward effect of the kick, and not on the forward propulsion of the stroke. The normal breaststroke calls for an almost flat position in the water. The water-polo player using the breaststroke forms an angle of 40 to 60 degrees with the surface. The pull which provides forward momentum is reduced to a bare minimum, and the press, which lifts the upper potrion of the body, is increased to the maximum.

Keywords: Sports, Water Sports, Skiing, Skin Diving, Scuba Diving, Kayak Surfing, Swimming