1. Definition of Minor Foul
A water polo minor foul is called if one player interferes with any other player who is holding the ball. If a player is holding the ball, the defensive players can grab, pull and swim over in an attempt to recover the ball. When the referee sees a minor foul in polo, they blow the whistle in one short blast. They point at the location where the foul occurred with one hand and the direction of the team who keeps the ball with the other. The attacking team gains possession of the ball for the next play.
2. Penalty for Minor Foul
The attacker is required to pass the ball quickly to another player on their team. If the location of the water polo foul was outside the 5 meter line, the offensive player can attempt to score, but this must be done in one, fluid motion. This rule causes many center players to set their position just beyond the 5 meter line. They hope for a foul so they can take the shot.
3. Avoiding Ejection From the Game
Players can be ejected from the game for creating multiple minor fouls in water polo games. If this occurs, the referee will eject the for 20 seconds of play. To avoid ejection, the center player often switches position with a defender to attack the fouls without being ejected. Keep track of the number of minor fouls per player to avoid ejection and work the strategy to the best advantage for the team. Switch players on and off the field to provide maximum flexibility as needed in the game.
4. Foul Strategy
In every team spot, there is a strategy to the use of fouls. The foul option allows the game play to be paused, player positions adjusted and then play is resumed. As part of a game strategy, effective use of fouls encourages smoother game play and refocusing on the playbook.
5. Advantage Rule
The advantage rule occurs during the actual game play. When the referee is reviewing the activity, they can decide not to declare a foul at any point. They just need to think that the foul call would give an advantage to the offenders team. The purpose of this rule is to keep the game play moving forward and stop players from simply fouling each other the entire game in hopes of a penalty shot.
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