Water Polo
Essay by Zomby • August 23, 2011 • Essay • 1,089 Words (5 Pages) • 5,086 Views
Water polo is a sport that takes place in the water. Water Polo is a team sport that is played with two teams of seven players. The sport includes swimming, passing, defending opponents, shooting and guarding the goal as a goalkeeper. The rules are very similar to the sport hand ball. Water polo is very hard to play and also takes quite amount of skill.
The first version of Water polo was played in rivers of England around the middle eighteen hundreds. This version was considered a underwater rugby. The name actually comes from the ball. The ball they used was called "pulu" witch was a ball from India but when pronounced it sounded like "polo". When first emerging rules where not the same as today. They way they scored then was to touch the ball to the other side of the pool or wherever they played.. These early games where designed and played to test strength and skill.
The game advanced once new techniques of swimming did. Once a technique of swimming came about that enabled the swimmer to swim quickly with there hands able to react faster and there head above the water at all times is when the game changed. The game changed from a game of strength to a game of speed and passing. After this change the change in scoring changed. The game was no longer of getting to the other side but shooting the ball or "pulu" into a goal, witch is similar to a soccer goal. Also the rubber ball was replaced with a leather ball similar to a soccer ball or hand ball. Even though this was an advancement water polo still had changes to make.
With the new found goal and goalkeeper there came problems. The goalie was able to stand above the water on a platform and this was a problem because once a offensive player reached a certain point, the player approaching the goal was simply jumped on. This was a problem because the water sport often turned into a water fight and the game was usually ended.
The game didn't see America until 1888. Water polo was Americanized and played differently. The game when played in the United States reflected football in the water. The game was known as very dangerous and violent. The way of scoring was reverted to its original rule from the rivers of England. The game was different in the us but it was successful because people loved to watch it.
As the United States of America made its own rules the rest of the world continued to advance the sport. Countries like Belgium, Hungry, Australia, and Belgium picked up the sport. The sport was finally a Olympic event in 1900. The next Olympics, in 1904, was held in the United States. Since the US played by there own rules other countries did not participate and only US teams did. The Other countries where not happy until they found out that the players who did participate got typhoid fever because the competition took place in a uncleaned pond.
Now all countries share the type game since 1911 when Federation International
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