INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 18, 2024) — A new goal area has been established in high school water polo rules, effective with the 2024-25 season.
Clarification of the new goal area was one of eight revisions recommended by the NFHS Water Polo Rules Committee during its March 29 meeting held virtually. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors and will be effective for the 2024-26 NFHS Water Polo Rules Book.
The new Rule 1-6-1e states that “A continuous red marking must be placed on the goal line, 2 meters from outside of both goal posts. An imaginary line from the end of each red markings to the 2-meter line creates the ‘goal area.’” This change affects four other rules, along with creating guidelines for the new goal area.
“A new ‘goal area’ has been defined for high school water polo play,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the NFHS Water Polo Rules Committee. “This rule identifies a specific area around the goal that permits an attacking player who is outside the goal area to go inside 2 meters without being penalized. It also opens up the game from an offensive standpoint creating more room for the offense to move around in and extending the defense.”
Language in Rules 5-10-1, 6-11-1 and 6-11-2 was revised to reflect the newly defined area. With this change, the committee hopes to create more attacking angles for the offense while not unnecessarily punishing attacking players who are not close to the goal entering the goal area.
In Rule 5-10-1, the attacking player no longer needs to be outside the defending goal area to take the free throw. As long as the player exits the goal area, the player is able to take the free throw.
Another result of the goal area change was the creation of Rule 6-11-3. Now, a player in the goal area of the attacking team can never be in front of the line of the ball at any time during the game. If a pass within the goal area flies toward the goal line ahead of receiving player(s), an ordinary foul must be called, even if the two attacking players were at the same line at the moment of the pass.
The pass to a player inside the goal area must be on a straight line or behind. “This rule also assists officials to correctly call ‘inside the goal area’ violations. It makes the rule clearer for a play that is so close to the goal that it can be scored more easily,” Searcy said.
Ball descriptions were another point of focus for the committee. According to Rule 1-16, the ball must be of a color that contrasts with the colors of the players’ caps and is clearly and safely visible. The committee noted that predominantly yellow panels on a ball can be difficult to see in a stadium or under night lighting. The change gives a team the ability to choose a ball that is suitable for its team’s conditions.
Other rules changes include:
- Rule 2-1-2 further defines an illegal player.
- Rule 3-17-2a adds language that brings the rule in line with Rule 3-18 and defines when a game timer shall start the game clock.
- Rule 4-22 adds language so that teams entitled to direct shots will not be affected by errors in which they aren’t involved in or an official’s choice in timing to correct a uniform issue.
- Rule 5-11 now states that players with a position of advantage do not have to give up the advantage to go to the ball and take the free throw. The player on the team who is next closest to the ball must take the free throw as long as there is no undue delay.
A complete listing of the water polo rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at
www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Water Polo.”
According to the 2023-24 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, a total of 21,289 boys in 964 schools participated in water polo, while 18,728 girls in 980 schools participated in the sport across the country.
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