My Water Polo

The object of the game is to maneuver, by head, feet, or hand, a ball 27 to 28 in. (about 70 cm) in circumference into net-enclosed goals at opposite ends of a pool. The two competing teams consist of seven players each, one of whom is the goalie. Only one hand may be used to advance the ball, which must be carried on the surface.

Did you know that water polo was originally patterned after polo played on land, with barrels floating in the water replacing horses?

As swimming became a popular recreation in England during the 1860s and 1870s, severalof the water sports that developed were roughly based on land sports. Among them were water football (or soccer), water rugby, water handball, and water polo, in which players rode on floating barrels, painted to look like horses, and struck the ball with a stick.