Water Polo

Athlete Eligibility and Classification

Players who are deaf compete under CISS rules which require a minimum hearing loss of 55 dB in the better ear. Classification procedures and criteria are described on the CISS web site (http://www.ciss.org). Click on "about," then "regulations," then scroll down to Article 1.3 on eligibility.

Events

At the current time, team competition at the Deaflympics is offered only for men.

Playing Area

Water polo is played in a swimming pool. The field of play is 30m long (between goal lines) and 20m wide. The minimum water depth is 1.8m (preferably 2m). The following marks are placed on both sides of the field of play:

The netted goals are 3m wide and .9m high and not less than .3m deep.

Rules

Deaflympics water polo competition is conducted according to Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) water polo rules. The FINA rules are posted at http://www.fina.org. Click on "rules and regulations" then "water polo rules." The media guide on the USA Water Polo web site (http://www.usawaterpolo.com) provides a layman's description of the rules.

Equipment

Links