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Did you know that the word “polo” actually comes from the word “pulu” which means “ball” in the language of India. Add water, and you’ve got a game! Actually, it takes a bit more than a ball and a swimming pool to compete in a water polo game. A rigorous and sometimes treacherous game, water polo is played by two teams consisting of seven players per side. Players must tread water the entire game, and can sometimes cover up to 3 kilometers in the span of an hour-and-a-half game! Not only are the players treading water the entire 90 minutes, but they are not allowed to touch the sides or bottom of the pool. That, of course, means no rest. Also, players are not allowed to touch the ball with two hands, although the goalie may use both hands in order to keep that ball out of the goal. And don’t think it gets any easier– players do everything short of drowning each other to get a hold of the ball.

The rough-and -tumble aspect of water polo was adapted with zeal by the American players at the turn of the 20th century. Whereas European teams had begun to emphasize finesse as a means-to-an end in the game, the American teams favored wrestling underwater. So much so, that it was common for player to go unconscious underwater and require resuscitation. When the Olympic games were held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904, the European water polo teams chose not to compete. They weren’t interested in brawling with the American teams. So, the Americans competed among themselves. Because the artificial ponds were so nasty, seven of twelve players from the New York Athletic Club were bedridden afterwards– some with typhoid fever! After this episode, the Federacion International de Natacion Amateur (FINA) was formed, instating more civilized rules.

Water polo originated during mid-nineteenth century in the rivers of England as, basically, a very wet rugby game for men. Eventually it was played in London swimming pools, with the goalies standing in wait on the pool deck. The players often hid the ball in their trunks and carried it underwater, only to surface as close to the net as possible. If the player came up too close to the goal, the goalie would jump into the water, tackling him.

In the 1880’s water polo was introduced to Scottish enthusiasts who added the Trudgeon swim stroke, thus placing emphasis on swimming, rather than wrestling. The game evolved from a rugby style game to one similar to soccer, where goals were scored by throwing the ball into a 10 x 3 foot cage.

The first Olympic water polo game was played in Paris in 1900, making this sport the longest standing team sport in the Olympic games. Beginning in 1928, Germany and Hungary dominated the water polo scene until the 1980’s. More recently, the U.S. and Australian teams have brought some tough competition to the European-dominated sport.

Women’s water polo has had an interesting history as well. It first surfaced in 1906 and vanished until 1926. Then it was deemed too rough a sport for women (oh, brother!) and went into hiding for 35 years. Now, women have reclaimed the sport, and hope to gain Olympic competitive status very soon.