Major Differences Between 2007-08 NFHS and 2008-10 NCAA Water Polo Rules

1. Risk management warnings

NCAA - There are no risk management warnings concerning diving into pool or emergency procedures.

NFHS - Risk management warning: Point of Emphasis: above Rule 1-1. Players shall enter the water feet first at all times. See NFHS Instructions to Referees and Points of Emphasis for Coaches and Referees #1 for enforcement method. Instructions to Referees #1 also includes directions for referees related to summoning emergency assistance.

2. Length of course (Rule 1-4)

NCAA - Maximum length of course in pools with floating goals from goal line to goal line men 30 meters, women 25 meters; maximum length of course in pools with wall goals from wall to wall men 30 meters, women 25 meters; responsibility of host institution to provide a field of play that meets as closely as possible the maximum measurements for length and width and equals or exceeds the minimum depth required.

NFHS - Length of course in pools with floating goals shall be 25 meters (25 yards) for both men and women, as measured from goal line to goal line; length of course in pools with wall goals shall be 25 meters (25 yards) for both men and women, as measured from wall to wall. State Associations may require maximum course length with floating goals for championships.

3. Course markings (Rules1-6, 1-7)

NCAA - All markings must be in meters: 2-meter line and 5-meter line; reentry area

NFHS -The 2-meter line and the re-entry area (2 meters from the corner of the field of play) will now be expressed only in metric units, recommended for immediate implementation and required as of July 1, 2009.

4. Video (Rule 1-12)

NCAA - There is no playing rule that prohibits a non-participating institution from videotaping games. Conference or local rules may prohibit this action. Video review is not permitted during the course of a game. However, conferences may have rules allowing the conference to utilize video after a game to determine if an incorrect student-athlete is serving a postgame suspension, etc.

NFHS - The use of electronic equipment to visually record games competition is not prohibited by the rules. Individual state associations may develop policy regarding the electronic recording of games and uses. However, it is considered unsporting to use electronic equipment for visual replay for coaching purposes during the game or any intermission. Further, the use of replay, television monitoring or any electronic equipment by the officials to make decisions related to the game is prohibited.

5. Number of Balls (Rule 3-5)

NCAA - At least five, game-quality balls must be available for all games.

NFHS - Five game-quality balls must be available for all championship games and are recommended for all games.

6. Caps numbers (Rule 4-4)

NCAA - Must be a single solid color with no border.

NFHS - Numbers may have a very narrow inconspicuous border, such as light grey. The large central part of the number on the dark cap must be white or yellow. The large central part of the number on the white cap must be a dark color (colors permitted listed). (Rule 4-6 stresses numbers must be clearly visible.)

7. Apparel (Rule 5-4)

NCAA - Players shall wear non-transparent one-piece costumes. The women's suit must have a high back with broad straps. No exception for goalkeeper.

NFHS - Players shall wear non-transparent one-piece costumes. Suits shall completely cover the buttocks and breasts. The women's suit must have a high back with broad straps (style optional for goalkeepers).

8. Size of commemorative patch (Rule 5-4)

NCAA - Size not to exceed 2 1/4 square inches.

NFHS - Size not to exceed four square inches.

9. Articles likely to cause injury (Rule 5-4)

NCAA - Medical and religious medals not specifically included as articles likely to cause injury; remainder of list the same. Procedure established for use of prescription goggles of type designed for contact sports and for other similar items.

NFHS - Articles likely to cause injury include jewelry, medical or religious medals, watches, swim goggles, protective helmets and sharp fingernails and toenails. State associations should develop a procedure for use of items such as prescription goggles, face mask, etc. The state association should be contacted by the school representative should an item be prohibited by a referee which is designed for an injury or accommodation for a disability, should there be a question on permission to wear the article.

10. Grease or oil (Rule 5-5)

NCAA - Players shall not have grease, oil or any similar substance on the body. If this is discovered after the beginning of the game, the player shall be removed, shall remove the substance, and then may reenter as a substitute.

NFHS - Players shall not have grease, oil or any similar substance on the body. If this is discovered after the beginning of the game, the player shall be removed, shall remove the substance, and then may reenter as a substitute. Players needing to wear sun screen should use a product that is not oily or greasy in its final form when applied to the body.

11. Tournament committee (Rule 6-3) and tournament variations (Rule 11-5)

NCAA - No description of tournament committee, although in practice there is one at major tournaments; however, it is usually not composed of coaches in the tournament. No tournament variations are allowed in the play of the game.

NFHS - It is recommended that the coaches of the teams and/or the officials in the tournament compose a committee that will make immediate decisions not covered by the rules. There may be variations in the length of game periods, length of overtime periods, type of overtime, requirement for overtime (for example, in a tournament with the group system of play, games may end in a tie), and number, type and duration of time-outs in a tournament.

12. Referee uniform (Rule 7-1) - Shorts and sandals are not permitted.

NCAA - A tournament director may authorize shorts if required by weather conditions.

NFHS - When a state association must deal with extreme heat and humidity, the individual state associations may make a temporary adjustment and permit the wearing of white shorts to address heat-related issues.

13. Time of beginning of jurisdiction of referee (Rule 7-1) (In both organization jurisdictions ends 5 minutes after end of game or after any protest filing procedure is complete)

NCAA - Begins 30 minutes before game.

NFHS - Begins 15 minutes before game.

14. Time when a referee may award a red card (Rule 7-4)

NCAA - Referee may award a red card to a coach, team official or player for disruptive behavior at any time from 30 minutes before the game to five minutes after the conclusion of the game or until any protest filing procedure has been completed.

NFHS - No time specifically stated. However, rules do not preclude a referee from giving a red card to an individual (coach, other team official, or player) who accosts a referee after a game.

15. Location of player, coach or team official receiving a red card during the remainder of the game in which the red card was received (Rule 7-4) or who was excluded for brutality/flagrant misconduct (Rule 21-11)

NCAA - The player, coach, or team official must leave the bench and may sit in bleachers during rest of game but can not communicate with team or referees during the remainder of the game until after the jurisdiction of the referees.

NFHS - The player must leave the bench and must sit in the bleachers, under supervision, but coach or team official must leave the pool facility. Coach or team official or player must have no contact with team in game in which red card was received until after the jurisdiction of the referees after the game.

16. Location of player, coach, or team official receiving a red card or who was excluded for brutality/flagrant during the subsequent game in which the suspension is being served (Rule 7-4 and Rule 21-11)

NCAA - The person receiving the red card (coach, other team official, player) may be in the bleachers but may not communicate with the team, team officials or referees from 30 minutes before the game, during that game, and up to 5 minutes after the conclusion of the game or until any protest filing procedure has been completed. Rules regulate type of game in which next-game suspension may be served.

NFHS - Athlete or coach or other team official may be in the stands during that game but may not communicate with the team, team officials or referees; however, a state association may have specific rules governing if athlete or coach or team official may be in audience or pool area during the next game in which the game suspension is being served. There are no specific rules regulating type of game in which the-game suspension may be served. Associations may have specific rules.

17. Protest (Rule 7-10)

NCAA - Protests may be lodged only for misapplication of rules, equipment malfunction, and errors in recording information or other desk errors.

NFHS - Protests may be lodged only for misapplication of rules, equipment malfunction and errors in recording information.

18. Length of each period of play (Rule 11-1)

NCAA - Eight minutes actual play.

NFHS - Seven minutes actual play for varsity; recommended 6-minute periods for junior varsity, 5-minute periods for freshman-sophomore games.

19. Interval at half-time (Rule 11-2)

NCAA - Interval can be longer than 5 minutes with agreement of both coaches.

NFHS - Interval can not be longer than 5 minutes.

20. Name for sudden-death overtime (Rule 11-3)

NCAA - Called sudden-death overtime.

NFHS - Called sudden-victory overtime.

21 Tournament variations (Rule 11-5):

NCAA - Are no tournament variations; each game must be standard (including overtime).

NFHS - Can be tournament variations as long as are announced ahead of time; these include length of periods, period breaks, number, type and length of timeouts, type of overtime.

22. 30-second timeout (Rule 12-7)

NCAA - One per game.

NFHS - No 30-second timeout except as a tournament variation (see Rule 11-5).

23. Television timeouts (Rule 12-8)

NCAA - Description included

NFHS - Description not included

24 Possession time (Rule 20-17

NCAA: 35 seconds

NFHS: 30 seconds

25. Wasting time (Rule 20-18)

NCAA - If the goalkeeper is the only player of that team in the goalkeeper's half of the field of play, it shall be deemed wasting time for the goalkeeper to receive the ball from another member of the goalkeeper's team who is in the other half of the field of play. However, the ball may be passed to the goalkeeper or to another offensive player in the back court if at least one other player from the offensive team in addition to the goalkeeper is in the back court, but the team must still work to advance the ball from the back court to the front court.

NFHS - Same as above with the addition that the team is not required to make a bad pass to advance the ball from the back court to the front court.

26 Leaving the field of play to reach the reentry area (Rule 23-2)

NCAA - The excluded player may swim from the field of play at any point on the goal line to reach the reentry area.

NFHS - The excluded player ay swim from the field of play at any point on the goal line or on the side line to reach the re-entry area.

27. Use of term flagrant misconduct (Rule 21-11)

NCAA - Brutality is still used for the fouls as defined in Rule 21-11.

NFHS - Flagrant misconduct has replaced the use of the term brutality.

28. Bleeding (Rule 25-2

NCAA - After the bleeding has stopped, the player is permitted to be a substitute in the ordinary course of the game.

NFHS - After the bleeding has stopped, the wound covered, the suit or body appropriately cleaned and/or the suit is changed, the player may return to competition as a substitute.