Following the lead of the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) and USA Water Polo, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Rules Subcommittee voted to adopt rules that speed up the game and reduce physical play during its January 31 meeting in Indianapolis.

The rules proposals, which will be forwarded to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel for final approval before being implemented for the 2006-07 season, include combining the 4-meter and 7-meter lines into one 5-meter line. The change, which means direct shots on goal will be taken from the 5-meter line instead of the 7-meter line, makes it less attractive for the defense to foul on the perimeter and drop, because the offense would get a 5-meter shot on goal without a defender. On the other hand, if the defense does not drop, playing opportunities will open up for the center forward.

Subcommittee members also reasoned that since using two hands to block a shot outside 5 meters is now an exclusion foul and using two hands inside 5 meters to block a shot or a pass is a penalty foul, the 6-on-5 percentage should increase. The rules change should deter fouling, since the defense will not want to play a man down.

Not all of the changes the subcommittee proposed are meant to benefit the offense, though. The defensive team will get the ball if a field player from either team blocks a shot out of bounds. That will reward good defense, cut down on corner throws and result in more counterattacks, according to the committee. Penalty throws also will be taken from the 5-meter line instead of the 4-meter line.

Another proposed change is to extend periods of play from seven to eight minutes.

“There is no doubt that we are making major fundamental changes to our game,” said Carin Crawford, head women’s water polo coach at San Diego State University and chair of the rules subcommittee. “We want to ensure our game is as exciting and fun as possible for our student-athletes, and I think these changes accomplish those goals.”

The subcommittee did reject, at least temporarily, FINA’s move to a 30-second shot clock instead of 35. The subcommittee will collect feedback and reconsider that proposal next year.

“With the extra minute of play in each quarter already allowing for more offensive attempts, we want to take more time to observe the change to the 35-second shot clock,” Crawford said. “We need to evaluate whether 30 seconds allows enough time for the offense to get in position and run a play effectively.”

Subcommittee members also gave coaches the option to maintain possession of the ball with reset of the shot clock rather than taking a penalty throw in the final minute of the game. 

Another rules change increases the severity of the penalty for flagrant fouls. In such cases, the offending player will be ejected, a dead-time penalty throw will be awarded, the team shooting the penalty throw will get the ball back at the half-distance line whether the penalty throw is made or missed, and the substitute will continue to be excluded for 20 seconds.

The subcommittee also stipulated that fighting will become part of the brutality rule. Disrespect also will become part of the misconduct rule.

All rules-change proposals will be mailed to coaches for comment before PROP reviews them in March.

Other highlights

Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Rules Subcommittee

January 31/Indianapolis

* Modified the ball design to accommodate stripes of one color on the yellow or gold background.

* Reiterated that no playing rule prohibits a nonparticipating institution from videotaping games, but that conference or local rules may prohibit the practice.

* Voted to allow the referee to issue red cards for disruptive behavior during the referee’s jurisdiction, which is 30 minutes before and five minutes after the contest.

* Added correctable errors that include technical errors by desk officials, equipment malfunction, timing errors, difference in hand signals of the referees and misapplication of the rules.

* Agreed that a goal may be scored by a player immediately shooting from outside 5 meters after the player’s team has been awarded a free throw for a foul committed outside 5 meters.

* Stipulated that a goal may not be scored by a direct shot on goal by the player taking the free throw after a double exclusion foul.

* Voted that the goal throw shall be taken by any player of the team from anywhere within the 2-meter area. The goal throw shall be taken by the player nearest to the ball.

* Determined that when misconduct or disrespect or any related offense occurs during an interval between periods, a timeout or before the restart after a goal, no matter which team committed the foul, the teams start even up, the player is excluded for the remainder of the game and the substitute enters immediately. If a minor act of disrespect is committed during those three periods, the player is excluded for 20 seconds, the substitute enters immediately and the teams start even up.

* Agreed that the penalty for committing a minor act of disrespect immediately after receiving an exclusion foul will be a penalty throw for the opposing team, the player being excluded for 20 seconds, and an additional personal foul being awarded to the player.

* Reiterated that swim suits must be one piece, which is common practice but has not previously been stated in the rules.