Introduction

If you want to try water polo, all new members of the club are welcome to try out at this sport. You need to be physically fit & a proficient swimmer, but players can play into their latter years & youngsters can start mini polo at just 9 years old, so it is a sport for all ages. It is a sport of immense fun & frustration in equal measure & can be enjoyed by Girls, Boys, Ladies & Men alike. So if you want to try a sport that combines the movement & ball handling skills of basketball, the shooting of football, the physical aspects of rugby & the speed & stamina of swimming water polo could be for you. If you want to find out more details about our Water Polo Program Click the link. Or to view a short video click the link: What is Water Polo You Tube Video

News

Hello people, the North Lancs 2008 League season will soon be upon us, the league will runs from the 1st of February until the 31st of October, there are five teams competing for the North Lancs Water Polo League crown this year, Blackpool, Burnley, Fleetwood, Lancaster and Preston. So plenty of training for the players and the usual good support from the rest of the club will help enormously.

The Brian Walsh Memorial Trophy 2007 - On behalf of Blackpool Swimming Club, I would like to thank all the teams that took part in this year’s Brian Walsh Memorial Water Polo Tournament.

The six teams that took part in the event, which took place on Saturday May 5th 2007 at Palatine Leisure Centre were Blackpool, Bury, Fleetwood, Kendal, Lancaster and Preston. We would also like to extend thanks to everybody who contributed towards the organisation and running of this event; including to everyone who donated raffle prizes and those who donated money. A special thank you goes to the businesses of Ashberry Sandwiches, B&M Bargains, BLCC Sailing and Nicholas Wilson Ltd; all of which sponsored our event in some way.

The charity for 2007 is The East Lancs Hospice and the amount raised is £850. Once again thank you everyone.

Once again thank you and we look forward to the 2008 event in which we hope to break the £1000 mark. A great big thank you goes out to everyone who was involved! - Blackpool Swimming Club.

One of our recent high achievers is Alex Bennet (15), who has been selected to train an play for the Womens Great British Youth Water Polo Team. We wish her good luck at this level and hope to hear more about her achievements here.

If you have any relevant pictures, news stories, articles or results; email them to Webmaster

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Fixtures

North Lancs 2008 Fixtures are now underway, a list of NL08 fixtures are below
04/04/2008 Lancaster 15 v 11 Blackpool - 9:15pm Salt Ayre (NL08)
29/04/2008 Blackpool v Fleetwood - 9pm Palatine (NL08) NEEDS REARRANGING
01/05/2008 Fleetwood 2 v 8 Blackpool - 8pm Fleetwood (NL08)
13/05/2008 Blackpool 6 v 9 Preston- 9pm Palatine (NL08)
10/06/2008 Blackpool v Burnley- 9pm Palatine (NL08)
26/06/2008 Preston v Blackpool - 9pm Fulwood, Preston (NL08)
09/07/2008 Burnley v Blackpool - 8:45pm Padiham, Burnley (NL08)
Blackpool v Lancaster T.B.C. (NL08)
Blackpool v Fleetwood T.B.C. (NL08)

Water Polo match versus Fleetwood in memory of Phil Darbyshire will to be organised in the near future.

South Derbyshire Open Water Water Polo Tournament Fri 20-22nd of June, for more information visit the Open Water Website

The Salts trophy will again be contested again in December, where our more mature water polo players compete against our youngsters. Who will be victorious?!?

Water Polo games versus the City of Newcastle are hoped to be organised on a Sat & Sun soon.

North Lancs fixtures and results are also available on the Calendar page

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Results

Latest Results
13/05/2008 Blackpool 6 v 9 Preston (North Lancs League)
01/05/2008 Fleetwood 2 v 8 Blackpool (North Lancs League)
29/04/2008 Blackpool v Fleetwood (Friendly)
04/04/2008 Lancaster 15 v 11 Blackpool (North Lancs League)
--------------------------------NL 2008 Season Above--------------------------------------
30/10-2007 Blackpool 9 v 16 Bury (Friendly) - Needs Comfirmation
Oct-07 Lancaster 28 v 2 Preston (North Lancs League)
20/09/2007 Kendal 9 v 7 Fleetwood (North Lancs League)
20/09/2007 Preston 5 v 14 Burnley (North Lancs League)
13/09/2007 Kendal 16 v 11 Preston (North Lancs League)
04/09/2007 Blackpool 14 v 6 Burnley (North Lancs League)
Sep-07 Lancaster 24 v 3 Fleetwood (North Lancs League)
Sep-07 Lancaster 19 v 5 Kendal (North Lancs League)
Sep-07 Preston 9 v 22 Lancaster (North Lancs League)
30/08/2007 Preston 4 v 7 Kendal (North Lancs League)
26/07/2007 Fleetwood 4 v 10 Blackpool (North Lancs League)
19/07/2007 Kendal 11 v 5 Blackpool (North Lancs League)
11/07/2007 Burnley 11 v 10 Blackpool (North Lancs League)
28/06/2007 Kendal 6 v 16 Lancaster (North Lancs League)
26/06/2007 Blackpool 10 v 12 Kendal (North Lancs League)
23-24/06/2007: South Derbyshire Water Polo Tournament - 3rd of 16 teams
21/06/2007 Preston 10 v 8 Fleetwood (North Lancs League)
14/06/2007 Preston 4 v 13 Blackpool (North Lancs League)
12/06/2007 Blackpool 4 v 10 Lancaster (North Lancs League)
03/06/2007 Lancaster 16 v 4 Blackpool (North Lancs League)
29/05/2007 Lancaster 26 v 5 Burnley (North Lancs League)
29/05/2007 Blackpool 14 v 5 Preston (North Lancs League)
24/05/2007 Fleetwood 1 v 9 Lancaster (North Lancs League)
15/05/2007 Blackpool 8 v 4 Fleetwood (North Lancs League)

A list of 2008 water polo results can be found on the Calendar page

Training Times

Mixed Water Polo - Tuesday 8:30 - 10:00pm

Junior Water Polo - 3rd Sunday of each month (also available on selected Tuesdays evenings at the coaches discretion)

A new Water Polo Session suggested by council officials should hopefully be appearing soon (Day and time yet to be decided)

Players who want to improve as athletes should know exactly what training they are doing. This is why players should keep a training diary, for more information on what you need to record and what exercises you should be doing to improve as a water polo player, check out the Water_Polo_Academy_Athlete Log Book.pdf

League Tables

2008	North Lancs League Table
	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	+/-	Points	Majors
Lancaster
Blackpool
Burnley
Preston
Fleetwood

Updated on ....

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History

Water polo was the first team sport to compete in the modern Olympics. A challenging blend of elements from hockey, soccer, basketball and swimming.

From the 1912 Olympics, the water polo ball was a leather soccer ball, which absorbed water and became extremely heavy, slippery and lob-sided when wet. Following the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, James R. Smith (USA) developed a water polo ball made with a cotton bladder (later changed to nylon to improve performance), and a rubber fabric cover. The new ball was red, but by 1948, yellow was adopted for better visibility. Although

There is little documentation as to the origins of water polo. However, we do know that the term "polo" is the English pronunciation of the Indian word "pulu," meaning ball. Just as the ball game played on horseback became known as "polo," the ball game played in water became known as "water polo," although there in no connection between the two sports.

The game that evolved into modern water polo began as a form of rugby football played in rivers and lakes with the object to "carry" the ball to the opponent's side.

By 1869, an Indian rubber ball began replacing the original ball, which was made from a pig's stomach. One year later, the London Swimming Club developed rules for football to be played in swimming pools.

The first official game was played in the Crystal Palace Plunge in London.

The early games were generally exhibitions of brute strength. Passing, punting and dribbling were scarcely ever practiced. Each player considered it his duty to score goals without regard to position.

A goal was scored by placing the ball, with two hands, on the top of the tank end. A favourite trick of the players was to place the five to nine inch ball inside their swimming suit and dive under the murky water, then appear again as near the goal as possible. Should the player come up too near the goal, he was promptly jumped on by the goalie, who was permitted to stand on the pool deck.

By 1880 in Scotland, the introduction of the Trudgeon stroke permitted rule changes to make the game faster. The game moved from a rugby-style to a soccer-style of play. The goal then became a cage of ten feet by three feet and a goal could be scored by throwing the ball into this area.

The small ball was changed to a leather association football (soccer ball). Players could only be tackled if they held the ball and players could only touch the ball with one hand at a time. In the late 1880s, these Scottish rules were generally adopted throughout Great Britain.

In 1888, the United States became the next country to play water polo when John Robinson, an English swimming instructor, organized a team at the Boston Athletic Association. Two years later, J.H. Smith and Arnold Heilban started a team at the Sydenham Swimmers Club (later at the Metropole AC) in Providence, Rhode Island. In the Autumn of 1890, the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) introduced the game.

The early American game was played in the "old" English style, but soon developed its own, distinctly American characteristics. It was a game of close formations and fierce scrimmages and was one of the roughest games ever played.

The ball would be taken underwater and held with two hands. Players grabbed each other where they chose, becoming locked in wrestling grips and losing interest in the whereabouts of the ball. It was a survival of the fittest. In many underwater battles, men let go of one another only when one man was no longer able to endure without air. Players often floated to the surface or were pulled out of the water in need of resuscitation.

Because American pools were small, the water polo players continued to play according to their rules even after learning the "new" English rules. L. de B. Handley said, "There is no room for above water passing action."

The first American championships took place on January 28, 1890 in Providence where the Sydenham Swimming Club defeated the Boston Athletic Association, 2-1. By the turn of the century, the game was one of the more popular spectator sports in America.

Water polo spread to Hungary in 1889, Belgium in 1890, Austria and Germany in 1894 and France in 1895. The game was included in the Olympic Games of 1900 as an exhibition at the Paris Games. Only club teams participated and Great Britain defeated Belgium, 7-2, in the final game. A club from France took third place.

At the St. Louis Games of 1904, the United States was the only country to participate. Germany showed an interest in entering, but declined after discovering that the American-style of water polo was to be played instead of the European or English-Scottish version of the game. In succeeding years, the British continued to dominate European and Olympic play, winning Olympic titles in 1908 in London, in Stockholm in 1912 and Antwerp in 1920.

In 1911, a decisive advance was made in the game when the Federacion International de Natacion Amateur (FINA) made the English-Scottish rules obligatory for all member nations.

It is fair to state that not until the 1920 VII Olympiad in Antwerp, when twelve nations competed, did the game really become popular and internationally represented. Even then, the Germans, Austrians and Hungarians were not permitted to participate due to their involvement in World War I.

Beginning in 1928, first Germany and then Hungary began a reign of dominance over international water polo that lasted into the 1980s, when Yugoslavia, the United States, the USSR, Italy and Spain all fielded extremely competitive teams.

Terminology

Advantage rule: The referee's option not to call a foul if that call would benefit the offending team.

Backhand: A shot or pass that is thrown backward.

Ball Under: A foul that is called on a player who takes or holds the ball underwater while being tackled by an opponent.

Brutality: A foul called for rough or dangerous play such as elbowing, punching or otherwise intending to injure an opponent or official.

Bunny: A hard shot aimed at or near the goalie's head, which results in a goal; also called a "donut."

Centre-Back: A defensive player whose main job is to defend against the opposing centre-forward.

Centre-Forward: The main attacking player who is positioned in front of the opponent's goal between the two-metre and four-metre lines. Also known as the "hole man,"pit man" "hole set" or "two-metre man."

Corner throw: A free throw awarded to the offensive team when a defensive player touches the ball last before it goes over the goal line, outside the goal itself. Taken at the side wall at the two-metre line.

Donut: A hard shot aimed at or near the goalie's head, which results in a goal. Also called a "bunny."

Dribble: To swim with the ball.

Drive: When a player without the ball swims quickly to the front of the opposing goal.

Drop: A defensive strategy in which players protect the centre of the pool and attempt to block the shots on goal.

Dry pass: A pass that can be caught above the water.

Eggbeater: The predominant leg kick used in water polo, used by players to smoothly raise themselves vertically out the water and tread water at the same time, whilst allowing horizontal movement.

Exclusion Area: The area to which offending players are sent for serious fouls for 20 seconds unless their team is scored upon.

Exclusion foul: A foul that results in the offending player being sent to the exclusion area. These include: interfering with a corner throw, free throw or goal throw; holding or pulling an opponent who isn't holding the ball; intentionally striking or splashing an opponent.

Five-metre foul: A foul by a defensive player attempting to prevent a goal in the five-metre area. This results in a penalty throw for the opposing team.

Goal line: An imaginary line across the pool, at the mouth of the goal, marked by white buoys.

Half-distance line: An imaginary line marked by white buoys that divides the playing area in half.

Hole guard: A defensive player who is positioned in front of the net and guards the opposing centre-forward.

Lane press: A defensive strategy in which players block the opponent's passing lanes by positioning themselves between the ball and the players they are guarding.

Man-down: Similar to a short-handed situation in hockey, when a team plays with one less player for 20 seconds or less because of a foul.

Moving pick: Similar to a pick in basketball, where an offensive player runs interference for a teammate, allowing him to pass or shoot the ball.

Penalty throw: A throw taken by an offensive player from the five-metre line with only the goalkeeper defending. Awarded when a defending player commits a foul inside the four-metre line.

Point: The offensive spot located furthest from the goal at the 12 o'clock position.

Five-metre line: An imaginary line across the pool.

Sink: Pushing an opponent underwater during a tackle.

Stalling: Failure to shoot or advance the ball within 30 seconds of gaining possession, resulting in loss of possession.

Swim-off: The race at the start of the game in which players swim for the ball in the centre of the pool.

Two-metre line: An imaginary line across the pool, indicated by red buoys located two metres from each goal.

 

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Water Polo Links

Blackpool water polo Facebook < >

Water Polo Planet < http://waterpoloplanet.com/ > An excelent US polo site

Water Polo Playbook <http://www.jes-soft.com/waterpolo/> Download the playbook/plays/tactics/training exercises etc all here

FINA Water Polo Rules <http://www.fina.org/rules/english/water_polo.php> Changes for 2006

UK National League Site < http://www.nwpl.co.uk/> News/Fixtures/Results etc.

Water Polo Academy Athlete Log Book.pdf < http://www.sportcentric.com/vmgmt/vfilemgmt/page/filedownload/
1,8202,5157-51138-122609-0-file,00.pdf >

<http://www.h2opolo.com/> Water Polo Site

<http://www.jmuwaterpolo.com/rules/> A basic explanation of water polo rules

<http://www.uts-rydewaterpolo.com.au/Tactics.htm> Tactics for Man Up, Man Down and Zonal play (Flash Video explanation)

<http://www.bcwaterpolo.com/coachesandofficials/co_00002.htm> water Polo Training

About.Com <http://swimming.about.com/od/waterpolo/> Water Polo Links

<http://www.users.bigpond.com/MSN/paulw01/> A very good water polo training guide

<http://www.inet.hr/~davgolub/waterpolo/main.htm> One for the GK's

<http://www.bcwaterpolo.com/documents/Changes-
FINAWP%20RULES%202005%20-%202009.pps > Slide show showing the recent changes from 2005 (in depth, one for the experienced players)

Water Polo Playbook <http://www.jes-soft.com/waterpolo/> Download the playbook/plays/tactics/training exercises etc. it's all here...

Videos Links

What is water polo < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThUJYlpJPv0 >

What is Polo MusicVid < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGTZ9aNyAwk >

Backhand Shot < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxLT2z7XeEQ >

Shooting Technique & Pens <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXk6YxlIMo0 >

1956 Trailer < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ORTrafR_nM >

15 amazing goals < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rShVOJ27YQ >

A guide To Water Polo < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfHn3GUF_Ew >

Youre a water polo player if < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHjgMgQPVg8>

Water polo tricks < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkz0kXZEBfY&NR=1 >

Individual Defense < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seTPWBfoQfQ >

Piggy in the middle < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTkJdS2qXhI >

Shooting off a pass < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvdTzjGh_3I >

Tactics: The sprint <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ZT9iTPCx0 >

Tactics: Set offense < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4qh9AypaoI >

Tactics: 6 on 5 basics < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcqKhsHHFC8 >

Tactics: Working the pit < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x48e7gRt-W0 >

Tactics: Penalty Shot < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPeuqVtmjD8 >

Water Polo part2 Grapple <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPvaryvwM8M >

Pressure Points < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvEaIIA9Xec > last resort

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