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Home > Teachers & Coaches > Games
Sometimes a game can make the FUNdamentals of water polo just a
bit more fun. Here are some ideas.
Relay races
(strokes, skills, fitness, passing)
Put players in teams of between 2 and 4 players. Practise mixtures
of different polo strokes and skills in a series of races. Add balls
for even more fun.
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Piggy in the middle
(high passes, jumping, goalkeeping)
Make a circle of players. Put two or three players in the middle.
Players in the circle try to pass the ball to someone on the other
side. If a ball is stopped, the thrower swaps places with the person
in the middle who stopped it.
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Duck, duck, goose
(swimming, passing)
Players make a circle about 2m apart and start passing the ball.
One player swims slowly around the outside saying either duck or
goose to each player passed. When the outside player says 'goose'
to another player, the two race around the circle. The last one
back to the space is on the outside for the next round.
Meanwhile, players in the circle can try to make a set number of
catches while the race is on.
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Crossing the fence
(defending, making a break)
Line up players along the side of the pool. Put a few players in
a line in the middle of the pool. On the signal, the players at
the side must swim to the other side. If they are tagged, they stay
in the middle.
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Ball war
(passing)
Put the same number of balls at each end of the pool. Divide players
into two teams. On a signal, players throw balls to the other end.
After a fixed time, the winner is the team with the least balls.
Playing over a volley ball net makes this game more challenging.
For improved accuracy and safety, deduct points if balls hit the
poolside, another player or an onlooker.
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Stick in the mud
(swimming, changing direction)
This is traditional, schoolyard, weaving and dodging tig! Stand
when tagged. Other players can touch or swim under legs to release
a tagged player.
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North, South, East, West
(listening, swimming, changing direction, jumping, treading water)
Assign each side of the pool with a direction. Swimmers must swim
fast in the direction called out. They must change direction quickly.
Introduce other calls to practise other polo or aquatics skills:
- icebergs (stand still)
- jump for the ball
- captain's coming (salute and tread water)
- wave coming over (duck under water)
- crocodile's coming (climb out onto poolside)
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