Water polo

Water polo is played seven against seven in deep water, where players never touch the bottom: four eight-minute periods, thirty seconds to complete a move, and an enormous physical exertion, as players must stay afloat throughout the match using only the thrust of their legs. Goals are scored into nets three metres wide and ninety centimetres high. It originated in England in the late nineteenth century as a sort of aquatic rugby, was formalised in the 1880s, and in 1900 became the first team sport to be included in the modern Olympic Games. It has a very strong tradition in the Mediterranean: Italy, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro have been among the world’s best for decades. Tactically, the game revolves around numerical superiority: every serious foul results in a twenty-second exclusion and creates a gap that teams try to exploit with quick attacking moves. The roles of the centre-forward, with their back to the goal, and the goalkeeper, who is allowed to come out of the water up to their waist, are the most specialised. At the 20th Mediterranean Games in Taranto 2026, water polo will be contested from 28 August to 3 September at the Torre d’Ayala Swimming Stadium: one title up for grabs, with preliminary rounds followed by semi-finals and finals.

• 1Seven players per team (six plus the goalkeeper), four periods of eight minutes’ actual playing time
• 2Thirty seconds’ possession to complete the move
• 3It is forbidden to touch the bottom of the pool, sink the ball or hold back an opponent who does not have the ball
• 4Serious fouls result in a twenty-second temporary sending-off, with the offending team playing with a numerical advantage
• 5One title in Taranto, from 28 August to 3 September at the Torre d’Ayala Swimming Stadium