Player's Guide to Swimming South Africa Water Polo U16 2025/26

Under World Aquatics age group rules (Part Six, Appendix 6), U16 is for players aged 15 and 16 years and under. You're eligible if you are 16 or younger on 31 December of the year the competition starts, in other words you won't turn 17 on or before 31 December that year.

The next junior age groups are U18 (17 and 18 and under) and U20 (19 and 20 and under), worked out the same way.

National federations and organisers may adopt different age rules for their own competitions. The SSA U16 National Championship is SSA's main age group event and is used to select players for the World Aquatics U16 World Championships, which use the World Aquatics age rule.

Match length (World Aquatics rules, Part Six, Article 4): four periods of 8 minutes of actual play. The clock starts when a player first touches the ball and stops at every stoppage until the ball is put back into play.

Teams change ends before the third period. Each period starts with players on their own goal line, about 1 m apart, and the ball released at halfway.

If it's level after four periods, there's no extra time: the winner is decided by a penalty shootout:

• A 3-minute break, during which a coin toss decides which team shoots first.
• Five players from each team stay in the water; the rest sit on the bench.
• Teams take alternate penalty throws against the other team's goalkeeper, in an order each team chooses. If the shootout goes beyond five each, the same order repeats.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 9), a team may keep the ball for 28 seconds of actual play without shooting. If it doesn't shoot in time, it's an ordinary foul and the other team gets a free throw.

The clock resets when the other team gains possession or when your team shoots (a throw intended to score counts, even if it's off target).

18 seconds instead of 28:

• Your team gets the ball back after a shot rebounds off the posts, crossbar, goalkeeper or another player.
• After a corner throw.
• After a penalty throw that doesn't change possession.
• After a free throw for the ball going out over the side line off a defender's deliberate play, or off the goalkeeper's block.
• After an exclusion foul that leaves your team with the ball: you get 18 seconds, or the time left if more than 18.

A fresh 28 seconds applies after a goal, a goal throw, a neutral throw, or a change of possession from a penalty throw.

At the 2026 SSA U16 Nationals, the competition rules confirmed the reduction from 30 to 28 seconds possession, and from 20 to 18 seconds for corners, rebounds and exclusions.

An ordinary foul gives the other team a free throw, with no exclusion and no personal foul (World Aquatics rules, Part Six, Article 8). Common ones:

• A false start (leaving your goal line before the Referee's signal at the start of a period), or moving the goal before the start.
• Holding or pushing off from the goal posts or the sides or ends of the pool.
• Touching the bottom of the pool (standing, walking or jumping off it), except the goalkeeper in their own 6 m area.
• Touching the ball with two hands at once, or hitting it with a clenched fist (except the goalkeeper in their 6 m area).
• Taking or holding the whole ball underwater when tackled or to hide it.
• Pushing or pushing off from an opponent who is dribbling or not holding the ball.
• Being in the opponent's 2 m goal area unless behind the line of the ball.
• Simulation (pretending to have been fouled), deliberately giving the ball away, or getting physical help from a team-mate.
• Swimming fully underwater to gain position.
• Taking a free throw, goal throw, corner throw or penalty throw the wrong way, or with undue delay.
• Holding the ball past the shot clock.

An exclusion foul sends the player out (normally for 18 seconds of play) and gives the other team a free throw (World Aquatics rules, Part Six, Article 10). They include:

• Interfering with a free throw, goal throw or corner throw: touching or pushing the thrower, not releasing the ball, playing the ball before it leaves the thrower's hand, or not moving 1 m away from the ball (or raising an arm to block before you're 1 m away).
• Blocking a pass or shot with two hands outside your own 6 m area.
• Splashing water in an opponent's face on purpose.
• Impeding an opponent who is dribbling or not holding the ball, for example climbing on their shoulders, back or legs, holding, sinking or pulling them back, or a defender swimming fully underwater to gain position.
• A tactical foul: a foul made mainly to stop the other team's attack.
• A disproportionate movement: any movement intended to kick or strike, even without contact.
• Misconduct or violent action (these exclude you for the rest of the match).
• At a penalty throw, not taking or leaving the correct position after a warning.

Each one is recorded as a personal foul.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 10):

Leaving: leave the field of play at the nearest point, then, without getting out of the pool, swim to the exclusion re-entry area behind your own goal line and visibly come to the surface, without interfering with play. Failing to start leaving without delay can be penalised as interference, giving a penalty throw.

Coming back (for an ordinary exclusion foul), you or a substitute may re-enter from the re-entry area nearest your own goal line at the earliest of:

• 18 seconds of actual play after the exclusion (the secretary signals with a flag);
• a goal being scored (you may then re-enter from anywhere);
• your team regaining possession (the Referee signals re-entry by hand); or
• your team being awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw.

You may not jump or push off from the side or wall to re-enter. Re-entering early, or without permission, is improper entry and gives the other team a penalty throw.

Every exclusion foul also counts as a personal foul; three means you're out for the rest of the match.

Penalty fouls (World Aquatics rules, Part Six, Article 11) include, inside your own 6 m area:

• any foul that prevents a likely goal;
• taking the ball under when tackled, if a goal was likely;
• pulling over or moving the goal;
• impeding an attacker from behind who is facing goal and shooting (the Referee waits to see the shot; if it scores, no penalty);
• a field player blocking with two hands, or playing the ball with a clenched fist.

Also: an excluded player deliberately interfering with play, improper entry (including without the correct cap), and the team not in possession calling a timeout.

Taking the penalty throw (Article 16):

• From any point on the 5 m line, by any player of the team, on the Referee's whistle and arm signal, in one uninterrupted movement straight at goal.
• Only the shooter and the goalkeeper may be inside the 6 m area; everyone else at least 3 m from the shooter. The goalkeeper must be on the goal line between the posts.
• If the goalkeeper moves forward before the whistle and the shot misses, the goalkeeper is excluded and the throw retaken.
• In the last minute of the match, the Head Coach may choose a free throw on or behind halfway, with a fresh 28 seconds, instead of the penalty.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 17):

• A personal foul is recorded against a player every time they commit an exclusion foul or a penalty foul. Ordinary fouls don't count.
• The Referee shows the player's cap number to the secretary, who records it.
• A player with three personal fouls is excluded for the rest of the match and must leave the field of play straight away. The secretary signals the third personal foul with a red flag.
• If the third foul was a penalty foul, a substitute may come in immediately. Otherwise, the substitute comes in on the normal exclusion re-entry (18 seconds of play, a goal, or when the team regains the ball or is awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw, whichever is first).

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 10 and 18):

A kick or strike without malicious intent (a "disproportionate movement") is an ordinary exclusion foul instead.

Cards:

• A yellow card is an official warning for the rest of the match, shown to a team (for repeated fouls, simulation, unsporting behaviour or protesting) or to the Head Coach.
• After a team yellow, any player who commits more of that behaviour gets a red card and is excluded for the rest of the match.
• A player excluded for the rest of the match, including for three personal fouls, is also shown a red card.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 21.4):

• Players must wear their cap at all times in the field of play, the flying substitution area and the exclusion re-entry area.
• Caps have malleable ear protectors in the same colour as the cap, are fastened under the chin, and are numbered on both sides (numbers 10 mm high).
• Colours: the first-listed team wears white (or its team colour) and the second-listed team blue (or its team colour); the two must be easy to tell apart. Goalkeepers wear red.
• Numbers: the starting goalkeeper wears 1; field players wear 2 to 14 (a substitute goalkeeper may wear any number from 2 to 14). You can't change number during a match without the Referee's permission.
• Entering the field of play during play without the correct cap counts as improper entry and gives the other team a penalty throw.

At the SSA U16 National Championships, the first-listed team wears white (light) caps and the second blue (dark), and the organising committee provides the caps.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 21.5), players must:

• Wear swimwear that meets the World Aquatics swimwear rules.
• Remove anything that could injure or obstruct another player, themselves or an official (for example jewellery).
• Keep fingernails properly cut to reduce the risk of injury.
• Have no grease, oil or similar substance on the body or hands. If the Referee finds it before play starts, it must be removed straight away. If it's found after play has started, the player is excluded for the rest of the match, with immediate substitution.

The SSA U16 National Championship rules repeat these safety points: remove any article that could cause injury, and keep fingernails short.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 5):

• Each team gets two timeouts per match, each one minute long.
• Only the team in possession may call one during play. During a stoppage, the team due to have the ball at the restart may call one. No timeouts during a video review or between periods.
• The Head Coach calls "Timeout" and makes a "T" sign with the hands to the officials' table or a referee.
• Players must move straight into the half they're defending. After 45 seconds a whistle lets players move anywhere.
• Play restarts with a free throw on or behind the halfway line to the team that had (or was due) the ball, or with the penalty throw if one had been awarded.

Invalid timeouts:

• Called by the team not in possession during play: a penalty throw to the other team, and the calling team loses one timeout if it has one left.
• Called by the team in possession with none left: a free throw to the other team on or behind halfway.