What do I need to know as a water polo referee at Swimming South Africa matches for players of all ages? Officials needed, authority, positioning, whistles and signals, exclusions, penalty throws, assistant referees, advantage and appeals.
Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 3), the full panel is two referees, two assistant referees, two timekeepers, two secretaries and video assistant referee(s).
At events that aren't World Aquatics events (such as SSA competitions), matches should use the full panel if possible. If not, a match must have at least four technical officials, not counting any video assistant referee, including:
Where numbers differ between matches at the same competition, priority goes to the more important matches; for matches of equal importance, officials are shared equally or the difference is decided randomly by the organisers.
Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 3.5), referees have overall responsibility and full authority to direct players, team officials, other technical officials, spectators and anyone else at the venue to enforce the rules. Everyone must follow their decisions and instructions.
Referees may:
Referees don't presume facts; they interpret what they see, using video review or information from other officials where the rules allow. If a match is abandoned, the rules say the outcome is decided by World Aquatics or its designee.
Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 3.7):
At the start of the match and each period
During play
With only one referee (allowed at non-World Aquatics events with two assistant referees), the referee works from the officials' table side, with the assistant referees on the opposite side.
Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 3.8):
Timekeepers and secretaries also use whistles: the secretary (or a referee) whistles to stop play for a timeout, and the timekeeper whistles at 45 seconds and at the end of a timeout, and to end each period.
From World Aquatics rules, Part Six, Appendix 2:
Restarts
| Decision | Signal |
|---|---|
| Start of a period, restart after a goal, taking a penalty throw | Lower the arm from vertical |
| Free throw, goal throw, corner throw | Point one arm in the direction of attack; if needed, use the other arm to show where the ball is to be put into play |
| Neutral throw | Point to the spot, show both thumbs up and call for the ball |
| Change of possession | Extend one arm horizontally |
Fouls
| Foul | Signal |
|---|---|
| Holding (exclusion) | Hold one wrist with the other hand |
| Sinking (exclusion) | Both hands move downward from horizontal |
| Pulling back (exclusion) | Both hands extended, pulling towards the body |
| Kicking (exclusion) | A kicking movement |
| Striking (exclusion) | Striking motion with a closed fist from horizontal |
| Impeding (exclusion) | One hand crosses the other horizontally |
| Pushing or pushing off (ordinary) | Pushing motion away from the body |
| Ball under water (ordinary) | One hand moves downward from horizontal |
| Standing on the bottom (ordinary) | Raise and lower one foot |
| Undue delay at a throw (ordinary) | Raise a hand once or twice, palm turned |
| 2 m violation (ordinary) | Arm vertical, fore and middle fingers raised |
| Possession time expired (ordinary) | Circle a hand two or three times |
From World Aquatics rules, Part Six, Appendix 2:
| Decision | Signal |
|---|---|
| Exclusion | Point to the player, then move the arm quickly towards the edge of the field of play; then show the player's cap number to the field and the officials' table |
| Two players excluded at once | Point at both players with both hands, signal exclusion, then show both cap numbers |
| Exclusion for misconduct | Exclusion signal, then rotate the hands round one another, show a red card, and show the cap number to the table |
| Exclusion with substitution after 4 minutes (violent action) | Exclusion signal, then cross the arms, show a red card, and show the cap number to the table |
| Penalty throw | Raise an arm with five fingers spread; then show the offender's cap number to the table |
| Goal | Whistle and point to the centre of the field |
| Yellow card to a team | Raise the yellow card and point, parallel to the side line, towards that team's bench |
| Yellow card to a Head Coach | Raise the yellow card and point at the coach |
| Red card | Raise the red card and point at the player, coach or team official |
Cap numbers by hand: 1-9 fingers for numbers 1-9; a clenched fist for 10; above 10, a fist plus fingers on the other hand (fist and three fingers = 13).
Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 10, 17, 18 and 21):
| Reason | When a substitute may enter |
|---|---|
| Misconduct (unacceptable language, aggressive play, refusing orders, disrespect, leaving the pool without permission, acting against the spirit of the game). Red card | Earliest of 18 s of play, a goal, the team regaining the ball, or the team being awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw. If awarded during a stoppage: immediately before the restart |
| Violent action (contact or attempted contact with malicious intent). A penalty throw is awarded if it happened during play | After 4 minutes of actual play |
| Interference with a penalty throw after the whistle. Red card | Earliest of the normal re-entry events above |
| Third personal foul | Immediately if the third was a penalty foul; otherwise the normal re-entry events |
| Grease or oil found after play has started | Immediately |
A player excluded under Article 10 or 17 is also shown a red card. After a team yellow card, any player of that team who repeats the behaviour is shown a red card and excluded for the rest of the match.
A player excluded for the rest of the match leaves via the re-entry area and then the competition area (a player out for three personal fouls may sit on the bench). When the excluded player is the goalkeeper, a substitute goalkeeper may replace a field player at any time.
Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 16):
Signal and position
Problems
The shot must be taken without undue delay, in one uninterrupted movement at goal. If it rebounds off the posts, crossbar or goalkeeper, play continues immediately. In the last minute, the Head Coach may choose a free throw on or behind halfway instead.
Under the current World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Article 3.9), assistant referees sit at the end of the side line, alongside each goal line, on the same side as the officials' table. They signal:
| Situation | Signal |
|---|---|
| Players correctly positioned on the goal line at the start of a period | One arm raised vertically |
| Goal | Both arms raised and crossed above the head |
| Goal throw or corner throw | One arm horizontal, pointing in the direction the team awarded the throw is attacking |
| False start, or improper entry by an excluded player or substitute | Both arms raised vertically |
They also keep a supply of balls and, when the ball leaves the field, throw a new one in: to the goalkeeper for a goal throw, or to the nearest attacker for a corner.
An assistant referee's signal is advisory: the Referee makes the award, and if they conflict, the Referee's decision prevails.
Under World Aquatics rules:
Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.5 and 3.6):
From the SSA 2026 U16 National Water Polo Championship rules:
Those championship rules applied the World Aquatics rules in force from 1 July 2025, with the SSA by-law of a 3-minute half-time interval. This guide follows the February 2026 edition of the World Aquatics rules.