Table Official's Guide to Swimming South Africa Water Polo All Ages 2025/26

Mostly no. Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.5, 3.10 and 3.11):

• The secretaries' role is to record and signal events in the match and the decisions of the referees and other officials, not to make those decisions.
• The referees keep overall authority, including over possession and the shot clock, and may direct the timekeepers on timings.
• Everyone at the match, including table officials, must follow the referees' decisions and instructions.

The table does act on its own in set situations: the secretary whistles to stop play for a valid timeout, signals when an exclusion period expires, signals improper entry with the red flag (which stops play immediately), and the timekeeper signals 45 seconds and the end of a timeout and ends each period. Referees may also consult table officials if they think it helps.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.10 and 4), one timekeeper records the exact periods of actual play, timeouts and the intervals between periods.

• A match has four periods of 8 minutes of actual play.
• Start the clock at the start of each period when a player first touches the ball.
• Stop it at every stoppage (for example a foul, a goal or a video review).
• Restart it when the ball leaves the hand of the player taking the throw, or, after a neutral throw, when a player touches the ball.
• Intervals: 2 minutes between periods 1 and 2 and between periods 3 and 4; 5 minutes at half-time under World Aquatics rules. The SSA 2026 U16 Nationals used a 3-minute half-time.
• Teams change ends before the third period.
• Announce the last minute of the match, and signal the end of each period.

If the match is level after four periods, a penalty shootout follows after a 3-minute break, shown on the shot clock.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.10.5, 7.7 and 16.8), the timekeeper signals the end of each period by whistle (or another audible signal), and the signal ends the period immediately, except:

• Penalty awarded at the same moment: the penalty throw is taken first. All players except the shooter and the defending goalkeeper leave the field into the flying substitution area. The period ends once the throw has been taken (scored, missed, or rebounded).
• Ball in flight: if a shot is in the air when time expires and crosses the goal line without anyone else gaining possession (and without an attacker deliberately playing it), the goal counts, including after bouncing off the water, the goalkeeper or a defender, or an unintentional touch by an attacker. Otherwise the period ends.

The timekeeper also announces the start of the last minute of the match.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.10 and 9), a timekeeper keeps the time a team holds the ball, displayed on a shot clock visible to officials and players.

Starting and resetting

• Possession starts when a player gains the ball, including at the start or restart of play. A team has 28 seconds of actual play to shoot.
• Reset when the other team gains possession (new 28 seconds) or when the team shoots. After a shot, the clock is reset but doesn't restart until a player gains the ball.
• Possession continues through passes and deflections, and after a foul or stoppage that doesn't change possession.

Set to 18 seconds when:

• the shooting team regains the ball after a rebound;
• after a corner throw;
• after a penalty throw that doesn't change possession;
• after a side-line free throw caused by a defender's deliberate touch or the goalkeeper's block;
• after an exclusion foul that leaves the same team with the ball: 18 seconds, or the time left if more than 18.

Simultaneous exclusions: the clock is not reset if a team had the ball; with no possession, reset to 28 and restart with a neutral throw.

If the clock expires without a shot, it's an ordinary foul. Referees keep authority over possession decisions and may direct the timekeepers.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.10, 3.11 and 10):

Ordinary exclusions (18 seconds)

• The timekeepers record each exclusion and the re-entry time of the player or substitute.
• An excluded player may re-enter at the earliest of: 18 seconds of actual play; a goal; their team regaining possession (the Referee signals re-entry by hand); or their team being awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw.
• When the exclusion expires on time (rather than ending through a change of possession), the secretary signals it by raising the appropriate flag (or another approved device).

Violent action (4 minutes)

• The excluded player is out for the rest of the match, and a substitute may enter only after four minutes of actual play.
• The secretary signals that the four minutes are up by raising the yellow flag together with the team's white or blue flag (matching its cap colour), or another approved signal.

Simultaneous exclusions: the Referees tell the secretaries which players are excluded, and all of them may return at the earliest of 18 seconds, a goal, or the next change of possession.

The actual game clock keeps running only during actual play, so the 18 seconds and 4 minutes count actual play time only.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.11.2.4 and 11.1.6), the secretary signals with the red flag (or another approved method) for:

• Improper entry by an excluded player or a substitute, for example re-entering before the exclusion has ended, or from the wrong place. The signal stops play immediately. The secretary may signal on their own observation, or after an assistant referee raises both arms.
• The Referee's award of a player's third personal foul.

After an improper entry, the other team gets a penalty throw, taken once the offending player has been removed from the field (by immediate substitution if needed). An excluded player who came in early must leave before the penalty and may re-enter after it at the earliest of the exclusion expiring or their team regaining the ball or being awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw. If the exclusion was for violent action, the substitute may enter only when the four minutes are up.

Entering during play without the correct cap also counts as improper entry.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.11 and 17):

• A personal foul is recorded against a player for every exclusion foul or penalty foul (not ordinary fouls).
• The Referee shows the offending player's cap number to the secretary, who records it on the match record.
• When the Referee awards a player's third personal foul, the secretary signals it with the red flag (or another approved signal).
• The player is then excluded for the rest of the match. If the third foul was a penalty foul, a substitute may enter immediately; otherwise the substitute enters at the normal exclusion re-entry point.

No personal foul is recorded when a penalty is awarded because a coach or team official called an invalid timeout or acted to delay the match. If a player commits improper entry straight after committing a foul, they receive only one personal foul.

Under World Aquatics rules (Part Six, Articles 3.10, 3.11 and 5):

Requests

• Each team has two one-minute timeouts per match.
• The Head Coach (or acting head coach) calls "Timeout" aloud and signals a "T" with the hands to the table or a referee, or uses an authorised timeout device from the bench.
• Valid only for the team in possession during play, or, during a stoppage, the team due to restart with the ball. Not allowed during a video review or between periods.

At the table

• The secretary (or a referee) who hears or sees a valid request immediately whistles to stop play. The match stays stopped for the timeout.
• The timekeeper times it and whistles (or uses another audible signal) at 45 seconds, when players may move anywhere, and at the end of the timeout.
• Play restarts on the Referee's whistle with a free throw on or behind halfway (or the pending penalty throw).

Invalid requests: by the team not in possession during play, the other team gets a penalty throw (no personal foul is recorded when a coach or team official called it) and the calling team loses a remaining timeout. By the team in possession with none left: free throw to the opponents on or behind halfway. During a stoppage with none left: no timeout.

Under World Aquatics rules, one secretary keeps the Record of the Game, a written record of:

• the players on the field of play;
• goals scored;
• timeouts taken;
• exclusion fouls (including misconduct and violent action);
• penalty fouls;
• personal fouls.

When the Referee awards a personal foul, the Referee shows the offending player's cap number to the secretary to record.

Cards: when the Referee shows a yellow or red card, it is shown visibly to the recipient and to the officials' table with the recipient's cap number (for a player) or identity (for a coach or team official), and the secretary records it.

If part of a match is replayed, goals, personal fouls and timeouts from that part are deleted from the record, but exclusions for violent action or misconduct and red cards stay on it.

At events that aren't World Aquatics events, a match needs at least one timekeeper and one secretary (World Aquatics rules, Part Six, Article 3.14.4):