Table Official's Guide to Water Polo Australia Club Water Polo Open Age 2026

The timekeepers must:

• Announce audibly the start of the last minute of the match.
• Signal by whistle (or another audible, distinctive means) when 45 seconds of a timeout have passed.
• Signal by whistle the end of each timeout.
• Signal by whistle the end of each period. This takes immediate effect, except that a penalty throw awarded at the same moment as the end of the period is taken before the period ends. The same applies where a goal is awarded for a ball in flight at the end of the period: the period ends immediately after the penalty throw is taken or the goal is awarded.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Article 3.10.5.

A team may keep possession without shooting at the opponent's goal for no more than 28 seconds of actual play. The timekeepers keep this time and operate the shot clock, setting and resetting it as possession starts or changes. The referees keep overall authority on possession and can direct the timekeepers.

Possession starts when a player gains the ball. The clock is reset when the other team gains possession, or when a player shoots (the ball leaves the hand with the intention of shooting and scoring, whether or not it is accurate).

After a shot:

• Goal: reset to 28 seconds.
• Ball rebounds into play off the post, crossbar or another player and nobody gains possession: reset, but do not restart until a player gains possession. If the shooting team regains it, it has 18 seconds. If the other team gains it, 28 seconds.
• Ball leaves the side line: reset to 28 seconds (except in the 18-second cases below).

Reset to 18 seconds (irrespective of time left) after a penalty throw with no change of possession, after a corner throw, and after certain side-line free throws caused by the team without possession or a goalkeeper blocking a shot. After an exclusion foul with no change of possession, the team gets the greater of 18 seconds or the time left on the clock if more than 18 seconds remained.

If a team holds possession past the limit without shooting, an ordinary foul is awarded.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 3.10.4, 8.3 and 9.

Each team may request up to two timeouts per match, and each timeout lasts one minute.

• During play, only the team in possession can request one. During a stoppage, the team due to have possession at the restart can.
• No timeout can be called during a VAR review or between periods.
• It is requested by calling "Timeout" audibly and signalling to the officials' table or a referee with a capital T (one hand horizontal on top of one hand vertical).
• A secretary or referee who hears or sees a valid request immediately whistles the timeout and stoppage.
• The timekeepers whistle once 45 seconds have passed (players may then move anywhere in the Field of Play) and again at the end of the timeout.

If a team that does not have possession requests a timeout during play, play is stopped and a penalty throw is awarded to the opposing team.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 3.10.5, 3.11.2.2 and 5.

With two secretaries at the table, one maintains the Record of the Game. The other handles the improper entry of excluded players or substitutes, the exclusion of players and third personal fouls.

Between them the secretaries:

• Signal a timeout and stoppage by whistle when a team calls one.
• Administer exclusion periods, including signalling when a period expires and when four minutes of actual play have passed after a violent action exclusion.
• Signal with a red flag (or another approved method) for an improper entry and for a third personal foul.

If a match has only one secretary and two timekeepers, that secretary keeps the record and performs all the secretary duties above.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 3.11 and 3.14.4.2.

For an ordinary exclusion foul (not misconduct, violent action or penalty throw interference), the player is not excluded for the rest of the match. The player, or a substitute, may re-enter after the earliest of:

• 18 seconds of actual play since the exclusion foul was awarded. The secretaries signal this with the appropriate flag, or a device authorised for the match.
• A goal being awarded.
• The excluded player's team retaking possession (the referees signal re-entry by hand).
• The excluded player's team being awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw.

When a period of exclusion expires (rather than ending because possession changed), the secretary signals the expiry by raising the appropriate flag or by another approved method. The timekeepers record the exclusion and re-entry times.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 3.10.2.5, 3.11.2.3.1 and 10.5.

A player excluded for violent action is excluded for the remainder of the match. A substitute may replace that player once four minutes of actual play have elapsed since the exclusion foul was awarded. This applies whether the foul was awarded during play or during a stoppage.

The secretary signals that four minutes of actual play have passed by raising the yellow flag together with the coloured flag for that team (white or blue, depending on the team's cap colour), or by another approved method.

The timekeepers record the exclusion times and the re-entry times of excluded players or their substitutes.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 3.10.2.5, 3.11.2.3.2 and 10.8.

A personal foul is recorded against any player who commits an exclusion foul or a penalty foul. The referee indicates the offending player's cap number to the secretary, who records it.

When the referee awards a player a third personal foul, signal with a red flag (or another approved method). Three personal fouls in a match exclude that player for the rest of the match, and the player must leave the Field of Play without delay.

A substitute can replace that player straight away if the third personal foul was a penalty foul. Otherwise the substitute can enter at the earliest of: 18 seconds of actual play since the foul, a goal being awarded, the player's team retaking possession, or the team being awarded a free throw, goal throw or penalty throw.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 3.11.2.4.2, 17.1 to 17.4 and 10.5.2.

Signal with a red flag (or another approved method) for any improper entry of an excluded player or of a substitute. The signal stops play immediately. The secretary may signal after an assistant referee indicates an improper entry, but does not have to wait for it.

The secretary who does not keep the Record of the Game carries out this duty, together with the duties for exclusions and third personal fouls.

If a player commits improper entry after committing a foul, that player receives only one personal foul, which the secretary marks.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 3.11.2.4.1, 3.11.3 and 11.1.6.2.

The Record of the Game is a written record of: the players on the Field of Play, goals scored, timeouts taken, exclusion fouls (including misconduct and violent action), penalty fouls and personal fouls.

If a match or part of a match must be replayed, the goals, personal fouls and timeouts from the replayed part are deleted from the record, along with any consequences. Exclusions for violent action, misconduct and any red card stay on the record.

Your role is to record and signal what the referees decide, not to make those decisions.

Source: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (February 2026), Part Six, Articles 2.50, 3.11.4 and 4.5.