What do I do when a player gets a personal foul, and what happens at three?

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.