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Tips Every once in a while we will post a tip about waterpolo. These tips are very detailed, and good for coachs, players, and people interested in water polo. Tip 1 The FINA Rules • When one is HOLDING the ball, they may be impeded or their movement can be prevented. (WP20.9) • When one is HOLDING the ball, they may be held, sunk or, pulled back. (WP21.7) • This kind of acceptable CONTACT is commonly called TACKLING. When one is HOLDING the ball and it is pushed under water by a tackling opponent, the ball is awarded, turned over, to the opposing team. (WP20.6) • Failing to put the ball into play, upon a free throw, is a turn over. (WP16.2) One does NOT put the ball into play until they let go of it; stop HOLDING it. (WP16.2) Hence, the ball is NOT put into play when TOUCHED from the top. With these rules in mind, it is important to know when to TOUCH the ball, and when NOT to TOUCH it. Some coaches insist that the ball should never be handled, TOUCHED, by picking it up from the top. Other coaches stress that there are advantages to be gained from handling the ball in this manner; by gripping it from the top. Coach Roy Wilks, my coach, emphatically insisted that the ball NEVER be handled from the top. Considering the consequences of TOUCHING the ball, (see Rules cited above), certainly, all coaches should agree that a player should: (1) know when, choose, to handle the ball from the top; and, (2) do it for a good reason. A player that always handles the ball from the top obviously knows neither and will never develop into a good player until they discontinue this bad habit. A player that never handles the ball from the top is playing it safe, being conservative. A player that is being conservative, refrains from TOUCHING the ball from the top, loses very very little from the arsenal of essential ball handling skills. Each time one TOUCHES the ball from the top, they invite themselves to be tackled. Each time one is tackled, they lose energy. Inviting oneself to be tackled, unnecessarily throughout the game, greatly reduces the chances that one will have enough energy to score or to defend at the end of the game. I have my players consistently tackle players, HARD, that handle the ball often, and especially from on top, for this reason; to drain the opposing players' energy. When one begins to make a motion to pick the ball up from the top the defender knows, can easily anticipate, that the ball is going to be TOUCHED. Knowing this, that defender can, simultaneously, tackle the opponent at the very moment the ball is TOUCHED. Picking the ball up from the top greatly increases the amount of time the ball must be handled before it is released which greatly increases the chance that a shot or a pass will be stopped. Think about this! When picking the ball from the top one cannot, instantly, either shoot or pass. Before one can shoot or pass the ball, picked up from the top off the water, it must either be cocked back or the wrist must be rotated under the ball. On the other hand, when the ball is picked up from underneath it can be, instantly, either shot or passed. A defender has difficulty anticipating when the ball will be TOUCHED when it is picked up from underneath. And, even if the defender anticipates when the ball will be TOUCHED, when TOUCHED from underneath, that defender will more than NOT tackle that player; knowing full well that a foul will most probably be called if they do. This is because the referee cannot see when the ball is being TOUCHED from underneath. The worst thing that happens from picking the ball up from the top, at the wrong times, is that it greatly decreases the accuracy of passes and shots. Shooting or passing the ball, after gripping it, often puts a slice on the ball. For these reasons, it is best to teach beginners never to handle the ball from the top. Beginners should learn how to play conservative, fundamental, water polo foremost. As a player becomes proficient, makes strategic decisions, they can be taught when and how to handle the ball from the top. In general, the ball should never be handled from the top unless: (1) there is a good strategic reason for doing so; and, (2) the player is capable of doing it quickly and, without losing the ball often. Coach Daniel Cooper 8/11/02 |
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