2019 Men’s Guide UNDERSTANDING THE GAME OF WATER POLO Water Polo can be a confusing game for spectators. The Fouls whistle is constantly blowing and the play never stops, When an infraction of the rules occurs, the referee will even when someone is ejected for a penalty. In addition, point in the direction of the team taking possession, there are many misconceptions about the game, including while blowing his whistle. The ball is put back into play how the players keep their horses swimming. Well hang in with an action called a free throw. This means the player there, because the following information should help to gets three seconds of free time to throw the ball to an- make the picture much clearer. other teammate or swim it up the pool. A player cannot shoot a free throw unless outside the five-meter line. If General Information the ball is not put into play within three seconds, the 1. Each team has six field players and a goalie. other team takes possession. 2. Field players can only use one hand to touch the ball, goalies two. Fouls can be ordinary or major. Ordinary fouls are best 3. Games consist of 7-minute quarters for club divisions, understood as minor fouls. For example, a defender 8-minute quarters for varsity divisions. may reach over an opponent’s back to get at the ball 4. The object of the game is to score by placing the ball while facing away from the goal. The penalty for an completely in the goal. Players may move the ball by swim- ordinary foul is a free throw for the opposing team. ming or passing. 5. Teams may substitute after a goal is scored, during a Major fouls are more severe and are penalized accord- time-out or during the play from the ejection area. ingly. For example, when a defender fouls an opponent 6. Each team receives three time-outs and one 20-second too aggressively, or from behind when the opponent is time-out per game. facing the goal, the defender is ejected for 20 seconds 7. Shots blocked out of bounds by defensive players result (players may reenter the game if their team recovers the in the defensive team receiving possession. If a defender ball before the ejection time is up, or if the opposing uses two hands to block a shot, the offensive team receives team scores). When the foul occurs within five meters a penalty shot. of the goal and the referee believes the player had a high chance of scoring, the opposition shoots a penalty shot. Major fouls can also occur through disrespect to the 2019 Men’s Guide Table of Contents referee or when a player interferes with an opponent’s About the CWPA .................................................................Pages 2-3 free throw. Players may only receive three major fouls CWPA Timeline......................................................................... Page 4 before elimination. Competitive Format .............................................................Pages 5-6 Men’s Championship Results ...........................................Pages 8-13 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Rosters .............Pages 16-18 If all of this has you totally confused, just sit back and Northeast Water Polo Conference Rosters ..................Pages 18-19 enjoy the game. The easiest way to follow the play is by Men’s Club Rosters .........................................................Pages 21-27 watching the scoreboard. If your team is ahead at the end, great! If not, well consider that you have expanded www.collegiatewaterpolo.org your horizons. When the game is over, you can at least explain to your friends that the horses never get wet. history of the COLLEGIATE WATER POLO ASSOCIATION The Collegiate Water Polo Association provides a number of benefits to its membership including: Services Provided Conference website Desk official training and support Championship tournament management Hall of Fame Banquet Hotel reservations for teams and officials Job placement service Online education Referee assignments Referee training program Scheduling Streaming kits Equipment Provided Free balls for all host sites One free ball for every team Score sheets for tournament hosts Laminated scoring guide for tournament hosts NCAA Rules Book and Fox 40 whistle for every team Complimentary program for every club athlete and coach Awards Distributed Administration Awards for top two teams in each division The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) is a member Awards for top coaches in each division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and All-Tournament and MVP awards at championship events is comprised of collegiate institutions. The purpose of the Certificates for Scholar-Athletes Association is to serve its membership through a variety of All-Conference awards for best 14 players per division ways, including the coordination of a competitive schedule. All-America awards for collegiate club teams As a non-profit 501 (c)-3 organization, it is also a charitable entity, capable of receiving donations that are tax deductible. For more information about the Association, contact All gifts may be sent to the office, with an acknowledgment the office at: returned to you for your tax records. Collegiate Water Polo Association Office Staff 129 West 4th Street Commissioner.....................................................Daniel Sharadin Bridgeport, PA 19405 Email...........................commissioner@collegiatewaterpolo.org (610) 277-6787 (610) 277-7382 fax Assistant Commissioner...........................................Tom Tracey [email protected] Email.........................................tracey@collegiatewaterpolo.org www.collegiatewaterpolo.org Director of Communications........................................Ed Haas CWPA Sportsmanship Statement Email............................................haas@collegiatewaterpolo.org The CWPA and the NCAA promote good sportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches and spectators. We request your Director of Multimedia.........................................Justin Cypert cooperation by supporting the participants and officials in a Email..........................................video@collegiatewaterpolo.org positive manner. Profanity, racial or sexist comments, or other intimidating actions directed at the officials, student-athletes, Coordinator of Membership Services...............Ian Thompson coaches, event personnel or team representatives will not be Email.............................membership@collegiatewaterpolo.org tolerated and are grounds for removal from the site of compe- tition. Also, consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages Coordinator of Officials................................................Ed Reed and tobacco products is prohibited. Email......................................officials@collegiatewaterpolo.org 2 Affiliate Organizations History of the CWPA There are many organizations affiliated with the sport of wa- The Collegiate Water Polo Association originally began as ter polo and the landscape can be somewhat confusing when the Mid Atlantic Conference, founded by Dick Russell in the trying to sort out which entity offers what services. To make 1970’s. Its founding membership included teams from Mary- matters a little easier to understand, the organizations can be land, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. divided into two basic groups: scholastic and non scholastic. The scholastic organizations are those that have some affilia- The conference relied on volunteer coaches until 1990, when tion with the educational system. These include college, high it hired a commissioner to perform basic scheduling for the school, junior college and middle school teams, as well as 15 member teams. Officiating assignments at the time were their respective administrative bodies that offer competitive performed by an independent organization called the Eastern leagues and support. In this category one would find state Water Polo Referees Association (EWPRA). sanctioning organizations, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association for Intercolle- The next major milepost occurred in 1993, when the Southern giate Athletics (NAIA) and all the collegiate conferences rec- and New England Conferences merged into the Mid Atlantic. ognized by the NCAA or NAIA. Each individual organiza- The new structure combined all of the varsity teams in the tion operates independently with its own governing structure. East, along with the few sport clubs in existence at that time. The NCAA and the NAIA are two organizations that serve During the 1995 season, the conference received its first major a unique position. They each provide a supervisory role for challenge, as the organization experienced a strike by its offi- their member schools. The colleges and universities that are ciating core. This strike ultimately resulted in the organization members of each respective organization choose to establish establishing its own officiating bureau, assuming responsibility and follow a set of guidelines that govern competition. Spe- for all of its officiating assignments. The conference hired Tere cifically, these guidelines include eligibility, academic progress Ma as its inaugural Director of Officials and Loren Bertocci for their student-athletes, competitive rules, championship as its first Technical Director. These two individuals laid the guidelines, recruiting and financial aid. groundwork for the Officiating Bureau that exists today. Schools that become members of one of these organizations The conference has grown over the years as well, with several agree