anonymous / June 25, 2014
Water polo is a huge mystery to most of the world because half of the sport is played underwater. One of the most commonly used phrases in the sport of water polo is “If the referee cant see it, it didn’t happen”.
This is very true, our referees have one of the hardest jobs in the world of sports. They have to officiate a game where can only see half of what is really going on. If they are former players they know the intricacies of holding your opponents swim suit or pinning them with your legs but if they can’t see it they can’t call it.
At the Olympic level, there are underwater camera’s that are used to show spectators at home what is really going on underwater. Spectators are fascinated by the quick, powerful leg moments, the explosiveness of going from vertical to horizontal and back to vertical in a matter of seconds.
I may be a little biased but water polo is one of the toughest sports to play in part because you have to swim well, wrestle a little and get the ball past a goalie. We have elements of soccer, ice hockey, basketball and so much more. If you haven’t seen any footage of what goes on underwater during a water polo game I recommend you spend a little time on YouTube this summer and search for “underwater water polo” and check out some fun (underwater) footage of Olympic matches!