Water Polo Glossary for Parents: Terms You Hear on the Pool Deck
A parent-friendly water polo glossary: positions, referee calls, offense and defense terms, and the pool-deck slang coaches use, explained in plain English.
What changed: Expanded from 12 to about 30 terms, grouped them by positions, calls, offense, defense, and equipment, and added common US pool-deck slang. Suggest an update
Water polo has its own language, and coaches shout a lot of it from the deck. Once you know the terms, the game gets much easier to follow.
What are the water polo positions called?
Term
Meaning
Center (2-meter, hole set)
The attacker in front of the goal who fights for position against the center defender.
Center defender (hole D)
The defender guarding the center.
Wing
An attacker near the post on either side of the goal (positions 1 and 5).
Flat
An attacker between the wing and the point (positions 2 and 4).
Point
The attacker at the top of the arc (position 3) who often runs the offense.
Driver
A perimeter attacker who swims hard toward the goal to create space.
Utility
A player who can play several positions well.
Goalkeeper
The player guarding the goal, usually wearing a red cap.
What do the referee calls mean?
Term
Meaning
Ordinary foul
A minor foul. The offense gets a free pass and play continues.
Exclusion (kickout, ejection)
A major foul. The defender leaves for up to 20 seconds.
Penalty (5-meter)
A foul inside 6 meters that stops a probable goal. The offense shoots from the 5-meter mark.
Offensive foul
A foul by the attacker, usually pushing off. Possession changes.
Personal foul
Exclusions and penalties count as personal fouls. Three and a player is out.
Corner throw
Awarded when the defense last touches the ball before it crosses its own goal line.
What do the offense terms mean?
Term
Meaning
Inside water
Position between your opponent and the goal. The most valuable spot in the pool.
Drive
A hard swim toward open water or the goal to create an advantage.
6-on-5 (man-up, power play)
The offense has an extra player after an exclusion.
Counterattack
A fast break after a turnover, steal, or save.
Wet pass
A pass placed on the water in front of a teammate to swim onto.
Dry pass
A pass caught in the hand without the ball touching the water.
Lob
A high, arcing shot over the goalie.
Skip shot
A shot bounced off the water in front of the goalie.
Shot clock
The possession timer that forces the offense to shoot.
What do the defense terms mean?
Term
Meaning
Press
Every defender guards an attacker closely, player to player.
Zone
Defenders guard areas instead of specific players.
Drop (M-drop)
Perimeter defenders sink back toward the center to crowd the 2-meter area.
Fronting
Defending the center from in front, between the center and the ball.
Block
Raising a hand in a shooting lane to stop a shot.
Steal
Taking the ball from an attacker.
What equipment and game terms should parents know?
Term
Meaning
Cap
Numbered headgear with ear guards. Teams wear dark or white. Goalies wear red.
Swim-off (sprint)
The race for the ball at the start of each quarter.
Eggbeater
The circular leg kick players use to stay upright.
Re-entry area
Where excluded players wait before returning.
Timeout
A short break a coach can call when their team has the ball.
How should parents use this glossary during a game?
Start with three ideas: inside water, the center, and 6-on-5. If you understand those, most possessions become easier to read.
When the ball goes into the center, watch whether the defender is behind or in front.
After an exclusion, watch how fast the offense moves the ball before shooting.
When a counterattack starts, watch who sprints first and who stays back to protect.
Kickout is US slang for an exclusion: a major foul that sends a defender to the re-entry area for up to 20 seconds so the offense plays 6-on-5.
What is a hole set in water polo?
The hole set is the center, also called 2-meter: the attacker who sets up in front of the goal and fights for position against the center defender.
Why do water polo goalies wear red caps?
Red caps make goalkeepers easy for referees and players to identify, because goalies have special privileges, such as touching the ball with two hands inside their area.
About the author
Mark Katsev · Founder, Prep2PlaySports
Mark captained Fordham University men’s water polo, won three MAWPC titles, and went through Division I recruiting himself. He founded Prep2PlaySports so high school athletes and parents can learn recruiting, film study, and training from current and former college players.
