INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's & Women's Water Polo Rules Subcommittee has released an updated list of Points of Emphasis.  Referees, coaches and student-athletes are requested to review the Points of Emphasis for updated rules.

These points of emphasis for referees are guidelines in order to bring about consistency in the interpretation and application of the rules of the game. It is important that referees call the NCAA Water Polo Rules as written and as interpreted in the rules book or as distributed as interpretations during the year. It is also important that referees apply the rules consistently throughout the entire game regardless of the time remaining in the game, the time remaining on the shot clock, or the score of the game. For example, perimeter fouls (ordinary and exclusion) must be called consistently throughout the game, including the last minute when the team with the lead has the ball.

Rule 5 Teams and Substitutes
Rule 5-4 Women’s Suits; Rule 7-7-1 Referee Reporting Responsibility
Situation: The referees inspected the players prior to the game in conformance with Rule 1-1 and Rule 5-5 and noted that the straps on the suit of the goalkeeper were less than one inch in width. The team did not have a spare suit or another goalkeeper with the correct suit. What should be the action of the referee?
Answer: The referee should follow the same procedure as with non-compliant caps (Rule 4-6). The referees must attempt to have the goalkeeper comply with the rule before the game starts by either changing suits or goalkeepers. If that is not possible, the referee should check that there is mutual agreement of both teams to play the game with a nonconforming suit. The referee must report the situation after the game in accordance with Rule 7-7-1, which states that the referee shall report any issues with nonconforming caps and suits to the conference commissioner who shall report the violation to the athletics director for correction.

Rule 5-4 Articles Likely to Cause Injury
Situation: A player suffered a concussion in a previous game. The player was cleared to resume play several days later by the team physician, but the physician recommended the use of a protective helmet made of foam to help prevent another concussion in practices or in future competition. Is this type of head gear allowed? If it is, the team plans to put a large cap over the helmet or paint the helmet with the appropriate color(s) and player number.
Ruling: The device must be approved by the institution’s team physician/athletic trainer to ensure it is not likely to cause injury to the player or to other players. The Water Polo Release and Indemnification Form must be signed by the institution’s authorized representative and the use must be approved by the conference commissioner. The form is located in Appendix F of the NCAA Water Polo 2010-12 Rules and Interpretations. This form specifically releases the referees from any liability in connection with the use of this article. Any cap worn over the device or any painting of the device itself must comply with Rule 4, Caps.

Rule 7 Referees
Rule 7-4 Issuance of a Yellow Card to a Coach
Situation: During a timeout, the head coach approached the referee to ask for clarification of permissible and non-permissible impeding of the team’s 2-meter player. The referee immediately issued the coach a yellow card. Should the referee have allowed this question by the head coach at this time?
Ruling: The head coach may discuss rule clarifications and misapplications of rules with the referee at intervals between periods and during timeouts. Judgment calls are not an appropriate topic of discussion at any time. If the question was a request for clarification of a rule, the referee should have answered the question. The referee must distinguish between a discussion clarifying a rule or a potential misapplication of the rule permissible) or questioning the referee’s judgment (impermissible).

Rule 7-10 Protests
Situation: During the first period of a game, the referees awarded the incorrect penalty for an improper entry of an excluded player on defense. Either team could have protested the decision at that time but no protest was filed. The injured team won the game. Can the non-injured team protest after the conclusion of the game that the incorrect penalty was awarded in the first period?
Ruling: Yes. Either team may protest the misapplication of a rule during or after the game, within the time limits described in the rule. It is doubtful if this protest would be upheld as the purpose of a protest is to minimize the damage done by a misapplication of a rule. If the injured team won the game, the losing team should not be able to gain from this type of protest.

Rule 9 Timekeepers
Rule 9-3 Goal Scored at End of Period
Situation: A shot was taken near the end of the period. The buzzer for the end of the period sounded while the ball was in the air. If the ball subsequently crossed the goal line into the goal, does the goal count?
Ruling: Yes. If the ball is in flight when the clock buzzer sounded, any resultant goal shall be allowed.

Rule 9-3 Goal Scored at End of Period, Rule 7-10 Protests, and Rule 14-4 Goal at
Expiration of Time
Situation: A shot was taken near the end of the period. The buzzer for the end of the period sounded while the ball was in the air. The referee blew the whistle while the ball was still in the air. The ball subsequently crossed the goal line into the goal. The referee disallowed the goal. Is this decision of the referee protestable?
Ruling: The rules state that if the ball is in flight when the clock buzzer sounds, any resultant goal shall be allowed. The referee should not have blown the whistle. However, it is not protestable as it is not a correctable error or a misapplication of the rules. The referee made a mistake and the ball became dead at the whistle.

Rule 12 Timeouts
Rule 12-7 30-Second Timeout
Question: Should the time during a 30-second timeout be classified as interval time?
Ruling: Yes. The time during either a regular timeout or a 30-second timeout is classified as interval time. No distinction is made in the rules between the two types of timeouts (Rule 21-10).

Rule 20 Ordinary Fouls
Rule 20-14 Goalkeeper Past Half, Rule 21-10 Misconduct
Situation: The goalkeeper went past half. The referee warned the player not to repeat this foul. However, the goalkeeper then immediately again swam past half. May the referee exclude the player for the remainder of the game for misconduct?
Ruling: Yes, if the referee believes that the player is refusing obedience to or showing disrespect to the referee, fouls that are included in the definition of misconduct.

Rule 21 Exclusion Fouls
Rule 21-4 Player Leaving the Water
Situation: In a women’s game, a player exited the water at the reentry area, believing she was excluded after the referee turned the ball when she committed an offensive foul. When she realized the error, she returned to the field of play from the reentry area at the direction of her coach. The referee made no call. Is this correct?
Ruling: The rule states that if a player has left the water legitimately, the player may reenter from the reentry area with the referee’s permission. The referee observed and understood the situation, and, by not blowing the whistle, tacitly gave her permission to reenter.
 

Rule 21-10 Misconduct During Timeout
Situation: The team in dark caps had possession of the ball. The coach of this team called a regular timeout. During this timeout, the referee excluded a player with a dark cap for the remainder of the game for misconduct. How shall the referee restart play after this timeout?
Ruling: At the conclusion of the timeout, the referee should restart play even-up, with a player from the team with dark caps putting the ball into play.

Rule 21-12 Simultaneous Personal Fouls
Situation: The blue men’s team was on offense. White player #12 was excluded for fouling blue player #8, his first personal foul. The coach of the blue team immediately called a timeout. Several seconds into the timeout, the referee called a double exclusion against both these players for minor acts of misconduct. How should the referee restart play after the timeout?
Ruling: Since these exclusion fouls were classified as minor acts of misconduct during interval time, play would start even-up with substitutes in the field of play and the original players eligible to be subbed in after 20 seconds or the earliest occurrence of an event referred to in Rule 21-3. However, since white player #12 was excluded prior to the timeout, that player or that player’s substitute must be in the reentry area instead of in the field of play. In this case, the blue team would start play after the timeout with a 6 on 5 player advantage and white #12 would not be eligible to participate for 20 seconds or the earliest occurrence of an event referred to in Rule 21-3. The referees must warn both teams that the next MAM committed during interval time will result in the player being excluded for the remainder of the game for misconduct. Note: this corrects a typo in the Dec. 14 interpretations.

Rule 23 Penalty Throws
Rule 23-4, 5 Taking of a Penalty Throw
Situation: A player taking a penalty throw skipped the ball towards the goal. The ball, after hitting the water, failed to skip and remained dead in the water two feet in front of the goal. Can the shooter swim forward and take another shot at the goal? Can the goalkeeper swim forward and throw the ball to a player on defense?
Ruling: The shooter cannot take another shot at the goal unless the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper, goal post, or crossbar. In the situation described the referee should blow the ball dead for the ordinary foul of an improperly taken penalty throw (Rule 20-12) when the ball fails to rebound from the goalkeeper, goal post, or crossbar.

Archived Points of Emphasis

• Points of Emphasis (January 2010)
• Points of Emphasis (July 2009)