Abstract
Water polo’s rule changes are proposed to improve performance throw a faster game with more goals, less wrestling and more technical skills. The rule changes may modify the players' perception and game actions. However, there are some critical differences between male and female water polo teams. To date, we have not found any study about female water polo rule changes effects over the seasons. This study aimed to verify the effects of water polo rule changes on the performance of female elite-level teams over the three seasons. The data were collected through official game reports from the European water polo league for female tournaments, totaling 63 matches. Goals, goals per quarter, exclusion fouls, and penalty fouls were registered and analyzed. Mean, standard deviation, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for all variables. Generalized estimating equations were applied to compare the variables in the three moments. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated. SPSS 20.0 was used in all analyses. The alpha significance level was established at 0.05. No statistical differences were found over seasons' post-water polo rule changes for goals, goals per quarter, exclusion fouls, and penalty fouls variables, and the effect sizes were just from trivial to small. The 2019 and 2021 water polo rule changes do not provoke statistical effects in female water polo teams over the 2019/2020, 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons.
Keywords
Team Sports, Water Sports, Notational Analysis, Game Performance Analysis,References
- Abraldes, J.A., Ferragut, C., Rodríguez, N., Alcaraz, P.E., Vila, H. (2011). Throwing velocity in elite water polo from different areas of the swimming pool. Portuguese Journal of Sport Sciences, 11((Suppl. 2)), 41–44.
- Alcaraz, P.E., Abraldes, J.A., Ferragut, C., Rodriguez, N., Argudo, F.M., Vila, H. (2011). Throwing velocities, anthropometric characteristics, and efficacy indices of women’s european water polo subchampions. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(11), 3051–3058.
- Argudo, F.M., García, P.M., Borges, P.J.H., Sillero, E.D. (2020). Effects of rules changes on shots dynamics in Water polo World Championship 2003-2013. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 20(2), 800–809.
- Argudo, F.M., Ruiz-Barquín, R., Borges, P.J. (2016). The effects of modifying the distance of the penalty shot in water polo. Journal of Human Kinetics, 54, 127.
- Botonis, P., Toubekis, A., Platanou, T. (2019). Physiological and Tactical On-court Demands of Water Polo. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(11), 3188–3199
- Canossa, S., Fernandes, A., Fernandes, R. J., & Garganta, J. M. (2020). Análisis del juego en waterpolo. Waterpolo: Test de valoración del rendimiento deportivo, 131-151.
- Canossa, S., Garganta, J., Lloret, M., Argudo, F., Fernandes, R. (2009). Attacking process characterization of elite water polo female teams. Motricidade, 5(2), 1–15.
- de Castro, C.D., Tucher, G., Paixão, D. A., Vasques, D. M., Garrido, N.D., de S, C.F. (2021). Agility, vertical jump, and shot velocity of Brazilian water polo players: correlations and top performances analysis. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 62(6), 757-762.
- Elliott, B.C., Armour, J. (1988). The penalty throw in water polo: A cinematographic analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 6(2), 103–114.
- FINA. (2019). Instructions And Clarifications For Referees And National Federations. FINA Water Polo Rules 2019 - 2021.
- FINA. (2022). Fina Water Polo Rules 2022 – 2024. Water Polo. https://resources.fina.org/fina/document/2023/02/03/7935d035-dbdf-43f3-96b5-e40cb355dd84/221230-CLEAN-2022-2024_WP_Rules-Integration_diagrams-002-.pdf
- Madera, J., Tella, V., & Saavedra, J. (2017). Effects of Rule Changes on Game-Related Statistics in Men’s Water Polo Matches. Sports. 5(4), 84.
- Paixão, D.A., Tucher, G., Vasques, D., de S. Castro, F.A. (2023). ¿Afectan los cambios en las normas del waterpolo al rendimiento de los equipos de diferentes niveles y sexos?. Apunts Educación Física y Deportes, 151, 36–43.
- Peric, M., Zenic, N., Mandic, G.F., Sekulic, D., Sajber, D. (2012). The reliability, validity and applicability of two sport-specific power tests in synchronized swimming. Journal of Human Kinetics, 32(1), 135–145.
- Platanou, T., Varamenti, E. (2011). Relationships between anthropometric and physiological characteristics with throwing velocity and on water jump of female water polo players. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 51, 93–185.
- Rodrigues, H. de A., Leonardi, T., Paes, R.R. (2013). New basketball rules: a case study on the perception of players of a professional team. Conexões: Revista Da Faculdade de Educação Física Da UNICAMP, 11(3), 147–165.
- Tucher, G., De Souza Castro, F. A., Da Silva, A. J. R. M., & Garrido, N.D. (2015). The functional test for agility performance is a reliable quick decision-making test for skilled water polo players. Journal of Human Kinetics, 46(1), 157–165.
- Van der Wende, K. (2005). The effects of game-specific task constraints on the outcome of the water polo shot. Auckland University of Technology, New Zeland.
- Vasques, D., Paixão, D., Castro, F. (2021). Iniciação infantil ao polo aquático: fundamentação teórica e proposta de atividades. Pensar a Prática, 24.