Water polo is a sport with a rich history. It emerged during the so-called ‘sporting boom’ in Britain. The British were bored with cricket and polo, and the people of Foggy Albion were very inventive. In the nineteenth century, Britain introduced a whole host of new sporting disciplines, including water polo.
The father of modern water polo is Scottish William Wilson, who in the mid-nineteenth century worked as a swimming instructor. He was a keen rugby player, but could not leave the aquatic element behind. The result was a sport that combined Wilson’s two passions – playing ball and swimming. William himself drafted the first set of water polo rules.
Back in 1900, at the Second Summer Olympics, water polo was included in the programme, but it took the women’s national water polo team a whole century to enter the cherished tournament – women’s polo was added to the programme only in 2000 in Sydney.
Features of water polo, changes in the rules
William Wilson was a rugby fan, which determined the first rules of water polo – the level of struggle was prohibitive. Players were drowning their opponent, holding, and ripping balls out of their hands, so the pool looked more like a battlefield, but over time the rules underwent major changes.
Betting
Today, water polo competitions are held in the pool, and the playing area must be 30 metres long and 20 metres wide, for women’s teams the norms are 25 metres and 17 metres respectively. The playing area is separated by special lines.
There are two teams of seven players in the pool and the essence of the game is simple – throw the ball into the goal. The rules forbid attacking a player not in possession of the ball, holding an opponent in possession of the ball underwater or sinking the ball. There are 20-second penalties for certain infringements. Water polo is still a contact and tough sport where physical conditioning and endurance are crucial.
Types of water polo betting
Water polo is a popular discipline amongst punters, and the most common outcomes presented by bookmakers include:
- Match outcome. Draws in water polo are possible, so the bettors bet on the first team to win, the second team to win or the final draw.
- Handicap. Often in matches between water polo teams the difference in class is palpable and the favourites prove their status in the pool. Betting on handicaps allows bettors to increase their odds.
- Total. Cappers can bet on how many goals will be scored in a match, or predict the number of goals for one team. Moreover, teams often break the total of 20 or even 30 goals, although for international championships such results are rare.
Bettors can choose the total time of the match as well as specific periods. And you can also place a long term bet on who will win the national championship, the international championships or the Olympics.
How do I bet on water polo
To bet on a water polo match, a punter needs to choose a suitable bookmaker and then do some analytics and study the team statistics to understand which indicators to pay attention to.
Features of water polo betting
Among the key indicators that need to be analysed before placing a bet, experts highlight the following:
- Pool to play in. Teams can produce different results in both indoor and outdoor pools, and it counts if the team plays at home.
- Team composition. The goalkeeper in water polo is crucial, and the final result often depends on the skill of the goalkeeper. Additionally, the player will need to analyze the conditions of the leading players, injuries, and other important information.
- Evaluation of opponents. Water polo is a discipline that has gained popularity all over the world, but there are some countries where it is at the highest level. For example, Hungary and the Balkan countries have the strongest men’s national teams and the US representatives in the women’s water field.
At which bookmakers can I place my bets on water polo?
Water polo is rather popular in the former USSR countries, that’s why bookmakers always add games of major tournaments to the betting line-up, but most bookmakers offer bets on this discipline only during world championships, Europe or Olympics. However, 1xBet allows you to place long-term bets on the winner of the Hungarian, Italian or Greek championships.
Questions and answers
How do I bet on water polo?
Before betting, pay attention to the following aspects of the game:
- Which team owns the pool. Statistically, the host side is more likely to win;
- which team has been more successful in the last encounters;
- which team is more successful in head-to-head encounters.
Can I bet on water polo live? One of the features of water polo betting is that there is no LIVE betting. This is due to the fact that bookmakers don’t take the sport seriously.
Where to bet on water polo? The best bookmakers for water polo betting are Parimatch, Bwin, 1xBet, Balbet, Marathonbet and Bet365.