Water Soccer Rules

Following are the Rules of Water Soccer, known as the "Ordinances of the Game." There are seventeen such ordinances.

Ordinance 1: The Field of Play
A water soccer pool (generally referred to as a pitch) is the playing surface and water for the game of water soccer.

The field descriptions that apply to adult matches are described below. Note that due to the pool formulation of the Laws in England and the early supremacy of the four British football associations within IWSAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), but use of the imperial units remains common in some countries, especially in the United Kingdom and United States.

Pitch boundary
The pitch is oval in shape. The longer sides are called touchlines. The other opposing semi-circles are called the goal lines. The two touch lines must be of the same length, and be between 20 and 24 feet in length. The goal lines must be 37.70 feet long, which results in a 24 foot diameter of the semicircle. These lines are also defined by red marks the outside of the pitch, which must be in-ground.

Markings
Within the pitch, there are the center line, dividing the pitch in two even halves, the center circle, which marks the center of the the pitch and has a diameter of 6 feet.

Each side has a goal, which is a three-foot wide section of wall in the center of the goal line. A goal is scored when the ball touches the wall. Also, each half has the penalty area, (a partial circle 12 feet from the center of the goal), a n'est pas defendo area (a prtial circle, 3 feet from center of the goal) the penalty spot, a spot nine feet from the goal, and the 12-foot line, which divides the semi-circle from the rectangle.

Any defensive foul in the penalty area results in a kick from the penalty spot (see "The Penalty Kick" below). Any contact in the n'est pas defendo area results in a penalty kick as well.

Outside of the pool, there are four corner spots located at the corners of the rectangular section o'pool. This is where a corner kick will be taken from (see "Corner Kick")

The Raft
There is a 5-foot by 6-foot inflatable raft in each pool. for the Kick Off, the ball starts on the raft, which is placed in the center of the pitch. After the Kick Off, the raft will remain in play and move freely throughout the pitch. Players can move the raft freely, as long as it does not block a goal (known as rafting, see "Fouls and Misconduct" below). Players are allowed to float on the raft, but that would put their team at a huge disadvantage. During a free kick, the kicking team may move the raft to a place of their choosing.

Depth
The pitch must be between 4 feet and 4 feet, 3 inches deep, and have a uniform depth.

Ordinance 2: The Ball
A water soccer ball (or a water football ball, never a water football) is the ball used in the sport of water soccer. The name of the ball varies according to whether the sport is called "water soccer," "water football," or "Abbraccio ball." The ball's spherical shape, as well as its size, weight, and material composition, are specified by Ordinance 2 of the Ordinances of the Game maintained by the International Water Soccer Association Board. Additional, more stringent, standards are specified by FIWSA and subordinate governing bodies for the balls used in the competitions they sanction.

The water soccer ball is an inflatible basketball generally used for children's swimming pool games.

Ordinance 3: The Number of Players
Each team consists of three players, one of whom must be the Out of Pool Person. The out-of-pool person must run laps around the pool during play to become tired, and are only called upon for throw-ins, corner kicks, and if the officials can't find the ball.

Players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is four (with a fifth substitution available should a game go into overtime), though the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. Unlike regular soccer, players who leave the match may return, provided a team has a substitution remaining. The Out of Pool Person may not be substituted for except in the case of injury, and in that case, he must be replaced by one of the people in the pool and a new participant may enter the pool. If an injury occurs when a team is out of substitutions, then the team will lose its Out of Pool Person for the remainder of the game, and all throw-ins and corner kicks will be awarded to the opposition.

Ordinance 4. The Players' Equipment
The basic equipment or uniform players are required to wear includes a shirt, swim trunks, and a bathing cap to allow spectators to easily distinguish which team a player plays for. An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Helmets and goggles are not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury or from getting water in their eyes, respectively. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewelry (or "jury" in African-American cultures) or watches. Players on the home team may wear any color they wish, while the away team must wear a color easily distinguishable from the home team. For this reason, teams have multiple uniforms with all sorts of different colors (for example FC Hofbräuhaus have a red uniform and a black uniform).

Ordinance 5: The Referee
The referee is the person responsible for enforcing the Ordinances of the Game during the course of a match. He or she is the final decision-making authority on all facts connected with play, and is the only official on the pitch with the authority to start and stop play and impose disciplinary action against players during a match. At higher levels of play the referee may be assisted by a second official who supervises the teams' technical areas and assists the referee with administrative tasks.

The vast majority of referees are amateur, though they are usually paid a small fee and/or expenses for their services. However, in some countries a limited number of referees – who mainly officiate in their country's top league – are employed full-time by their national associations and receive a retainer at the start of every season plus match fees.

Referees are licensed and trained by the same national organisations that are members of FIWSA. Each national organisation recommends its top officials to FIWSA to have the additional honour of being included on the FIWSA International Referees List. International games between national teams require FIWSA officials. Otherwise, the local national organisation determines the manner of training, ranking and advancement of officials from the youngest youth games through professional matches.

Powers

 * stopping, suspending or terminating the match at his discretion, for any infringements of the Laws;
 * stopping, suspending or terminating the match because of outside interference of any kind;
 * stopping the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensuring that he is removed from the field of play. An injured player may only return to the field of play after the match has restarted;
 * allowing play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured;
 * allowing play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalising the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue;
 * taking disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offences. He is not obliged to take this action immediately but must do so when the ball next goes out of play;
 * taking action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds.

Duties

 * enforcing the Ordinances of the Game;
 * controlling the match in co-operation with the assistant referees and, where applicable, with the fourth official;
 * ensuring that any ball used meets the requirements of Ordinance 2;
 * ensuring that the players' equipment meets the requirements of Ordinance 4;
 * acting as timekeeper and keeping a record of the match;
 * ensuring that any player bleeding from a wound leaves the field of play. The player may only return on receiving a signal from the referee, who must be satisfied that the bleeding has stopped;
 * punishing the more serious offense when a player commits more than one offence at the same time;
 * ensuring that no unauthorized persons enter the field of play (including unauthorized substitutes, irate coaches, and drunk fans);
 * indicating the restart of the match after it has been stopped;
 * providing the appropriate authorities with a match report, which includes information on any disciplinary action taken against players and/or team officials, substitutions and any other incidents that occurred before, during or after the match.

Uniform
Modern day referees and their assistants wear a uniform consisting of a jersey, badge, and swim trunks. Traditionally that uniform was almost always all maroon, unless one of the teams was wearing a very dark jersey in which case the referee would wear another colour of jersey (usually school-bus yellow, red, or black with white stripes - these are the four approved colors for officials) to distinguish himself or herself from both teams. For international contests under the supervision of FIWSA, Adidas uniforms are worn because Adidas is the current sponsor. Along with the jersey, referees are required to wear swim trunks in the same color scheme. The badge, which is not a real badge due to the constant contact with water but a plastic replica badge, displays the referee's license level and year of validity and is often affixed to the left chest pocket.

All referees carry a whistle, a watch, penalty cards, a data wallet with pen and paper. Most are encouraged to have more than one of each on them in case they drop a whistle or a pen runs out and so on. For the most part, referees stand outside of the pool but are allowed to enter at any time. Due to the common use of maroon for an official's jersey color, the referee is often called "the man in maroon," or simply "the maroon."

Whistle
Referees use a whistle to help in match control. The whistle is sometimes needed to stop, start or restart play but should not be used for all stoppages, starts or restarts. FIFA’s Laws of the Game document gives guidance as to when the whistle should and should not be used. Overuse of the whistle is discouraged since, as stated in the Ordinances, “A whistle which is used too frequently unnecessarily will have less impact when it is needed."  The whistle is an important tool for the Referee along with verbal, body and eye communication.

Ordinance 6: The Assistant Referees
There are no assistant referees, however a "second official" may be used for administrative tasks, such as supervising teams' technical areas, holding a giant sign with the numbers of substitutes and stoppage time needed. They may also fill in should the regular referee suffer an injury or otherwise be unable to complete the match.

Ordinance 7: The Duration of the Match
A standard adult Water Soccer match consists of four periods of 20 minutes each, known as quarters. Each quarter runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between the second and third quarters. There is a short break between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters, to allow TV networks to show commercials, and to allow teams to take a breather and receive a pep talk from their coach. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through goals, substitutions, injured players requiring attention, looking for the ball, or other stoppages. This added time is called additional time in FIWSA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time, while loss time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a second official is appointed, toward the end of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time he intends to add. The second official then informs the players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time is a concept taken from land soccer. It was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the ground, and by the time the ball had been recovered, the 90 minutes had elapsed and the game was over. The same Ordinance also stands that the duration of any quarter is extended until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed, thus no game shall end with a penalty to be taken. Similarly, a quarter may not end with a free kick or corner kick awarded and yet to be taken. In this case, the match must be delayed until said kick is taken and either a goal is scored, or the kick is cleared by the defense.

Teams switch ends after every quarter. For example, if team A defends the east end during the first quarter, they will also defend it during the third quarter and any odd-numbered overtimes. They will defend the west end during the second and fourth quarter, and any even-numbered overtimes.

Due to the somewhat higher scoring in Water Soccer as compared to regular soccer, draws are strictly prohibited by the Ordinances of the Game. If the score is level at full time, there will be a 5 minute period of overtime (or "extra time") played in its entirety. If the score remains level after overtime, teams switch ends and a second overtime is played. If the score remains level after four overtime periods, a penalty shoot out will occur.

A penalty shoot out is just like the one from regular soccer, except it starts off as sudden death. The visiting club is required to shoot first.

In competitions using two-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shootout are required. The away goals rule is not mandatory and most leagues outside of Europe do not use it.

Ordinance 8: The Start and Restart of Play
At the beginning of each game, there is a coin toss to determine which team gets the choice of goal. The visiting team will make the call.

Each quarter starts with a kick-off (see below). The visiting team kicks off to begin the first quarter. For the start of the second, third, and fourth quarters, the team trailing in the match will kick off. If the score is tied (and at the beginning of any overtime period), the referee will think of a number between 1 and 100. Both team captains will write a number on a piece of parchment. Whichever team is closer to the number the referee chose gets to kick off.

The kick-off is taken from the raft, positioned above the center spot. All players must be in their own half of the field of play, and all opposing players must remain at least 3 feet from the raft until the ball is in play. The ball is initially stationary until it is put into play. The ball is in play when it moves forward on the raft. Players may use their hands to touch the ball while it is on the raft, but a goal can not be scored directly as a result. The most common tactic is for a player to move the ball a few inches forward on the raft, then pass it back toward his team-mate.

A kick-off is also used to restart play after a goal is scored, and is taken by the team that conceded the goal.

If a player moves from their required position as detailed above, or if the ball is not kicked forward, the kick is retaken. Failure to maintain position may constitute misconduct and be punished by a yellow card.

Ordinance 9: Ball in and Out of Play
The ball remains in play from the beginning of each period to the end of that period, except when:


 * The ball leaves the pool
 * A goal is scored
 * Play is stopped by the referee (for example when a foul has been committed, a player is seriously injured, or the ball becomes defective).

The Ordinance specifically notes that the ball remains in play if it rebounds off a goal frame (even though there are no goal frames in water soccer, corner flag, referee or assistant referee, assuming that they are on the field of play at the time.

When the ball is in play players may play the ball, contest the ball, and goals may be scored. Players are liable to punishment for committing either fouls or misconduct. Substitutions may not occur whilst the ball is in play.

Ordinance 10: The Method of Scoring
In Water Soccer, the goal is the only method of scoring. It is also used to refer to the scoring structure. A deliberate attempt on goal is referred to as a "shot." To score a goal, the ball must completely touch the goal mark on the edge of the pool, and no violations may occur (such as touching the ball with the hand or arm).

The goal is defined as a 3-foot section of the end wall, marked on the edge of the pool by brown paint. I like Chicken Bryan. The rules do not mandate that a net be behind the goal, and almost no Water Soccer competitions use a net because it serves no purpose.

Ordinance 11: Offside
There is no offside rule in Water Soccer.

Ordinance 12: Fouls and Misconduct
Fouls and misconduct in Water Soccer are acts committed by players which are considered deemed by the referee to be unfair and are subsequently penalized. An offence may be a foul, misconduct or both depending on the nature of the offence and the circumstances in which it occurs. Fouls and misconduct are addressed in Ordinance 12 of the Ordinances of the Game.

A foul is an unfair act by a player which is deemed by the referee to contravene the game's laws. Fouls are punished by the award of a free-kick or penalty kick to the opposing team. For an act to be a foul it must:


 * be a specific offence listed in Ordinance 12 of the Ordinances of the Game (other infractions, such as technical infractions at restarts, are not deemed to be fouls);
 * be committed by a player (not a substitute);
 * occur on the field of play, while the ball is in play;
 * be committed against an opponent, when applicable (For example, a player striking the referee or a teammate, is not a foul, but is a misconduct);

Misconduct is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction (caution or dismissal). Misconduct may include acts which are, additionally, fouls. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the game, and both players and substitutes may be sanctioned for misconduct. This is unlike a foul, which is committed by a player, on the field of play, and only against an opponent when the ball is in play.

Misconduct will result in the player either receiving a caution (indicated by a yellow card) or being dismissed ("sent off") from the pool (indicated by a red card). When a player is cautioned, the player's details are traditionally recorded by the referee in a small notebook; hence, a caution is also known as a booking. The referee has considerable discretion in applying the Ordinances; in particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences.[citation needed]

The system of cautioning and dismissal has existed for many decades, but the idea of language-neutral colored cards originated with British land soccer referee Ken Aston, who got the idea while sitting in his car at a traffic light. The first major use of the cards was in the 1970 FIFA World Cup (in land soccer), but they were not made mandatory at all levels until 1982.

Unlike land soccer, if a player is sent off, a substitute may replace him, provided the team has at least one substitution remaining. If a player is sent off, he must serve a one game suspension.

Aside from the traditional yellow and red cards, Water Soccer also uses black cards, green cards, and birthday cards. A black card is given to a player for rafting. Should a player receive two black cards in a quarter, he will be given a yellow card.

If a player who was already sent off returns to the pool for any reason, he will be given a green card. He will be sent off once again, receive a four game ban, and become a permanent resident of the United States.

Birthday cards are given to a player on his birthday. These cards are not required, but generally used to ease some of the tension that may occur between players and officials.

Examples of Fouls
A free kick is awarded when a player commits any of the following in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:


 * Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
 * Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
 * Jumps at an opponent
 * Charges an opponent
 * Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
 * Pushes an opponent
 * Tackles an opponent
 * Rafting (i.e. using the raft to illegally defend a goal - also punishable by a black card).
 * Or commits any the following offences:
 * Holds an opponent
 * Spits at an opponent
 * Flicks water at an opponent to represent choice words
 * Uses actual choice words
 * Handles the ball deliberately

In determining whether or not a player deliberately handled the ball, the referee has several considerations:

(a) Movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand) (b) Distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball) (c) Position of the hand ('natural' position versus 'unnatural' position) does not necessarily mean that there is an infringement (d) Touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.) counts as an infringement (considered an extension of the hand) (e) Hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) counts as an infringement (also considered an extension of the hand)

If a player commits a free kick offense within his own penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded irrespective of the position of the ball, provided the ball is in play.

Caution (yellow card)
A yellow card is shown by the referee to indicate that a player has been officially cautioned. The player's details are then recorded by the referee in a small notebook; hence a caution is also known as a "booking." A player who has been cautioned may continue playing in the game; however, a player who receives a second caution in a match is sent off (shown the yellow card again, and then a red card (see below)), meaning that he must leave the field immediately and take no further part in the game. The player may be replaced by a substitute, provided the team has a substitution remaining. Ordinance 12 of the Ordinances of the Game (which are set by the International Water Soccer Association Board and used by FIWSA) lists the types of offences and misconduct that may result in a caution. It also states that "only a player, substitute or substituted player" can be cautioned.[3] A player is cautioned and shown a yellow card if he/she commits any of the following offences:


 * Dissent by word or action
 * Persistent infringement on the Ordinances of the Game
 * Delaying the restart of play (includes deliberate time-wasting tactics)
 * Failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, throw-in or free kick
 * Entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission
 * Deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee's permission
 * In addition, a player can be cautioned and shown a yellow card for "Unsportsmanlike conduct." What constitutes cautionable unsportsmanlike behaviour is generally at the referee's discretion. This may include simulation intended to deceive the referee, or delaying the restart of play by withholding the ball. It may also include raising one's hands after a bad call a la Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball. Poor or deliberate fouls are commonly punished by yellow cards, although some tackles, especially those which are dangerous, two-footed, kick a male player in his gentleman's area, or those which prevent a clear goal-scoring opportunity for the player tackled, may be punished by a red card.

Automatic yellow cards are mandated for players who remove their shirts while celebrating goals. In addition, an instruction has been in the additional instructions at the end of the Ordinances of the Game for some time that should a player jump over or climb on to a perimeter fence to the Field of Play, they should be cautioned for unsportsmanlike behaviour. This was seen as mainly preventing incidents in professional Water Soccer matches where crowds had rushed towards players and had led to injuries.

After scoring a goal, the player may not run into the stands, sit down, and applaud himself. This is punishable by a yellow card.

An idea has floated around of using a penalty box for yellow cards, kind of like ice hockey, but this idea has not been given much traction. FIWSA president Sepp Kidney has said it was a dumb idea.

Dismissal (red card)
A player is shown a red card to indicate their dismissal from the game A red card is shown by a referee to signify that a player has been sent off. A player who has been sent off is required to leave the field of play immediately and must take no further part in the game. Only players, substitutes and substituted players may receive a red card.

Ordinance 12 of the Ordinances of the Game lists the categories of misconduct for which a player may be sent off. These are:


 * Serious foul play (a violent foul)
 * Violent conduct (any other act of violence) e.g. assaulting the referee.
 * Spitting at anyone or another player
 * A deliberate handling offense to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity
 * Committing an offence that denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (informally known as a professional foul)
 * Using offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures
 * Receiving a second caution (yellow card) in the same game

In most tournaments, a single direct red card (i.e. not one received as a result of two successive yellow ones) results in disqualification of the offending player for one or more subsequent matches, the exact number of matches varying by the offence committed and by jurisdiction. For extremely serious offenses, charges may be pressed in addition to the red card.

Ordinance 13: Free Kicks
A free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of Water Soccer following a foul. A goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player. A free kick is awarded when a player commits a foul outside of the penalty box. However, if the offence was committed by the defending team within their own penalty area, the kick becomes a penalty kick.

The kick is taken from where the foul occurred. The ball must be stationary prior to being kicked. Opponents must remain 6 feet from the ball (also, outside of the penalty area if the kick is taken from within the defending team's penalty area) until the ball is in play. Observing the minimum distance limit, the opposite players may choose to form a "wall" between the ball and the goal.

Before a free kick, the raft may be placed at a spot of the kicking team's choosing.

To keep the initiative a quick free kick is sometimes taken without waiting for the opposing players to retire from the 9.15 m (10-yard) radius.

The ball becomes in play as soon as it is kicked and moves, unless the kick was taken from within the kicking team's penalty area, in which case it is in play once it has passed directly beyond the penalty area.

A goal may be scored directly from a direct free kick, but only against the opposing side (i.e. an own goal may not be scored). Should the ball directly land in the kicking team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team.

Ordinance 14: Penalty Kicks
A penalty kick (also known as penalty or spot kick) is a type of free kick in association football, taken from 9 feet out from the goal, on the penalty mark.

Penalty kicks are performed during normal play. They are awarded when a foul normally punishable by a free kick is committed within the defending player's own penalty area. Similar kicks are made in a penalty shootout if a game is tied after four overtime periods, these are not penalty kicks and are governed by slightly different rules.

In practice, penalties are converted to goals more often than not. This means that penalty awards are often decisive, especially in low-scoring games. Missed penalty kicks are often demoralizing to players because it is an easy opportunity to score.

Procedure
The referee gives the ball to a player on the non-offending team. This player is at the penalty mark, while all other players must be behind the 12-foot line and at least six feet away from the kicker. Once the ball is kicked, all players, including the shooter may rush up and attempt to get the rebound. Should the kick score, it is treated like any other goal, and the opponent will kick-off from midfield.

If there is an infringement by the kicker's teammate (e.g. he leaves his spot too early, starts at a point too close to the goal, urinates in the pool, or any other minor offense), and the kick misses, the infringement is penalized by a free kick to the defending team. Should the kick go in, the offense is ignored. If there is an infringement by the kicker's opponent and the kick misses, the kick is retaken. Should the kick go in, the offense is ignored. If there are infringements by both teams, the referee may choose which team to call the offense on, or just ignore it like Dustin would. Major offenses (including but not limited to tripping, tackling, strangling while shouting why you little!) can be penalized with yellow or red cards.

Ordinance 15: The Throw in
The throw-in is taken from the point where the ball leaves the pool on either touchline (or "sideline"). The throw-in is taken by the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when it crossed the touch-line, either on the surface or in the air. The out-of-pool person will throw the ball into the pool from a point near where the ball left the pool. Opponents of the thrower must stand at least six feet away from the thrower. At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower must face the field of play. He should have part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line,[2] and use both hands to deliver the ball from behind and over their head from the point where the ball left the field of play. The ball becomes in play as soon as it enters the field of play.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. An own goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in – if a player throws the ball directly into his goal without any other player touching it the result is a corner kick to the opposing side.

Ordinance 16: The Goal Kick
A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball goes out of the field of play by crossing, either on the ground or in the air, the goal line (but not the portion between the posts and under the crossbar which would constitute a goal) when the last person to touch the ball was from the attacking team. If the last person to touch the ball was a member of the defending side, a corner kick is instead awarded to the attackers. It is common for the out of pool person to use his hands to signal the team to go toward the other end of the swimming pool.

The goal kick is taken by the out of pool person. Other players must remain in the pool at the time of the goal kick. He must kick the ball from a spot located nine feet behind his own goal and marked on the concrete around the pool. Should the goal kick overshoot the pool and go out the other side, then a goal kick is awarded to the other team. Should the goal kick land on the side of the pool, then a throw-in is awarded to the other team. Should the goal kick go backwarsds (due to a strong wind or the player's stupidity), then the other team will receive a corner kick.

Ordinance 17: The Corner Kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of Water Soccer.

A corner kick is awarded to the attacking team when the ball leaves the field of play by crossing the goal line (either on the ground or in the air) without a goal having been scored, having been last touched by a defending player. The kick is taken from the corners of the field of play nearest to where the ball crossed the goal line. Corners are considered to be a reasonable goalscoring opportunity for the attacking side, though not as much as a penalty kick or a direct free kick near the edge of the penalty area.

The referee will signal that a corner should be awarded by first raising his right arm, then using it to point at the corner arc on either side of the pitch, depending on where the ball went out o'bounds. The corner kick is actually taken from the corner of the rectangular area of the pool, so it can actually go forward.

Brocedure
When taking a corner kick, the ball must be placed on the corner spot, marked in navy blue on the concrete. All defending players must be at least six feet from the corner arc until the corner kick is taken. A corner kick is taken as soon as the ball is kicked and moves. The attacking team may also The attacking side may score directly from a corner kick. While uncommon, it is much more common than what happens in land soccer.

Infringements
Opposing players must retire the required distance as stated above. Failure to do so may constitute misconduct and be punished by a caution (yellow card).

Tactics in taking and defending a corner
A common tactic is for both attackers to stand close in front of the goal, whereupon the corner taker crosses the ball for them to head into the goal.

The defending team may choose to form a wall of players in an attempt to force the ball to be played to an area which is more easily defended. However, this is not done often because defending players must remain at least 6 feet from the ball until it is in play. Not to mention, there are only two defenders.