{"id":331629,"date":"2018-10-03T07:19:13","date_gmt":"2018-10-03T14:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=331629"},"modified":"2018-10-03T10:31:24","modified_gmt":"2018-10-03T17:31:24","slug":"fina-world-cup-proves-big-changes-ahead-for-international-water-polo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/fina-world-cup-proves-big-changes-ahead-for-international-water-polo\/","title":{"rendered":"FINA World Cup Underscores Big Changes Ahead for International Water Polo"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor<\/em><\/p>\n

The recent FINA Men\u2019s Water Polo World Cup 2018<\/a>, held two weeks ago in Berlin, saw the much-anticipated introduction of rule changes, some minor, some radical, in matches involving players from senior national men\u2019s teams.<\/p>\n

\"fina-berlin-logo\"<\/p>\n

Applying the new rules in meaningful action for the first time proved to be a revelation. Given the experimental nature of this endeavor, there were numerous inconsistencies and a few hiccups, including plays inexplicably blown dead, goals disallowed and out of sync shot clocks. But there\u2019s little doubt that time and experience will hone the newly implemented instruments into more precise guidelines for a safer, faster, more entertaining game.<\/p>\n

But time is a luxury that FINA may not have. The race to transform polo is up against an unyielding deadline: the International Olympic Committee\u2019s (IOC) demand that rosters be trimmed from 13 to 11 for the 2020 Olympics, less than two years away.<\/p>\n

Coaches agree: no one wants reduced rosters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Controversy around the roster cut sprang up immediately; coaches were uniformly\u00a0opposed<\/a> to the change when it was announced<\/a>\u00a0in June 2017. The Technical Water Polo Committee<\/a> (TWPC), which regulates the sport for FINA, has had to deal with their difficult\u2014and apparently implacable\u2014opposition. With the exception of Serbia\u2019s Dejan Savic<\/strong> and South Africa\u2019s Paul Martin<\/strong> (who were not interviewed), none of the other head coaches assembled in Berlin expressed support for the looming roster cut, imposed in June 2017.<\/p>\n

Croatia Head Coach Ivica Tucak<\/strong>, whose team reigns as current FINA world champions and earned silver at the 2016 Olympics, was emphatic in his opposition to the new player limits.<\/p>\n

\"12-09-2018:

A glum-looking Tucak (far left) watches his team in Berlin. Photo Courtesy: Sportphoto.shop<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt will be terrible in the Olympic Games,\u201d he said<\/a> on the pool deck of the Europasportpark pool in Berlin. \u201cEleven players, in my opinion [it\u2019s too] small. You cannot make preparation for the game because you must have two players more [so they\u2019re] relaxed, [have] more concentration.\u201d<\/p>\n

The same sentiment was echoed by coaches from Australia, Germany, Hungary, Japan and the U.S.<\/p>\n

In his comments, Alex Rodriguez<\/strong>, Assistant Coach for the U.S. Senior Men\u2019s National Team, was succinct:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not something that anybody in water polo wants, and, [from] what I\u2019ve heard, is dictated by the IOC. In what other sport are there less people on the bench than in the field?\u201d He answered his own question with an emphatic \u201cThere aren\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

The sport in transition: will it work?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Water polo\u2014birthed out of English rugby in the 1890s\u2014has proved determinedly resistant to change. According to Andrey Kryukov<\/strong>, Bureau Liaison for\u00a0the TWPC, the primary obstacle has been a rulebook that many accuse of being overly subjective, based on whoever is doing the interpretation.<\/p>\n

\"kryukov-sep18\"

Andrey Kryukov. Photo Courtesy: FINA<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201c[W]e have to understand: the sport was created and the rules were written 127 years ago for great big boys who like to play rugby in the water,\u201d Kryukov said in a recent interview<\/a>. \u201cNow the sport is played on TV and by 15 year old girls. That means the rules have to be adjusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing the IOC\u2019s warning to water polo\u2014and all Olympic sports\u2014he said: \u201cIf you are not compliant with 21st century requirements, your sport will lose attractiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given this reality, as well as long-simmering concerns about the sport\u2019s direction, FINA held a conference<\/a> last May in Budapest that brought together key-stakeholders, including coaches, players, referees and FINA decision-makers. The roster reduction was just one part of a larger rethinking of the game on the part of the Committee, which has resulted in the initiation of 18 rule modifications<\/a>. Some rules are new, some have been amended; all are intended to point polo in a new direction for the 21st Century.<\/p>\n

Kryukov viewed the\u00a0Berlin experiment with reduced rosters and amended rules as a great success. In his opinion, the two finalists\u2014Hungary, which won, and Australia, in its first-ever World Cup final\u2014are representative of how effective these new rules can be.<\/p>\n

\u201cHungary adapted very well,\u201d he said. \u201cYou see in the first game they play old game, [but] they understood: under such rules, old game will not provide any advantage. Only they have to use the new rules, which they quickly adopted, and now they\u2019re in the final.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not certain this is a reasonable conclusion. The evidence that Kryukov posits is that Hungary won because it significantly altered its play from an opening day loss to Germany, when they had four players whistled for game misconducts. From there on in, the Hungarians went on a tear, beating everyone, including Serbia in the semifinals because\u2014in\u00a0Kryukov’s view\u2014they adjusted to the new rules, lessening their physical play and protecting a reduced roster.<\/p>\n

Hungarian Head Coach Tamas Marcz<\/strong> didn\u2019t exactly see it this way.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first game also for the delegates, for the referees was a new thing\u2014new rules,\u201d he said after his team had beaten Australia<\/a> 10-4 in the Cup final. \u201cIt was very hard and very important for Germany\u2019s [team].<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were improving a lot in the games\u2014that\u2019s all,\u201d Marcz added. \u201cEverybody tried to be comfortable with these new rules. We found a way how to play in this tournament and we were getting better in each match.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"quarterfinal-trener-tamas-andras-marcz-hun-2017-world-champs\"

Hungary’s Tamas Marcz. Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA<\/p><\/div>\n

The jury is out<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is not to say that the new rules\u2014despite inconsistent application in Berlin\u2014won\u2019t work. In fact, what was noteworthy was how quickly senior national team players absorbed the possibilities offered by the changes. In one match, Germany scored a goal of a free throw from the corner, one of the prime changes to play in and around the goal. In their semifinal loss to Hungary, trailing by a goal with eight seconds remaining, the Serbians unleashed goalie Dimitrije Risticevic<\/strong> for a final shot. He missed, but the fact that a goalie was permitted to roam beyond mid-pool made for an exciting finish to a competitive match.<\/p>\n

The new shot clock rule\u2014where teams get 20 seconds on subsequent shot possessions, including an exclusion or a goalie save\u2014is an excellent development. It limits what Kryukov called \u201cboring time,\u201d the extra 10 seconds of possession that reduces the number of shots. In fact, the altered clock and the emphasis of offense was what he cited as the tournament\u2019s biggest success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest effect of [the new rules]\u2014nobody expected in the beginning when we applied\u2026but it\u2019s very good\u2014that players on attack take the decision to shoot five, six seconds earlier because there\u2019s no time,\u201d he explained. \u201cThis means that every 15\u201320 seconds [there\u2019s] a shot. Now we have 60\u201370 shots per game\u2026. Shot is the result of an attack, and this is what people are looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"14-09-2018:

Germany’s Moritz Schenkel\u20142018 World Cup most valuable goalie\u2014and FINA’s Erik Van Heijningen. Photo Courtesy: Sportphoto.shop<\/p><\/div>\n

One surprising outcome at Berlin was that neither Croatia nor Serbia\u2014who have been extremely successful at the “old”, or Yugoslavian, game for almost two decades\u2014made a major international final for the first time since the 2008 Olympics, when Hungary and the U.S. played for gold.<\/p>\n

A big challenge in Berlin was explaining to spectators what\u2019s happening during the game, including the new rules\u2019 impact. This is something that will take time, but there\u2019s an important precedent; according to Erik Van Heijningen<\/strong>, a FINA Bureau member from the Netherlands, organizers of the 2012 European Championships in Eindhoven hired a \u201cpresenter\u201d to inform spectators what was happening in the pool.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is [important] to explain and to entertain,\u201d he said in Berlin. In a nod to just how critical these changes are for both the sport and FINA, Van Heijningen added, \u201cThis is really a major effort, and it\u2019s a personal investment for all these people here,\u201d gesturing to Kryukov and\u00a0TWPC members Mark Koganov<\/strong> and Ken Kuroda<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you know you are going to win the game,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd this is the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Actually, time will tell if this game is won or if the clock runs out before FINA and Kryukov make meaningful and consistent changes. If not, 2020 might mark the end of water polo\u2014the Games\u2019 oldest team sport\u2014as an Olympic event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor The recent FINA Men\u2019s Water Polo World Cup 2018, held two weeks ago in Berlin, saw the much-anticipated introduction of rule changes, some minor,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4875,"featured_media":331665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[34385,2653,67543,54133,4256,70934,27271,184,70841,71085,71086,62597,62761,70919,62486,60192,71235,62602,28657,71238,8857],"class_list":["post-331629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-water-polo","tag-2020-tokyo-olympic-games","tag-alex-rodriguez","tag-andrey-kryukov","tag-croatia-water-polo","tag-dejan-savic","tag-dimitrije-risticevic","tag-erik-van-heijningen","tag-fina","tag-fina-mens-water-polo-world-cup-2018","tag-fina-mens-world-water-polo-cup-2018","tag-germany-water-polo","tag-hungary-water-polo","tag-ivica-tucak","tag-ken-kuroda","tag-mark-koganov","tag-michael-randazzo","tag-paul-martin","tag-tamas-marcz","tag-technical-water-polo-committee","tag-twpc","tag-u-s-water-polo"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nFINA World Cup Underscores Big Changes Ahead for International Water Polo - 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