Polo Match Research Articles

Hematological and physiological responses in polo ponies with different field-play positions during low-goal polo matches.

Strenuous exercise in traditional polo matches creates enormous stress on horses. Hematological and physiological measures may vary across different field-play positions. This study aimed to investigate the effort intensity and the impact of exertion on hematology and heart rate variability (HRV) in polo ponies with different positions. Thirty-two ponies, divided equally into eight teams, were studied. Each comprises forwards (number 1), midfielders (numbers 2 and 3), and defenders (number 4). Team pairs played the first chukka in four low-goal polo matches. Percent maximum heart rate (%HRmax), indicating ponies' effort intensity, was classified into five zones, including zones 1 (<70%), 2 (70-80%), 3 (80-90%), 4 (90-95%) and 5 (>95%). Hematological and HRV parameters were determined before, immediately after, and at 30-minute intervals for 180 minutes after chukkas; HRV variables were also obtained during warm-up and exercise periods. Results indicated that the number two ponies spent more time in zone 4 (p < 0.05) but less in zone 2 (p < 0.01) than the number four ponies. Cortisol levels increased immediately and 30 minutes afterward (p < 0.0001 for both) and then returned to baseline 60-90 minutes after exertion. Other measures (Hct, Hb, RBC, WBC, neutrophils, and CK enzyme) increased immediately (p < 0.0001 for all) and lasted at least 180 minutes after exertion (p < 0.05-0.0001). HRV decreased during the chukka until approximately 90 minutes afterward (p < 0.05-0.0001). The stress index increased during the chukka and declined to baseline at 60 minutes in number 1-3 ponies but lasted 90 minutes in those at number four. Effort intensity distribution differed among field-play positions. Decreased HRV indicated reduced parasympathetic activity during exercise, extending to 90 minutes after exertion in polo ponies. Defenders seem to experience more stress than those in other positions.

Technical and tactical evaluation of ball possession in international youth water polo matches using the Team Sport Assessment Procedure (TSAP) instrument

In water polo, the playing style of a team is characterized by players’ tactical behaviour. The purpose of this study was to provide an analysis of offensive actions, by means of the Team Sport Assessment Procedure (TSAP) of the first four youth national teams during the 20th FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships. Twenty-nine elite youth (U20) water polo matches, involving the national teams of Greece (n=7), Serbia (n=7), Italy (n=7) and Croatia (n=8) were selected for the analysis. The TSAP included: i) two indicators of gaining possession of the ball; ii) four indicators of disposing the ball. Using these indicators, the following indices of technical performance were computed: Volume of Play (VP), Efficiency Index (EI) and Performance Score (PS). The field was divided in twelve zones. The one-way ANOVA showed no significant differences between teams for all parameters (p&gt;0.05), except that for Offensive Balls (OB) and Successful Shots (SS) occurred in specific zones of the field: for OB significant differences were found in zone 1 (p=.019), in zone 2 (p=.014) and in zone 5 (p=.007); for SS significant differences were found in zone 1 (p=.026) and in zone 2 (p=.008). The main reason of between-teams differences could be explained by the presence of a left-hand player in the game, and by the tactical behaviour of coaches and players. The TSAP instrument could offer productive feedback to coaches to perceive the different requirements of playing and to evaluate how players understand the game.

Production functions of NCAA men and women water polo matches

Previous research has adapted the use of economic production functions to estimate the scoring production of teams in professional sports. Most of these studies have focused on professional male team sports, most notably, US baseball, basketball, and association football. This study adds to the literature by utilizing a new and distinctive data set of shooting statistics from 88 men’s and 38 women’s NCAA water polo contests to estimate production functions for United States’ collegiate water polo games and identify the most important variables for predicting margin of victory in such competitions. The results show that shots on goal, average shot distance, number of counterattacks, quick shots, and efficiency in power play conversions are all significant predictors of goal differentials in men’s contests while shots on goal, average shot distance, counterattacks, and center shots are significant predictors in women’s matches. Previous season win percentage, rebounds, exclusions, and missed shots were not significant predictors in the models. These conclusions confirm and extend previous discriminatory studies of elite international water polo contests.

An analysis of temporal numerical superiority in the Pan-American junior men’s water polo matches

This study compared the frequency, number of goals and attack efficiency in temporal numerical superiority among winning and losing teams and among balanced and unbalanced matches in a junior men’s water polo competition. Another analysed relationship was that between a balanced or unbalanced final score and the efficiency at scoring goals in numerical superiority in the winning teams’ games. A total of 56 matches from the Pan-American Junior Men’s Water Polo championship was analysed. The teams were categorised as losers or winners and the match results were classified as balanced or unbalanced. The chi-squared and Mann-Whitney tests were used for statistical treatment. There is no significant difference in the occurrence of numerical superiority between winners and losers (p = 0.25) despite the winners scoring more goals (p = 0.002) and being more efficient (p &lt; 0.001). There is no significant difference in the occurrence of numerical superiority (p = 0.81) and goals (p = 0.03) in balanced and unbalanced matches. However, there tends to be a higher shot efficiency (p = 0.01) in unbalanced matches. A significant relationship exists (p = 0.04) between the winning teams’ efficiency at scoring goals in a situation of numerical superiority and an unbalanced score.

EVOLUTION OF THE COMPONENTS OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND AGGRESSION IN TERMS OF WATER POLO PLAYER POSITIONS

Two commonly used constructs in sport psychology researches are aggression and sportsmanship. In the present research, we attempted to assess the correlations between these two phenomena among male water polo players. The main objective was to explore the differences in aggression in the sport-specific positions of water polo in different aspects - physique, age, etc. - considered. Furthermore, the research sought to demonstrate the inverse relationship between aggression and sportsmanship in a water polo sample. To access these constructs in our research besides the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and the Sportsmanship Attitude Scale a self-formulated water polo specific questionnaire was used, which intended to measure the aggression in the water during water polo matches. From the results, it can be seen that, according to our sample, both the trait aggression of the players and the role determined by their positions in the game play a decisive role when it comes to the aggression of an athlete. Moreover, the results obtained for water polo players also proved that sportsmanship and aggression are two contradictory constructs.

Physiological swimming test for water polo players in the last twenty years: a systematic review.

Swimming represents a crucial capacity for water polo players. Several studies have proposed different protocols to understand the incidence of this capacity on water polo performance and to improve the players' swimming assessment. This work aimed to provide a systematic review regarding the current status of physiological swimming tests for water polo players with the purpose to furnish a complete framework to coaches and fully exploit recent advances of scientific research to enhance performance assessment and monitoring of the athletes. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Science Direct were searched for relevant studies published from January 2000 to January 2021. The study dealt with a specific water test and performed in a horizontal swimming position without ball were included. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. The results indicate the physiological assessment of water polo players might be divided into two areas concerning the swimming evaluation: swimming sprint tests and endurance swimming test. Furthermore, endurance swimming tests may be split into two subgroups: anaerobic-endurance swimming and aerobic-endurance swimming tests. Each of these areas evaluates a specific conditional capacity through swimming protocols based on the players' individual profile and water polo demands. In the last years, scientific research has studied the typical ability of each water polo rule and of every athletes' level that represents this sport. The results have oriented the researchers to choose different protocols to evaluate each swimming capacity that characterizes a particular phase of the water polo match.

New aspects for match analysis to improve understanding of game scenario and training organization in top-level male water polo players.

We intended to verify through time-motion analysis the characteristics of the sequences of actions in terms of occurrence during water polo matches: number, duration, and possible relationships with technical-tactical aspects. Water polo matches played at the 18th FINA World Championships 2019, Gwangju, South Korea, were chosen for examination, and the analysis involved both single actions and Trains of Actions (ToAs). A ToA is a sequence of actions that occurs during the match without actual game interruption. A total of 1261 game actions were evaluated in the 17 matches analyzed. In 89% of cases the actions occurred in ToAs while in 11% of cases they took place as single actions. On average, each match included 74.4±5.3 actions; of these, only 7.9±3.4 (CI at 95%: lower bound 6.1 and upper bound 9.6) were single actions while 66.2±5.5 occurred in sequences (ToA2=29.6±9.0%; ToA3=26.1±9.7%; ToA4=16.5±10.6%). The winning team performed on average more actions than the losing one (42.1±6.1 vs. 32.0±6.4; effect size: 1.67; P value: 0.001). The ToAs had different compositions, from 2 to 18 actions, and then very different durations, from about 1 minute up to 8 minutes. 66% of goals were scored after ToAs and 34% after single actions. The study of ToAs provides useful information on the physiological demand of the game, which may help to plan and organize physical training making it as specific as possible. The description of ToAs can help coaches to better define the game scenario and understand which technical and tactical measures are needed to improve game organization.

Full Body Photobiomodulation Therapy to Induce Faster Muscle Recovery in Water Polo Athletes: Preliminary Results.

Objective: To investigate the recovery of male water polo athletes applying full body photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) regarding inflammation and muscle damage markers, testosterone and cortisol hormonal responses, heart rate variability (HRV), maximal voluntary contraction, and squat jump (SJ) after official water polo matches. Background: PBMT has been applied locally on specific muscle groups to induce faster recovery and improve the performance of athletes and nonathletes. However, many sports modalities require movement of the whole body, and a full body PBMT could be more adequate to irradiate large muscle areas homogeneously and faster. Methods: In a randomized, parallel, and double-blinded design, 13 athletes (whole team) aged 18 years attended the study and were allocated into two groups: PBMT (dose of 6.9 J/cm2, irradiance of 46.17 mW/cm2, 5 min irradiation) and placebo treatment. The study was conducted during the 2019 Brazilian under 20 water polo championship. All athletes were assessed by blood samples and neuromuscular evaluation. Immediately after each match, all athletes received PBMT (effective or placebo). Results: No significant interactions (raw values and percentage related to baseline) were observed for testosterone and cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, creatine kinase concentration, maximal isometric voluntary contraction, SJ test, and HRV. Only an isolated interaction (decrease) was found for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) response after the first match (p = 0.004, post-hoc p = 0.038). Conclusions: The parameters of the full body PBMT of this study did not induce faster recovery of inflammatory, muscle damage (excepting LDH), testosterone, cortisol, HRV, and neuromuscular responses during repeated days of water polo matches.

Differences of statistical parameters of participants of water polo tournaments in Sisak and Sarajevo

This paper aims to analyze the statistical parameters and to determine the differences between the water polo tournament in Sisak and the water polo tournament in Sarajevo. Situational efficiency utilizing certain variables shows us the most important parts of the game during a water polo match. Statistics is a scientific discipline that studies the methods of collecting, collating, analyzing, and interpreting data. The sample consists of 336 water polo players, from six clubs of two age categories from the league of Canton Sarajevo and six clubs of two age categories from the Sisak International Tournament, in the "junior and cadet" categories for men born in 2003 and 2004, 2005. The sample of variables consists of 9 tests to assess situational efficiency in a water polo game that defines the main characteristics of a water polo match. The following will explain the observed variables: goals scored, attempt to score, goal from action, center to score, anchor to score, penalty, attempt from penalty defended by the goalkeeper or player missed, foul on the counter-attack, sprint - counter with a goal scored. The results of the H square test show that there are statistically significant differences (p .000) in the analyzed segments of the water polo match. It can be concluded that the teams in the tournament in Sisak are better organized because in every aspect they have achieved better results in comparison to the Sarajevo tournament. The teams from Sisak were better and faster swimming because a lot of goals were scored by counter-attack, more attempts to shoot at goal (Sisak), fewer penalties, which means that in Sarajevo is rough play and greater success of winning teams in penalties.

The Impact of the Change of Water Polo Rules on the Game Dynamics

This research aimed to identify a change in the dynamics of the water polo game related to identifying differences in the number of goals scored before and after the introduction of the current 2019 rules. The sample analyzed 96 matches from the 2018 and 2020 European Water Polo Championships. The sample of variables included five variables for both subsamples, which referred to the total number of goals scored in the match, as well as the total number of goals per quarter. By applying the T-test for small independent samples, it was determined that at a statistically significant level, a higher number of goals was achieved in the third and fourth quarters, as well as the total number of goals in the 2020 European Championship in Hungary, compared to the 2018 European Championship in Spain. No statistically significant differences were found in the variables related to the total number of goals in the first and second quarters of the water polo match. The rule change, which came into force in 2019, was driven by changes in the game that directly reflected in a more dynamic game that resulted in more goals per game as well as in the final quarter of the game. These changes were undoubtedly preceded by changes in the total number of attacks, faster swimming, more frequent shots, which should definitely be determined by additional research.

Robot Trajectory Planning based Attack and Defense Strategy for Water Polo Confrontation

Taking account of the attack of the enemy fish and disturbance of water waves generated in the water polo match, the fish head wiping the ball due to displacement of the target ball often occurs. In this paper, a tail sweeping based double fish alternate attack strategy is proposed. In this strategy, ball attack can be achieved by any part of the fish body, and it assures that the hitting of the ball no longer dependents on the fish head only, thus improves the robustness of the attacking scheme. Furthermore, as the short distance requirement for posture adjustment provides valuable time for the strategy of double fish alternation, we add the opponent fish attacking movement in the return phase. The experimental results show that the goal attack time of the tail sweeping strategy is shortened by 38.5% (single fish) and 66.9% (double fish alternation) respectively, which proves the performance efficiency of this strategy.

A survey on the prevalence of heart murmurs in polo horses

Background: Cardiac murmur and subsequently cardiac failure is one of the poor-performance causes in athletic horses. Attention to murmur character is vital during heart examination. Polo is a sport which demands very high stress on horses, which may result in more stress on cardiovascular system. Objectives: In this study we assume that high pressure on polo horses makes them more susceptible to valves insufficiency as a result of high velocity across valves. Methods: 136 polo horses were evaluated in this study, and all participated in polo matches. Both sides of chest were heard carefully by two clinicians and murmur characters recorded in detail. Afterward the accuracy of auscultation finding was proved by echocardiography, in echocardiography examination all the valves were evaluated carefully for any trace of regurgitation or stenosis across valves. Results: Forty-seven horses showed cardiac murmurs during auscultation (34.55%). Thoroughbred had the highest rate of murmur, with 71% of murmurs observed in this breed. Grade 2 murmurs were more frequent than others and 24 horses showed Grade 2 murmurs. And tricuspid had the highest involvement and 24 horses had tricuspid regurgitation. Conclusions: This study is the first report of cardiac murmur in Polo horses, which showed the high presence of tricuspid and aortic murmur. The difference between prevalence of murmurs in this study and other ones was not remarkable

Оптимизация процесса соревновательной деятельности спортсменок, специализирующихся в водном поло

Objective. Integrated assessment of specialized preparedness of skilled female water polo athletes aimed at the substantiation and development of practical recommendations on the effective use of water polo tactical schemes in the competitive period taking into account the functional capabilities of the body. Methods. An analysis of scientific and methodological literature; a questionnaire survey; physiological methods; psychophysiological methods; pedagogical testing; assessment of competitive performance; methods of mathematical statistics. Results. Competitive performance assessment of female water polo players was carried out on the basis of the data of their performance during water polo matches and with the use of their parameters of technical and tactical skills during the matches. The result of assessment was compared to the model characteristics that made it possible to determine the correspondence of displayed level of specialized preparedness of the water polo player to her sports qualification. The specialized preparedness of the athletes was examined comprehensively on the basis of relationships among the psychophysiological condition, speed abilities, and throwing efficacy, and taking into account the menstrual phase. The variants of application of technical-tactical schemes in water polo that take into account the team roles were developed and proposed to maximize and improve the realization of individual mastery by athletes that helped to optimize the competitive activity of the team in whole. This was confirmed by the growing performance of Ukrainian junior and women's national water polo teams. Conclusions. Recommendations on designing competitive tactics of the team and determining individual actions of water polo players were introduced into the practice of competitions of the leading club teams of Ukraine, as well as of Ukrainian women's and junior national teams. Keywords: competitive activity, water polo, female athletes, specialized preparedness, tactics.

Trajectory Planning Strategy for Robotic Water Polo Matches

An area partition-based ball-pushing control strategy is proposed for the real robot water polo events since the multi-joint robot fishes often play the edge ball or are unable to touch the ball in their attempt of pushing the ball. As a first step, the venue image acquired is partitioned into several areas for separate implementation of different control options regarding the position judgment of ball and fishes and the ball-pushing strategy. According to the line connecting the ball to the goal midpoint, the area around the ball is divided into the ball-pushing area and the non-ball-pushing area, and a temporary point is designed for the ball-pushing area. The robot fishes are set to hit the ball when they are in the ball-pushing area; and when they are in the non-ball-pushing area, the fishes are driven into the ball-pushing area via the temporary point to hit the ball. The experimental results show that the use of this method allows the robot fishes in the water to push the target ball to the goal more quickly and accurately. Aside from the 2V2 water polo competition, the proposed method is also applicable to the N V N water polo competition, and even robot path planning.

O węgierskiej krwi w wodzie, czyli konflikt Węgry – ZSRR a Letnie Igrzyska Olimpijskie w 1956 roku

In 1956, the Games of the XVI Olympiad in Melbourne coincided with the Hungarian Revolution, an attempt of the Hungarians to free themselves from the Soviet domination, eventually suppressed by an armed intervention of the Soviet Army. During the semi-final water polo match between USSR and Hungary the players came to blows. The Hungarian Ervin Zádor was punched by a Soviet team player and his blood coloured the water in the pool red. The match ultimately ended in a victory for Hungary. The main goal of the article is to describe the conflict between Hungary and the USSR which had its tragic final in a sport match at the Melbourne Olympic Games. The 1956 Olympic Games showed to what extent political conflicts are mirrored in sport. Hungarians wanted to show they were a free nation and that they would never accept the political sway of Moscow over their country.

Effects of Rule Changes on Game-Related Statistics in Men's Water Polo Matches.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rule changes on game-related statistics in men’s water polo matches. A total of 856 men’s matches played in all Olympic Games and World Championship since 1936 was analysed. The game-related statistics considered were: total goals, winners’ goals, losers’ goals, goals per minute, goals difference, relationship difference goals and total goals, and relationship difference goals and winners’ goals. The rule changes were grouped by structural (game and period) and functional changes (possession time, exclusion time, timing, minimum distance to take a direct shot). Differences between rule changes were determined using a one-way ANOVA. In general, the changes in water polo rules were shown to have an effect on the final result of the matches. There were differences in each rule change of duration (increased total goals and winners’ goals), period (increased total goals and winners’ goals), possession time (increased losers’ goals), timing (increased total, winners’, losers’, and decreased % goals and total goals) and fouls (increased total goals and losers’ goals). The analysis in game-related statistics through the rule changes could be used to evaluate their effects and/or justify future modifications.

Six cloned horses help rider win prestigious polo match

Six cloned horses help rider win prestigious polo match

Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor level in serum of horses

Serum-BDNF levels are known to reflect functions of the nervous system. It has been shown in humans that exercise increases serum-BDNF levels. However, how exercise training affects serum-BDNF in horses is unknown. Knowing how BDNF is altered in response to exercise training in horses will provide insight into the nervous system’s response to exercise and may provide a novel indicator to improve the training program for sport horses. Here we investigated the effect of exercise on the level of serum-BDNF in horses by comparing BDNF levels in serum from sedentary horses to those from active horses that are trained and participated in polo matches. The level of total serum-BDNF was significantly higher in active horses compared with that of sedentary horses. Individual forms of BDNF (pro, truncated and mature BDNF) were also significantly higher in active horses, especially the truncated-BDNF. The findings suggest that exercise increases basal levels of horse serum-BDNF, indicating the positive response of the horse nervous system to physical activities.

Nutritional recommendations for water polo.

Water polo is an aquatic team sport that requires endurance, strength, power, swimming speed, agility, tactical awareness, and specific technical skills, including ball control. Unlike other team sports, few researchers have examined the nutritional habits of water polo athletes or potential dietary strategies that improve performance in water polo match play. Water polo players are typically well muscled, taller athletes; female players display higher levels of adiposity compared with their male counterparts. Positional differences exist: Center players are heavier and have higher body fat levels compared with perimeter players. Knowledge of the physical differences that exist among water polo players offers the advantage of player identification as well as individualizing nutrition strategies to optimize desired physique goals. Individual dietary counseling is warranted to ensure dietary adequacy, and in cases of physique manipulation. Performance in games and during quality workouts is likely to improve by adopting strategies that promote high carbohydrate availability, although research specific to water polo is lacking. A planned approach incorporating strategies to facilitate muscle glycogen refueling and muscle protein synthesis should be implemented following intensified training sessions and matches, particularly when short recovery times are scheduled. Although sweat losses of water polo players are less than what is reported for land-based athletes, specific knowledge allows for appropriate planning of carbohydrate intake strategies for match play and training. Postgame strategies to manage alcohol intake should be developed with input from the senior player group to minimize the negative consequences on recovery and player welfare.

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