About
Overview
Norcross Blue Devils Water Polo is a club sport running August through mid October. We have two boy teams: an “A” team comprised of juniors/seniors, and a “B” team usually comprised of middle schoolers and up. We currently have one girls team but are always looking for more girls to add a "B" team. In addition, we are building a developmental team for those not quite ready for game time experience. We practice at West Gwinnett Aquatic Center.
Because we are a club sport, players from any school (middle or high; home, public or private) may join our team. Recent (2018) changes to the League rules allow athletes who have never played water polo before to choose their own team, meaning we can now take players from any County.
Middle Schoolers are welcome to join the high schoolers for our Spring and Summer training sessions; rising 8th graders and up are welcome to join our competitive Fall program.
Our History
Our Club was started by a local mom who wanted a water sport option for her swimmer kids. The Blue Devils played their first season in 2010 and won their first state championship in 2013. Over the years we have won a total of FOUR state championships (2013, 2014, 2015, 2018) as well as being a championship finalist (2017). In 2018, our A Team was undefeated in regular season play (12-0) as well a making a clean sweep in the State Championship to bring a fourth championship cup home to West Gwinnett Aquatic Center.
Our girls team just completed their third season. In the 2023 season, the girls team won the state championship!
We are a 501(c )(3) not for profit. Please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring our water polo club!
The Game
ABOUT THE GAME OF WATER POLO -THE BASICS
The pool is set up like a soccer field, with a large playing area and a goal at each end. Each team has seven players in the water at one time – one goalie plus six others. In our league, a water polo match consists of four seven-minute quarters, and each team must take a shot on goal within 30 seconds. A match typically takes 45-60 minutes to play the entire four quarters.
Water polo matches ideally have two referees, one on each side of the pool. Referees control the game with whistles and hand motions.
Each quarter starts with the teams lining up their players along the end of the pool on either side of their goal. The match starts with a sprint to the ball a referee has dropped at the half-way point along one side of the pool. One player from each team sprints to the ball and hopes to obtain first possession.
Players are not allowed to touch the bottom and must either tread water using an eggbeater motion, or swim. Usually, the pools are at least 7 feet deep so this is not a problem, but there are a few pools that have a shallow end, and this makes for some additional challenges!
To move the ball, players either throw it to a teammate or swim with it. With the exception of the goalie, players can only hold the ball with one hand.
Like soccer, when a goal is scored the OTHER team starts the play at mid pool with possession of the ball. Winning comes down to which team scores the most goals.
