What each position does, and — where the sport restricts it — where that player is allowed to go. Taken from the same rules reference built into the Squaddie app.
| Position | Role | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | The only player allowed to touch the ball with a closed fist or stand on the pool floor (only in the shallow end), and stays in front of their own goal. | Keeper |
| Centre-forward (Hole set) | Plays with their back to the opponent's goal, right in front of it — the key inside scoring threat. | Attack |
| Centre-back (Hole defence) | Defends the centre-forward one-on-one in front of goal. | Defence |
| Wing / Driver | Perimeter attackers who create shooting angles and drive toward goal. | Attack |
| Point | The outside attacker furthest from goal, often quarterbacking the attack. | Attack |
The practical exception is goalkeeper in the sports that have one, where some children genuinely want the role and are happy in it. Even then it is worth checking in, because a fixed keeper has a very different experience of a season from everyone else.
Rotating positions and rotating playing time are separate problems, and it helps to treat them separately — see how to plan player rotations for the mechanics, and fair playing time for the policy behind it.
Based on the World Aquatics (formerly FINA) Water Polo Rules, as adopted by Water Polo NZ and Water Polo Australia. Junior grades often shorten quarters and relax the shot clock.
Governing bodies: Water Polo New Zealand · Water Polo Australia · World Aquatics (international law book)
Last reviewed: September 2026. Junior formats vary by region and are revised between seasons — your competition handbook takes precedence over anything here. The full water polo rules reference has formats, scoring, fouls and timings.
Squaddie knows the formats and positions for water polo, so you are picking a team rather than describing your sport to an app.
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