With the new rules, there is no excuse for a penalty. A player cannot give up the inside water position. In order to prevent a player from getting inside water, the defense must be proactive with their body positioning.
If your game desk results are showing a high number of ejections/ penalties, or a negative trend in this area, there are many things you can address to fix this issue.
How to Improve
Drills and points to mitigate penalties and ejections:
Center defenders must be proactive by taking the extra stroke to protect that inside entry opportunity. Even while fronting, the ball can sneak in from the wing, which is a higher percentage in the center earning a penalty shot than for a center scoring.
Awareness based drills: players must be aware of where the ball is at all times and be in a position to react immediately. Ensure the ball can never come in live from the wing by having the defense’s hips high in the passing lanes and in position to prevent an easy pass by remaining between their player and the ball.
Why do penalties and ejections keep happening?
Exclusions are not necessarily a bad thing - if you helped by saving a goal. Most bad exclusions come from not knowing the situation or being in a bad position. Not knowing the situation would be hitting the arm after a foul (after not listening to the whistle); watching the shot and getting behind on the counter; not following the ball and giving up ball side. Counter attack exclusions should not happen and are easily preventable with situational awareness and anticipation.
Often when fatigued or frustrated, players begin to fall out of focus with technical basics which can lead to unnecessary mistakes. Players will begin to use their arms instead of their legs to get separation or grab their opponent instead of using over the hips tactics. Some questions to have athletes ask themselves are the following:
Was it a smart ejection and what is that?
What is a bad ejection or truly a penalty?
How can we adjust to meet the standards of the new rules?
The center defender is usually going to get ejected the most; it is their job to take necessary ejections if it means preventing a goal. A player needs to understand their body position, mainly their hips, in the water at all times.
Suggested Drills:
Water Polo 2.0: Sculling
Water Polo 2.0: Lunge Right & Left
At Home Workout: Core: Modified WP Dead Bug
At Home Workout: Core: Polo PLank
Fundamentals: Eggbeater with Rotate
Fundamentals: Hands out Horizontal Eggbeater
Fundamentals: Spider Drills
2M Offense & Defense with Peter Hudnut: Lunging Around
2M Offense & Defense with Peter Hudnut: Fronting Wall Drill
2M Offense & Defense with Peter Hudnut: Fronting Drill with Player
2M Offense & Defense with Peter Hudnut: Changing Position behind with Player
Ways for players to check in with their body position:
Am I on the left shoulder? Can my opponent get the ball if I’m in this position?
Do I have good enough legs to push the center out and keep my hands away from them?
When can we re-press? How can I direct my team to keep the ball from reaching center or my position?
What do I need to do when the ball comes in? Can I push the center into the zone? If I can’t push him into a zone, I need to make sure everyone is pressing the perimeter.
Ejections: Drive Defense
Getting ejected off of a drive is very preventable if the player is reading the situation, watching their opponents’ body language, and anticipating their movement. Oftentimes when players get ejected while playing drive defense they have failed to be between their player and the ball.
Mistakes to look out for:
Players not taking the extra stroke to prevent getting beat
Grabbing or pulling instead of swiveling over the hips to block off water the opponent is looking to take
Failing to anticipate their opponents’ movement
Not studying specific athletes and understanding which players like to do what
Suggested Drills:
Defense: Defending the Drive - Tony
Defense; Defending the Drive - Maggie
Drive Defense: Body Postioning
Drive Defense: Spider Legs
Drive Defense: Sculling Backwards
Drive Defense: Reverse Spin
Drive Defense Reverse Spin & Recover
Drive Defense: Deny 5m Foul spin
Drive Defense: Extra Stroke