Youth Water Polo 2025-2026: Improved Formats and Rules | Waterpolo.nl
Over the past years, we have worked intensively on renewing the game formats and rules within youth water polo, aligning with the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation Youth Sports Vision. As you know, we have introduced a new structure from the 2024-2025 season onwards, focusing on fun, development, and accessibility. With this, we aim to connect more children to aquatic sports for a longer time period and positively reverse the declining trend in the number of (youth) members. This is necessary to keep our sport sustainable for the future.
To gain a clear understanding of how these innovations were perceived in this pilot year, we conducted an evaluation among associations last April. This was filled out extensively by 535 respondents. We also conducted observations and held various conversations with children, coaches, and parents. The feedback received was valuable, honest, and critical. We are pleased with this because youth development is a joint responsibility and requires constant alignment between clubs, coaches, young athletes, and the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation with its task forces and committees.
What have we done with your feedback?
In such an initial pilot year, we found that many things are going well. However, there are areas that can be improved or where things have played out differently in practice than anticipated. Based on the experiences nationwide, and the valuable comments and suggestions from the evaluation, we have decided to further fine-tune the existing rules and formats. This means that with your help, we have carefully reconsidered and/or adjusted a number of rules to further enhance youth water polo in the 2025-2026 season. The outcomes of the evaluation are summarized in this document.
Based on the evaluation, the youth water polo format for the 2025-2026 season has been sharpened on the following themes:
- Differentiation in U12 Entry & U12 Advanced: new distinction in levels, with corresponding rules and guidance.
- SuperTeam rule: when there is a 5-goal difference, the trailing team is temporarily allowed to play with one extra player (U12).
- Discontinuation of score progression per period: scores will not be kept or will be tracked regularly due to ambiguity and limited added value.
- Prevention of long-distance shots and promotion of teamwork.
- Attention to game supervision, communication, goal sizes, and warning substitutions.
In the documents below, you can find an explanation for each age category, including an overview of the current rules for the 2025-2026 season. All changes are in line with the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation Youth Sports Vision, which focuses on fun, development, and a safe learning environment.
For questions or support, you can contact the water polo department. Together, we will continue to develop youth water polo.
Read the documents below
Renewed youth water polo format 2025-2026 - Explanation (v250626)
Renewed youth water polo format 2025-2026 - Table (v250626)
