EFFECT OF TAKING THE ?RST BALL POSSESSION ON SCORE DURING THE 2003 AND 2007 WATER POLO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the in?uence of taking the ?rst ball possession on the partial and ?nal score in water polo. The 192 matches disputed by team’s participants in the 2003 and 2007 Water Polo World Championship were recorded. The sample included all participants on both competitions. The observational methodology was applied. Matches were ?lmed and later they were analyzed with “Polo Análisis v. 1.0 directo” software. The 43.4% of men’s teams and 52.6% of the female teams, who got the ?rst ball possession, got a favourable partial result along the periods. The men’s teams that won more than 50% of the matches took the ?rst ball in more than one period. This occurred in the female category in more than two periods. In conclusion, to take the ?rst ball in the majority number of periods is related to favourable partial and ?nal score.