1. Water Polo

2. English History Originated in mid 19th Century England
Derived from rugby (aquatic version)
London Swimming Association developed rules for indoor swimming pools in 1870, in hopes of attracting more spectators.
The early games were very brutal and were really nothing more than underwater wresting matches.
The goal was to touch the ball with both hands at the goal end of the pool. Similar to a touchdown in football.

3. Scottish History The Scots are said to have tamed the sport.
In 1877 they added goal posts. Goal became a 10x3 foot cage.
Replaced the small rubber ball with a soccer ball.
Introduced rules that prohibited taking the ball underwater or tackling a player unless he had the ball.
This style spread throughout Europe in the 1890’s.

4. American History
Introduced to the USA in 1888 by John Robinson, an English swimming instructor.
Resembled American football in water.
Became very popular in the 1890’s.
Violence was the games main attraction.
Due to pool sizes and conditions, the American version became even more violent than early English versions.

5. General History
Resembles an early African rite of passage into manhood played in rivers.
First team sport added to the Olympics in 1900.
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) took over as the national governing body for water polo in 1906.
AAU dropped water polo after a brawl erupted at the 1912 national championships in Chicago.
After agreeing to AAU regulations in 1914, water polo was once again an AAU event.
James R. Smith of the U.S. invents a ball specifically for water polo in the 1930’s. Became the sports official ball in the 1956 Olympics.

6. Women’s History
During the 1920’s in the U.S., physical educators decided that the game was to rough for women.
It was revived in the late 1950’s by Rose Mary Dawson, a women's coach in Michigan.
The AAU conducted a women’s championship in 1961.
An international women's championship has been conducted by the Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA) as part of the World Aquatic Games since 1986.
Add as an Olympic event at the 2000 games.