Officials work with many people, from players to support staff, to coaches and international representatives. As an official, you play a key role in the operation of water polo and have specific responsibilties that contribute towards the success of events and competitions.

Within the term of Officials, there are many roles:

• Referees - manage and referee water polo games in line with World Aquatics rules and ensure game sheets are completed after each game
• Pool Controllers - oversee the running of games in each session to ensure competitions are run smoothly and on time
• Table Duty - roles include:

• Secretary: records the events of the game as signalled by the referee. These are goals, timeouts, personal fouls, yellow and red cards.
• Assistant Secretary: manages the exclusions foul board.
• Timekeeper: manages the game time and possession clocks.
• Goal Judge/Assistant Referee: situated on the goal line on the table side of the pool. They signal as required for improper starts, goal throws, corner throws, and

In 2025, WPNZ launched a new Referee Development Framework, which can be found on the Referee page here.

Officials Policies

• Referee Care Policy (.pdf document)
• Code of Conduct (.pdf document)
• Child Protection Policy (.pdf document)
• Police Vetting Policy (.pdf document)
• Close Relationships Policy (.pdf document)
• Conflicts of Interest Policy (.pdf document)

Useful Officials Resources

• Event Officials Induction Pack (.pdf document)
• Table Officials Guide (.pdf document)
• Competitions website
• Officials Registration - required for Referees and Pool Controllers (free to register)
• Deconstruct the Conflict (external website)

For more information or for any questions on Officials, please contact officials@nzwaterpolo.org.nz