EXPERIMENTAL RULES ALSO TESTED AT 4th FINA WORLD WOMEN’s YOUTH WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BELGRADE

After the World Youth Championships 18U in Hungary a few weeks ago, a set of amended rules proposed by the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee (TWPC) and discussed at the FINA World Water Polo Conference organised in Budapest in April 2018 will continue to be tested at this event, Championships as well as at the FINA Women's World Cup in Surgut (RUS, September 4-9, 2018) and the FINA Men's World Cup in Berlin (GER, September 11-16, 2018), to be then presented to the Extraordinary Water Polo Congress in Hangzhou, China, on December 10, 2018.

The proposed amendments are:
• In case of blocks, corners and exclusions when the ball remains at the possession of the offensive team, the shot clock will reset to 20 seconds instead of 30. (The only exception will be applied for exclusions: when there is more than 20 seconds on the shot clock, the remaining time will not change.)
• In case of a fault inside the 2-metre area, the free throw does not have to be taken from the exact spot, but from the 2-metre line.
• The player, who takes the corner throw does not have to choose a teammate. He can aim a shot immediately at the goal, or swim closer and try his luck from a better angle.
• In case of substitutions during the game, the incoming player may enter the area of play between the goal line and the halfway line.
• The timeout button will be handled by the staff of the team next to the bench.
• The length of the halftime will be reduced from 5 minutes to 3.
• In case of a foul committed outside of 6 metres, the offensive player may take the ball into action without shooting or passing. He can swim closer and try to score, but in this case the defender is allowed to attack him.
• The goalkeeper can be called into action across the halfway line. He is even allowed to convert a 5-metre penalty or take part in the penalty shootout.
• The teams will be able to call for timeout twice throughout the game and they will be able to do that any time when the have possession. This will change the rule of one timeout in each quarter.
• If the attacking player, who swims towards the goal, is held back from taking a shot from behind within the 6 metres area, the referee must award a 5-metre penalty for the attacking team.
• In case of an unclear situation around the 6-metre line, the referee will point towards the 6-metre line. In this case a shot may be taken on goal immediately. Otherwise the free throw must be passed before it is allowed to be aimed at the goal.
• The referees will be in radio connection during the games. Their conversations will be heard by the delegates as well.
• Based on the video records of the match, brutality, which was not noticed by the referees may be penalised later. In case of conviction, the guilty player will be banned for at least one game. Teams may ask for enquiry as well (in 30 minutes after the game, for the equivalent of 500 Swiss francs), but TWC may also act on its own initiative.