FREQUENCIES AND TIMES OF POSSESSION IN OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PHASES ACCORDING TO CLASSIFICATION IN MALE HIGH LEVEL WATER POLO.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare the frequencies and times of possession in offensive and defensive phase in water polo as a function of the final classification in the championship. We analyzed 58% of the matches played in seven European and eight World Championships at the highest level (n = 372) over a period of 14 years 2010-2024. The data for the variables analyzed were extracted from the records published on the websites of each championship, categorized into three classification groups: Q1 (top three, medallists); Q2 (sixth, seventh and eighth place finishers); Q3 (bottom three). Consistency was assessed by interobserver reliability with the Intraclass Correlation Index (ICC = .93), It was found that the frequencies of possessions in attack were similar for all teams. However, Q1 spent less time per possession in attack, while Q3 spent less time per possession and had a higher frequency in defense. The time to score or concede a goal was related to the ranking achieved in the championship. Frequencies and times of possession are useful performance indicators that allow for planning training sessions aimed at competitive performance.