WACC (approved 1/22/25)
3001. The National Federation Water Polo Rules as modified by the CIF, the NCS and the WACC shall be the official rules governing water polo contests.
3002. Eligibility and Levels of Competition:
3002.1 Players shall not participate at more than one level against the same team in the same round. However, should a program lack a minimum number of players to field a complete JV team capable of safely completing a full game (a suggested number is ten players), a coach may supplement the JV program by adding players who may have suited up/will suit up for the varsity game for the purpose of playing an unofficial game for development and experience of younger players. Conditions being:
3002.1.1 Mutual agreement between the two coaches.
3002.1.2 No starting varsity players may play in the JV game.
3002.1.3 Preferred order of adding to the JV’s shall be a) varsity players who saw/will see no playing time in the varsity game. b) varsity players who saw/will see limited playing time in the varsity game. c) non-starting varsity players.
3002.1.4 Under no circumstances shall a “varsity” level player supplant a “JV” player in starting line-ups/playing time.
3002.2 Care shall be taken to ensure that players who move from one level to another at any time during the season, including 3002.1 above, do not exceed the NCS limit on the maximum number of contests per individual.
3003. Schedules and Game Procedures:
3003.1 Varsity and tournament games have seven-minute quarters; JV games have six-minute quarters.
3003.2 Up to two quarters may be added to JV games at the end of regulation time in order to provide novice players some playing time in certain circumstances
3003.3 Care shall be taken to ensure adequate warm-up time.
3003.4 The home coach shall call in results to the local media.
3003.5 The single round robin league schedule shall be drawn up by the league commissioner using input from the coaches. Suggested game days are Tuesdays and Thursdays.
3003.6 Rule III, Section 12; Article 5 of the NFHS Rule Book deals with protests. Protests shall be handled in the following manner:
1. The head coach begins the process by taking the protest to the referee of the game. A protest may only involve alleged misinterpretations of NFHS rules. Protests are not allowed on judgment calls.
2. The protest must occur in a timely manner after the action/call by the umpires that caused the protest.
3. The protesting coach shall have a reasonable amount of time to verbally indicate the alleged misinterpretation of the NFHS rule
4. The opposing coach shall also have time to make his/her case to the referee
5. The referee shall consider the protest to the best of his/her ability and make a ruling, either denying or upholding protest. No more than five minutes shall be spent attempting to contact a MACPolo rules interpreter from a list predetermined at the beginning of the season. This ruling may be made without contacting any other official or the officiating association,
6. If the protest occurs during a league game, the umpires shall then make a decision, in consultation with the NFHS rule book if necessary, which shall be final and the game continues
7. If the protest occurs during a tournament game, the umpires shall then make a decision, in consultation with the NFHS rule book if necessary. Either head coach may then call for a Jury of Appeals to be formed. That jury shall be composed of a member of the staff of the team hosting the tournament and the two most senior coaches of either gender present at the contest who are not involved in the protest. who will then review it and make a final ruling.
8. All of the above must be logged in the official score sheet.
3003.7 A Jury of Appeals shall be established consisting of the two most senior coaches and the host coach.
3004. The WACC shall hold an end-of-season league tournament, playing out to all eight places. The winner of the end-of-season tournament shall be declared league champion and shall be the automatic entry to NCS playoff competition. League standings shall be used to seed the tournament. Ties shall be broken in the following manner:
3004.1 The records of the teams within the tie against each other.
3004.2 The records of the teams within the tie against the team in 1st place in the league standings (if this is a tie for other than 1st place).
3004.3 The records of the teams within the tie against the team in 2nd place in the league standings (if this is a tie for other than 1st place); then 3rd place, 4th place, etc.
3004.4 The records of the teams within the tie against the team immediately below them in the league standings
3004.5 The records of the teams within the tie against the next lowest team in the league standings. This process shall continue using all teams in the league standings.
3004.6 If at any time in the above steps a team is eliminated from the tie, but a tie still exists (started with a three-way tie for example), the progression starts once again with 3004.1 and continues until the tie is broken.
3004.7 A draw from a hat by the league’s athletic directors.
3005. Selection of the All-League Team:
3005.1 Schools shall follow the timeline for all-league nominations established by the league commissioner, using the WACC website for nominations.
3005.2 The All-League First Team shall be composed of ten players and the Player-of-the-Year. The All-League Second Team shall be composed of ten players. Positions shall be listed on the ballot but players shall not be voted on by position.
3005.3 Coaches shall attend the postseason meeting. A coach who does not attend the meeting, send a substitute, or make arrangements with the league commissioner to vote may not nominate his/her players for All-League honors.
3005.4 The number of nominations shall be based on league finish:
3005.5 Coaches shall first select a “Player of the Year” from among those nominated.
3005.6 Coaches shall then cast eight votes for 1st team and eight votes for 2nd team; for seven players and one goalie. Coaches may not vote for their own players. First team votes will receive two points; second team votes will receive one point. The eight highest point receivers, seven players and one goalie will be selected for the All-League First Team; the next 8 highest point receivers, seven players and one goalie will be selected to the Second Team. If a tie occurs, and the tie can be resolved by determining which player received the most first-team votes, it shall be done. Ties shall be voted off. The “Player of the Year” shall be added to the first team.
3005.7 Coaches shall add two players from their school as honorable mention after the balloting.
