The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of taking the first ball possession on the partial and final score in water polo. The 192 matches disputed by team’s participants in the 2003 and 2007 Water Polo World Championship were recorded. The sample included all participants on both competitions. The observational methodology was applied. Matches were filmed and later they were analyzed with "Polo Análisis v. 1.0 directo" software. The 43.4% of men’s teams and 52.6% of the female teams, who got the first ball possession, got a favourable partial result along the periods. The men’s teams that won more than 50% of the matches took the first ball in more than one period. This occurred in the female category in more than two periods. In conclusion, to take the first ball in the majority number of periods is related to favourable partial and final score.
Water polo; performance; first possession; game analysis
