Every Player Position in Water Polo, Plus Diagram

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Learn the names & numbers of every role on a water polo team

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: September 16, 2026 Fact Checked

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Player Positions

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Position Numbers

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Defensive Positions

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Power Play/Man Up

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Hardest Position

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Water polo is fun to watch or play—but if you’re new to the game, it can look a little chaotic at first, with players seemingly swimming in every direction. Actually, there’s a set organization to a water polo team, and it’s a lot more organized than it looks. We’re breaking down every player position in water polo, plus explaining a little about numbering, defense, and Power Plays. Let’s check it out!

What are the positions in water polo?

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A diagram showing the positions on a water polo team.

Each team has 7 players in the pool at a time—a goalie, two Wing players, two Drivers , a Center Back, and a Hole Set (or Center Forward). The Center Back is the only primarily defensive position, but all of the players switch to defense when the other team has the ball.

Section 1 of 5:

Player Positions in Water Polo

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1
Left Wing The Left Wing plays on the left-hand perimeter of the pool near the 2-meter mark. Their goal is to create passing lanes to the Hole Set. They also take tight-angle shots. They need to be fast, accurate, and skilled at scoring from different angles. Wing players often coordinate plays, so they need to be strong communicators.^{[1]
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- Number: 1
- Cap Color: Blue or white (whichever their team is wearing)
- Skills needed: Accuracy; speed; agility; strong swimmer; good communicator
2
Left Driver / Left Attacker The Left Driver stands near the pool’s left perimeter at around the 5-meter mark, usually just a little inside from the Left Wing. They shoot from the outside and create movement by swimming toward the goal to disrupt the defense. They must be able to quickly swim into position to evade defenders, grab passes, and create scoring opportunities.^{[2]
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- Number: 2
- Cap Color: Blue or white (whichever their team is wearing)
- Skills needed: High energy; agility; fast swimming; quick thinking
- Note: The Left and Right Driver positions are sometimes called “Flats.”
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3
Center Back / Hole D / Center Defender The Center Back (or Hole D) is the team’s main defense. They stand in front of their own team’s goal and play against the other team’s Center Forward, trying to block them from scoring while avoiding exclusion fouls. This is the only role that is primarily defensive.^{[3]
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- Number: 3
- Cap Color: Blue or white (whichever their team is wearing)
- Skills needed: Defensive awareness; ability to anticipate opposing team; quick reflexes; excellent endurance
4
Right Driver The Right Driver plays on the right perimeter of the pool at the 5-meter mark. Like the Left Driver, they shoot from the outside and attempt to disrupt the defense. They also need to be fast swimmers, since they often need to close distances quickly in order to secure passes, as well as versatile shooters who can score from different angles.^{[4]
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- Number: 4
- Cap Color: Blue or white (whichever their team is wearing)
- Skills needed: Accuracy; speed; agility; strong swimmer; good communicator; left-handed (preferred)
- Note: These positions are sometimes filled by a utility player—a versatile player who doesn’t have a single fixed position. They have the skills to play multiple roles, such as Driver or Hole Set, depending on the team’s needs during the game.”
5
Right Wing The Right Wing has essentially the same function as the Left Wing, except they play from the right side of the pool. Right Wings need to be skilled at creating an open lane to the Hole Set so their teammates can pass them the ball. They also need to be strong at scoring goals from different angles.^{[5]
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- Number: 5
- Cap Color: Blue or white (whichever their team is wearing)
- Skills needed: High energy; agility; fast swimming; quick thinking; left-handed (preferred)
6
Hole Set / Center Forward The Hole Set (or Center Forward) stands right in front of the opponent’s goal. This is a demanding position, requiring the player to battle against the other team’s Center Back, fighting for position so they can receive passes and set up scoring plays. The hole set often tries to draw fouls from the other team to trigger a Power Play.^{[6]
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- Number: 6
- Cap Color: Blue or white (whichever their team is wearing)
- Skills needed: Physical strength; accurate shots; excellent ball handling & defensive reading; strong eggbeater (treading kick)
7
Goalkeeper The Goalkeeper is positioned right in front of the goal for most of the game. They’re the only players who can touch the ball with both hands or hit with closed fists, and in pools with a shallow end, they’re the only ones allowed to stand on the pool bottom.^{[7]
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- Number: N/A
- Cap Color: Red
- Skills needed: Leadership and communication; excellent reflexes; ability to anticipate opponent shots; high-level ball handling and passing; strong eggbeater
- Note: It’s a common misconception that the goalie can’t leave the goal—they can, but they usually don’t leave it undefended for long.

Section 2 of 5:

How are positions numbered in water polo?

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In the US, positions are numbered counterclockwise starting with the Left Wing. The numbering system goes from 1–6, and it’s based on the “umbrella” or “arc” shape of a typical offensive setup. The numbering starts with the Left Wing (1), continues back to the Left Driver (2), then to the Center Back (3), Right Driver (4), Right Wing (5), and Hole Set (6). (The Goalie doesn’t have a position number.) International teams often number their players clockwise rather than counterclockwise.^{[8]
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- Position numbers help players understand their location and role on offense.
- Note: The number on a player’s cap doesn’t always match the number for their position. They’re mainly put there so referees and scorekeepers can keep track of how many fouls or goals each player gets during a game.

Section 3 of 5:

Defensive Positions in Water Polo

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All players transition to defense when the other team gets the ball. The only position that’s primarily defensive is the Center Back. But when one team gets the ball, everyone on the other team switches to defense. Most of the time, the players will primarily defend against one other player, trying to prevent them from passing or scoring.^{[9]
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- When a team gets the ball, they have a 30-second shot clock—so if you can successfully keep them from scoring until the shot clock runs out, you can get the ball back.

Section 4 of 5:

Positions During a Power Play / Man Up

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Power Plays occur when the other team gets an exclusion foul. An exclusion foul is a penalty for a relatively serious offense, like swimming across another player, holding, or splashing water in someone’s face. When that happens, the offending player is “excluded,” which means they have to leave the field of play for 20 seconds.^{[10]
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- In a Power Play situation, the team with 6 players typically moves 4 players up to the 2-meter line and 2 players back to the 5-meter line, since this is more advantageous for scoring.

Section 5 of 5:

What is the hardest position in water polo?

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The hardest position in water polo is probably the Hole Set. This is a challenging, physical position. Not only are they constantly battling against the Center Back, but they’re also key to most offensive drives on the team. These players need excellent reflexes and quick-thinking skills to make the most of this position.
- Some teams also have a utility player who can fill in for any position. This is challenging because they need to understand and adapt to every role on the team.
- Want to know more? Check out wikiHow’s guide on How to Play Water Polo!