Canoe Polo
Five-a-side handball played in short kayaks on a swimming pool — hurl the ball into a suspended 1 × 1.5 m goal.
👥5 per team🌤both
What is Canoe Polo?
Canoe polo is a five-a-side team water sport contested in short manoeuvrable kayaks on a 35 × 23 m pool. Players use a water polo ball (thrown by hand or the paddle) to score in a suspended 1 × 1.5 m goal at each end. Physical contact between boats is legal — capsizing an opponent is a defensive tactic. World Championships run every two years.
Quick facts
Category
Aquatic Sports
Type
Team sport
Players
5 per team
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
1880s England (early demonstrations); modern rules 1970s
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified