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