1. Rule focus 2016

2. Reduce inconsistency between referee’s. Provide a better understanding for coaches and players. Make it easier for Spectators to understand the game. Aims for 2016

3. Restart rule after a goal is scored. Snatching/slapping the ball out of an opponents hand. New signal for illegal hand tackles. Chicken wing or carrying the ball rule. Cards for coaches and Team Officials who breach the rules. Cards after a 6m GPS is awarded. Illegal kayak tackle – Sprint start and during play. Buzzer beating shot at goal. Scrutineering for major events. The Focus

4. Restart 12345678910 All players in own half play can restart when the referee is ready. Play can restart after 10 seconds when the attacking team are ready and three players from the defending team have returned to their own half. 10 seconds is about the length of time it takes the trailing referee to get back to the centre line. For both scenario the player taking the throw must be stationary! Any deliberate delaying tactics result in Team Green. If a player who has not returned to their own half plays the ball or tackles an opponent = Yellow card.

5. “69.5 A player using a forceful action with one or both hands that results in significant contact with the opponent's arm, or with the ball that is still in contact with the opponent's hand.” Snatching/Slapping ball from hand. X X

6. A reminder that the signal for Illegal Hand tackle is now: New Signal!

7. A player manoeuvring their kayak with the ball tucked between their body and arm. Chicken Wing Not a chicken wingChicken wing! Definition: Any positive stroke, forward, backward or sideways made by the player. If the stroke is a reactive support stroke as the result of a push. Then the player will not be penalised.

8. There is no Yellow card for a coach. Green card as a first warning, then any further infringement is a Red card. If a coach is awarded a green card for leaving the coaches area, it’s a ‘team’ warning for all coaches and team officials of that team. The next official that leaves the area will be awarded a red card. They must leave the competition area, and take no further part in the game. The competition area should be defined by the competition organiser. Only Team leaders can discuss the appointment of referee’s with the Chief Official or Technical Organiser. Cards for Coaches X Coaches and any other Team Officials present in the coaches area are all covered by this rule.

9. Most of us will agree if you award a penalty then we should also be awarding a card. We are not consistent enough with this, with the setup of the penalty it’s easy to forget to award the card. Remember you have awarded the penalty because the player did something in a deliberate or dangerous way. We have always maintained a deliberate foul should result in a minimum of a green card for that player. If the foul is both deliberate and dangerous it should be a yellow card Post Penalty Cards

10. With the advancement of boat design and player strength the impacts we are seeing have a much greater force. Illegal kayak tackles The referee is there to oversee the game but also to ensure the safety of the players, if someone is not playing in a safe way then they need to be removed from the game. Some of the biggest impacts we see are on the charge start. Things to consider on the charge start: Was one player clearly first to the ball? If one player dipped their boat forcing the other player into a dangerous tackle, was there time to prevent the big contact? Did they make any effort to prevent it? The player that lost did they take another stroke to make the tackle worse?. Did the losing player deliberately try and ‘take out’ the opposition.

11. Whilst all of these shots look spectacular the players should be receiving a card!

12. Buzzer beater Remember at the end of periods (Half time, Full time) if a player shoots and the ball has left their hand before the buzzer sounds the shot must be allowed to go to completion. Situational Interpretations: If a defending player tries to block the shot and the ball ends up in the net the goal will be allowed. If an attacking player knocks the ball in with their paddle after the shot has been taken then the goal will not be allowed. The ball will be considered dead if any player from the attacking team touches it with their paddle or hand after the buzzer and before the shot completes.

13. Scrutineer Cosmetic checks All kayaks in each team must be identical in colour. All logo’s must be the same and be in the same position above the join line. Each kayak must have a number behind the cockpit. No wrapping of bumpers in tape. No sharp edges. Bumpers in new or near new condition. All teams must make the extra effort with their uniforms to ensure a high standard and presentation for major events. There is an area reserved for NF sticker.

14. Scrutineer No vinyl covering is allowed on helmets. They must all be the same colour have numbers the correct size and any logos must be identical on all helmets.

15. Scrutineer Boat bumpers The front bumper on an integrated boat must now be 60mm high. Bumpers must be in new or nearly new condition with no tape covering them. Must be a minimum of 30mm thick This is what we want to see

16. Scrutineer Helmets A new diagram has been created to assist in showing the area of skull that needs to be covered. Faceguards No horizontal or vertical opening greater than 85mm. This will reduce to 70m on 1 st Jan 2018. A cube 70x70x70mm must not be able to fit through any Opening. Take care when mounting faceguard, don’t leave a gap Between the top grill and helmet.

17. Buoyancy Aid must now be at least 20mm thick No more than 100mm above the cockpit rim measured at the player’s side, with the player sitting normally in their kayak. The gap between the top of the protection at the side and the top of the armpit measured with the arm horizontal must be less than 100mm. Scrutineer B.A.

18. Scrutineer Paddles must be a minimum 5mm thick and have no sharp edges that may cause splinters. Electrical tape is no longer acceptable to make paddles thicker or to cover sharp edges as it is too easily removed or comes off. A more permanent solution such as Kevlar edging is required.

19. Scrutineer Recent examples of what players think is acceptable! (it’s really not.)

20. Scrutineer Boats “1.3. - After January 1 st 2015- All canoe polo kayaks that are used in ICF sanctioned events including World Championships and World Games, that do not have a visible ICF Canoe Polo Kayak Manufacturers label will be individually tested with the appropriate gauges to ensure they comply with these new specifications. Any kayaks that fail these tests will not pass scrutineering and will not be used in ICF Canoe Polo events. “ “1.4. - After January 1 st 2016- All Canoe Polo Kayaks used in ICF sanctioned events including World Championships and World Games, must be constructed by manufacturers registered with the ICF Canoe Polo Kayak Manufacturers Scheme. There will be a list of Registered manufacturers in the Canoe Polo section of the ICF Website.”

21. Scrutineer Process for ECA and ICF events Remember: Any equipment failing the cosmetic test will result in the whole team failing. The whole team will lose their scrutineering time slot and will return for rechecking at a later time. Rechecking will take place after all other teams have had their initial checks. Practice times will not be rescheduled. Each failed item will be subject to a 50€ fine. This fine must be paid before rechecking will occur before progressing to Step 2.