Our interview with Tamás Faragó had a great impact both in Hungary and abroad. One of the best water polo players of all times has sounded the alarm over our favourite sport and said that he seriously considered the idea of creating a new, “similar” game. Two months later we asked Tonó about the national and international reactions and about where are the realization of the idea now?
What was the first reaction you remember regarding the interview?
That people are finally talking about these problems. This was positive feedback for me. I tried to give my candid opinion in this interview without trying to avoid offending people. I thought that if this this problem were brought to the table clearly and honestly, maybe many people would think it over and understand the logic I outlined.
What about the opinions?
I have received many e-mails, encouraging, supportive e-mails. Not just from water polo players and foreign coaches, but from fans and media professionals. When the English translation appeared, the real bomb was blown up. I was very happy that different water polo magazines and websites presented the article and I received much positive feedback.
From what “direction” have you received feedback?
Of course the Americans were the most vocal again, but I got messages from Australia and even from countries like France, Sweden, Switzerland and Slovakia. This is very important, because our goal is not just to make water polo understandable and spectacular, but popular, too. It is obvious – and I have already told this in the previous article – that the popularity of a sport is determined by the number of professional athletes and number of spectators. We have to improve in this. In my opinion if there were be more spectators at the matches, we would take a huge step to increase popularity of this sport. If we cannot make water polo important in sport in countries like France, England, Japan, China, Brazil, and so on…, then we are digging our own graves.
What did the messages persuade you of? Did they influence your earlier opinion even in details?
In my earlier interview, I said that we must either give water polo one more chance or we should figure out a new game moving towards basketball or rugby. The truth is that most of the feedback I received agreed: water polo deserves one more chance. This is a traditional, classical sport, people love it. The hard, body to body fight is an experience for them. Since the ancient Greeks both men and women like watching manly, demanding sports because of the aesthetic experience. This sport really deserves one more chance. This is the simplest, most logical solution.
So where are we now?
Everyone agrees that this is a summer sport. Maybe it is accepted, too, that we Hungarians and the fans of traditional water polo should change our own role by being more humble. Water polo matches should be organized when there is a holiday in other sports. This is the summer, when most other sports events are flat. This lull causes problems for the television companies, too, because they don’t know what to broadcast. The other thing which is very obvious to me is that we need a smaller water polo field. Just think of how many 25 meter or 25 yard swimming pools there are around the world. It is completely clear that these swimming pools can easily be used in water polo. All we need to do is declare that the official water polo field is 25 meters or 25 yards. Engineers can easily confirm that fact that the difference in price between a 25 meters and a 50 meters long pool is not twice, but eight times larger. In addition, the maintenance is also eight times larger. There are so many logical arguments in favor of this change that only one more thing is necessary is that people whomake the rules should think seriously about making this change.
Are there any other options that most of your correspondents agree with ?
There should be five field players instead of six. What is also very important, and maybe it is a new idea, is how to speed up the game. One option would be if players were not allowed to possess the ball for more than five seconds. The pace of the game is determined by the movement of the ball. If players are swimming a lot with the ball, then the pace of the game will be decreased. But if we introduced this five-second rule, then this would increase the movement of the ball and inturn the pace of the game.
In addition it is absolutely obvious that we need larger goals. The height of the bar should be increased by five centimeters. This can be done easily. Increases in the size of the goal means increases in the number of goals scored.
It is also important in my opinion that a center player can only be held with exposed hands. Nowadays only the giants, the really strong players, can score golas from the center position. Smaler, weaker players have no chance. The changes in rules would make it possible for water polo to develop in a technical or skills direction. Moreover this center-defender “relationship” is the most controversial question for referees.
How do you take the ideas which most people agree on and move forward with implementing them? How will the story be continued?
I hope that in Hungary and in countries where they “rise to the bait”,will begin to try the new rules in practice. We have been requesting the official rule changes for years in vain. Nothing changes, everything remains the same. We have to do something. Most of these rules can be tested either in regional leagues or in OB-1 championship. I don’t think that it would affect the performance of the national team if players play water polo with different rules during tjhe “weekdays”.
What will you do in order to achieve it?
We will organize a match together with Sport Television and we will see how this whole thing looks like on the screen. Sport TV is also a partner to test all three ideas. We should also try out Bruce Wigo’s basketball rules. But we must give one more chance to traditional water polo, too, because many, many people like this game. Only those changes should be introduced which are logical and which clearly serve development. This would affect the old, traditional rules, too. What exists now is that if someone is holding the ball, his head can be torn off. In my opinion when this rule was made, the rulemakers didn’t realize the consequences it would have.
When will these test match be organized?
Of course only after the Zagreb 2010 European Championship. Anyway this has a precedent. Last year players on the national team played in a smaller field. The match was a demonstration that the spectators appeared to enjoy very much. Especially since the best players were alloud to possess the ball much longer so they could be engaged with the play instead of swimming up and down the swimming pool. More play and less swimming amazed everyone.
What further steps do you plan?
I will be speaking with people from around the world, e-mailing and asking that the modified game be tested “officially”. More and more, I feel that there will be partners to assist me in moving forward. The greatest opportunity is still in the American college league, that could be the biggest challenge. I hope that we can agree with my friend Bruce Wigo and maybe the realization of experimental games could be organized in the USA.
Finally, please summarize what kind of ideas would you like to try out besides the above mentioned proposals.
-
Longer time for attack: if we let the shot clock be 35 seconds, the game would be more exciting for the spectators.
-
A corner throw is a corner throw? What does the current rule mean? If the ball is out from the block, then this means nothing?
Every ambiguous rule which can not be understood by a layman should be eliminated. Like ball under, two hands, contra fouls. Fault is fault even if a forward player is holding the ball.
The duration of the matches should be increased. In my opinion four times ten minutes would be ideal with three minutes breaks instead of two minutes breaks. The game can be speeded up if players wouldn’t have to wait for others to get back to their own half – as is usual in handball.
Finally, somehow it should be achieved that referees reward offensive play.
- Thank you very much! We are looking forward to seeing the developments!
