Core Viewpoint - The Shanghai team won the gold medal in the women's water polo event at the 15th National Games, which concluded on November 21 [1]. Group 1: Water Polo Overview - Water polo, also known as "water football," is a collective ball game that combines elements of swimming, handball, and volleyball, played in water [2]. - It is one of the earliest team sports in Olympic history, with men's water polo included in the 1900 Paris Olympics and women's water polo in the 2000 Sydney Olympics [2]. - Matches are typically held in a standard 50-meter swimming pool with a depth exceeding 2 meters, and teams consist of 7 players, including one goalkeeper [2]. Group 2: Game Rules and Requirements - Players must not touch the pool walls or bottom during the game and must remain in motion or treading water [2]. - Only the goalkeeper is allowed to use both hands to touch the ball, and a goal is scored when the ball completely crosses the goal line [2]. - After a goal, players return to their half, and the team that conceded the goal restarts play from the center of the pool [2]. - The attacking team has a maximum of 28 seconds to maintain possession before attempting to score [2]. - Water polo demands high levels of strength, speed, endurance, and agility from athletes, alongside swimming skills and specialized techniques such as treading water, jumping, turning, stopping, and changing direction [2].