[cardcrimson]

(Edit: I created this before seeing Spiny_Norman's reply.)
See selection show video or text.

Conferences receiving automatic qualification included the Big West Conference, Collegiate Water Polo Association, Golden Coast Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Western Water Polo Association. The remaining three teams were selected at-large without geographical restrictions.

The first round and semifinal games will be streamed on ncaa.com. The national championship will take place at 4 p.m. Eastern time, Sunday, May 8 on ESPNU. 

As a comparison, the 2021 Men's Water Polo tournament selection limits MPSF to only 3 teams.

Top ranked teams from five conferences received automatic qualification (AQ). The conferences are the Golden Coast Conference(GCC), Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC),  Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC), and the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The two at-large teams, without geographical restrictions, came from MPSF: UCLA and Southern California.

Thanks for the info. Confusing that the men's allow only three from the MPSF while the women allow four (assuming the at large will come from the MPSF). Only seven total for the men, 9 for the women.

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Factoid:  A water polo ball weighs about 15 ounces dry (0.425kg).   Professional women water polo players throw the ball (average for a team) at about 35mph (15.5m/s).  

Usually, a water polo goalie doesn't wear any head gear.  While a head gear might prevent a fracture, I would think it would offer no protection from a concussion.

USA Water Polo and the NCAA agree with you, even to the point of banning protective headgear for goalies. Here's a study that shows otherwise. While the mass and velocity don't change, apparently the acceleration of the head at impact slows significantly, thereby reducing the risk of concussions. Makes sense to me, especially as my daughter's had one concussion and a teammate's career ended with a fourth after being intentionally kicked in the head.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7739673/

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I wish they'd abolish the sprint, and just start each quarter as they do after a goal, alternating initial possession by quarters after an initial coin flip.

Maybe do like basketball once did: jump ball. :)

For situations where it isn't clear which team should get the ball, the rules specify a neutral throw (aka face-off or jump ball). (Example video) Two opposing players are some (unspecified in the rules) distance from the side of the pool, and the official throws the ball so as to give each player an equal chance to get to the ball in the air.

One of the more comical things in the sport. The refs don't know how to throw it fairly and the girls certainly don't know what to do, either. . ..

[cardcrimson]

(Edit: I created this before seeing Spiny_Norman's reply.)
See selection show video or text.

Conferences receiving automatic qualification included the Big West Conference, Collegiate Water Polo Association, Golden Coast Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Western Water Polo Association. The remaining three teams were selected at-large without geographical restrictions.

The first round and semifinal games will be streamed on ncaa.com. The national championship will take place at 4 p.m. Eastern time, Sunday, May 8 on ESPNU. 

As a comparison, the 2021 Men's Water Polo tournament selection limits MPSF to only 3 teams.

Top ranked teams from five conferences received automatic qualification (AQ). The conferences are the Golden Coast Conference(GCC), Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC),  Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC), and the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The two at-large teams, without geographical restrictions, came from MPSF: UCLA and Southern California.

Thanks for the info. Confusing that the men's allow only three from the MPSF while the women allow four (assuming the at large will come from the MPSF). Only seven total for the men, 9 for the women.

---

Factoid:  A water polo ball weighs about 15 ounces dry (0.425kg).   Professional women water polo players throw the ball (average for a team) at about 35mph (15.5m/s).  

Usually, a water polo goalie doesn't wear any head gear.  While a head gear might prevent a fracture, I would think it would offer no protection from a concussion.

USA Water Polo and the NCAA agree with you, even to the point of banning protective headgear for goalies. Here's a study that shows otherwise. While the mass and velocity don't change, apparently the acceleration of the head at impact slows significantly, thereby reducing the risk of concussions. Makes sense to me, especially as my daughter's had one concussion and a teammate's career ended with a fourth after being intentionally kicked in the head.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7739673/

---

I wish they'd abolish the sprint, and just start each quarter as they do after a goal, alternating initial possession by quarters after an initial coin flip.

Maybe do like basketball once did: jump ball. :)

For situations where it isn't clear which team should get the ball, the rules specify a neutral throw (aka face-off or jump ball). (Example video) Two opposing players are some (unspecified in the rules) distance from the side of the pool, and the official throws the ball so as to give each player an equal chance to get to the ball in the air.

One of the more comical things in the sport. The refs don't know how to throw it fairly and the girls certainly don't know what to do, either. . ..