What you need for a water polo tournament

A water polo tournament needs more than balls and goals. You’ll need enough caps and spare caps for every team, field lines, whistles, cards, waterproof scoreboards and timing equipment. Plan the poolside setup as well: benches, clothing racks, tables, chairs, tents and power supplies often get overlooked. This shopping list also covers drinks service, communications and the small backup items that keep matches moving when equipment gets wet, lost or damaged.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Sports equipment

Water polo goalsqty 2
Water polo ballsqty 8
Water polo capsqty 110
Spare swim capsqty 20
Field lines
Goal netsqty 2
Whistlesqty 6
Red cardsqty 6
Yellow cardsqty 6
Stopwatchqty 4
Spare glassesqty 4
Waterproof scoreboardsqty 2
Team bibsqty 24
Ice packsqty 20

Furniture

Tablesqty 8
Chairsqty 35
Party tentsqty 2
Changing room benchesqty 8
Clothes racksqty 4
Bollardsqty 12

Equipment

Score clocksqty 2
Laptop
Printer
Mobile sound system
Microphoneqty 2
Extension cordsqty 4
Power stripsqty 4
Power banksqty 4
Walkie-talkiesqty 6

Tableware

Reusable cupsqty 120
Platesqty 100
Cutlery setsqty 100
Coffee cupsqty 40
Serving plattersqty 12
Pitcherqty 4

Kitchen

Coolersqty 6
Thermos flasksqty 4
Cutting boardsqty 3
Bread knivesqty 3
Kitchen knivesqty 3
Pliersqty 6
Cool pack binsqty 4

Decorations

Tournament bannerqty 2
Team table signsqty 8
Directional signsqty 8
Balloonsqty 60
Tableclothsqty 8
Name badgesqty 130

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 8
Trash bag holdersqty 8
Mopsqty 4
Bucketsqty 4
Broomqty 2
Dustpan and brushqty 2
Hand soap dispensersqty 4

Lighting

LED string lightsqty 4

Catering

Prizesqty 4
Medalsqty 30
Groceries
- Coffee - 3 packs
- Tea - 4 boxes
- Sugar - 2 kilos
- Milk - 8 liters
- Oat milk - 4 liters
- Coffee milk - 2 bottles
- Cola - 12 bottles
- Cola Zero - 12 bottles
- Orange soda - 8 bottles
- Iced tea - 8 bottles
- Spa Blue - 12 crates
- Spa Rood - 4 crates
- Sports drink - 8 cases
- Apple juice - 4 packs
- Orange juice - 4 cartons
- Lemons - 2 kilos
- Ice cubes - 12 bags
- Sandwiches - 140 pieces
- Wholemeal bread - 6 loaves
- Bread rolls - 80 pieces
- Kaiser rolls - 60 pieces
- Young cheese - 4 kilos
- Boiled ham - 3 kilos
- Chicken breast topping - 3 kilos
- Hummus - 2 kilos
- Cream cheese - 2 kilo
- Peanut butter - 2 jars
- Jam - 2 jars
- Cucumber - 3 kilos
- Tomatoes - 3 kilos
- Lettuce - 6 heads
- Bell peppers - 2 kilos
- Cherry tomatoes - 3 kilos
- Apples - 12 kilos
- Bananas - 8 kilos
- Grapes - 6 kilos
- Mandarins - 8 kilos
- Muesli bars - 120 pieces
- Paprika chips - 8 bags
- Plain chips - 8 bags
- Tortilla chips - 6 bags
- Rice cakes - 6 packs
- Nut mix - 3 kilo
- Gluten-free crackers - 4 packs
- Mayonnaise - 2 bottles
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Honey - 1 jar
- Salt - 1 pack
- Pepper - 1 jar
- Olive oil - 1 bottle
- Vinegar - 1 bottle
- Pasta salad - 12 kilos
- Vegetarian wraps - 60 pieces
- Chicken wraps - 60 pieces
- Vegetarian burgers - 40 pieces
- Hamburger buns - 40 pieces
- Coffee rolls - 80 pieces
- Brownies - 80 pieces
- Cookies - 6 packs
- Ice lollies - 120 pieces
- Paper napkins - 500 pieces
- Paper towels - 8 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Trash bags - 4 rolls
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Sponges - 2 packs
- Cleaning wipes - 3 packs
- Disinfectant wipes - 4 packs
- Hand sanitizer gel - 4 bottles
- Nitrile gloves - 4 boxes
- Aluminum foil - 2 rolls
- Cling film - 2 rolls
- Baking paper - 2 rolls
- Freezer bags - 2 boxes
- Toothpicks - 2 boxes
- Coffee filters - 2 packs
- Teaspoons - 50 pieces
- Finger bandages - 2 boxes
- Bandages - 2 boxes
- Sterile gauze pads - 2 boxes
- Cold packs - 6 pieces

Tips

Count water polo caps by team and add a reserve set before shopping. Caps can tear or go missing during several matches, so spare caps should be ready at poolside rather than packed away.
Take at least one match ball per active playing area, plus spare water polo balls. A ball that loses pressure or disappears during a match should not stop the schedule.
Keep waterproof scoreboards, score clocks, a stopwatch and printed score sheets together at the officials’ table. Pack spare glasses as well, since wet conditions make eyewear easy to damage or lose.
Plan one clearly marked changing area with enough benches and clothing racks for teams arriving close together. Party tents, tables and chairs are useful when players, officials or spectators need cover beside the pool.
Prepare power and communication backups before setup: extension cords, power strips, power banks and walkie-talkies. Test the mobile sound system and microphone before the first match, not when announcements are already needed.

Frequently asked questions

How many water polo balls do I need for a tournament?: Plan at least one match ball for each playing area and keep two spare balls available for a tournament with one pool. Add more spares if matches run simultaneously or the pool is large.
How many water polo caps should I buy?: Buy one numbered cap for every registered player who may enter the water, plus a reserve set for each team. For example, 10 players per team means 10 playing caps and several spare caps per team.
What should I bring for water polo scorekeeping?: Bring waterproof scoreboards, score clocks, a stopwatch, whistles, red and yellow cards, printed score forms and spare glasses. Have the complete officials’ kit at the table at least 30 minutes before the first match.
What equipment should be ready before the tournament starts?: Set up the goals, goal nets and field lines before teams arrive, then check the pool area and match equipment at least 60 minutes before kickoff. Test the microphone, sound system and power connections during the same check.

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