Canoe Polo combines kayaking and ball skills into an exciting contact team game where tactics and positional play are as important as the speed and fitness of individual players. The game requires both teamwork as well as skill in a range of different techniques unique to the sport. Each team has five players on the pitch (and up to three substitutes) who compete to score in their opponents goal which is suspended two metres above the water. The ball can be thrown by hand or flicked with the paddle to pass between players and shoot at the goal. Paddling with the ball is not allowed, so teamwork is essential. Pitches can be set up in swimming pools or any stretch of flat water. Polo boats are specifically designed to be faster, lighter and more agile than other types of kayaks. They also have bow and tail bumpers for safety.