In an ideal world, good sports would have good arrangements for getting play under way.

Sadly, this isn't always the case.

Few things could be duller or less imaginative than football's kick-off, where one player taps the ball forwards to a team mate who then typically passes it backwards, away from the opposition's goal.

Hockey's bully-off, whereby as I recall one tapped the ground and an opponent's stick three times before lunging at the ball, was positively bizarre.

But at least it was different; a history of the rules on the International Hockey Federation website indicates that it was largely replaced by a tame-sounding "pass back" in 1984.

Unsatisfactory too in my book are those rather effete-looking kicks with which rugby players sometimes restart play - kicks intended, as I understand it, to be lofted, but to travel as short a distance as possible beyond the minimum 10 yards.

The kicks in rugby to restart play are unsatisfactory in my book ©AFP/Getty Images



With the European Water Polo Championships currently taking place in Budapest, it seems as good a time as any to praise that far from glamorous sport for having just about the most exciting starting procedure in the business.

For those not in the know (and I was ignorant myself until recently), a water polo match is started by putting the ball in the middle of the pool and the two teams at either end.

On the signal, these two teams swim hell for leather towards the ball in an effort to claim possession by reaching it first.

No doubt tactical gambits come into play - I imagine it would make sense for teams to put their fastest swimmers at the centre of the line, giving them the shortest distance possible to cover.

The slower team members might concentrate on getting into position for the subsequent play rather than taking direct part in the race for the ball.

The sprint start to water polo matches ensures they get going with a bang ©AFP/Getty Images



The overall effect though, not least for inexperienced spectators, is to ensure that the match gets under way with a bang.

What it brought to mind for me was the old-style running starts by drivers in the famous Le Mans 24 hour race; these were discontinued, I think for safety reasons, in 1969.

I should add that these sprint starts are used only at the start of each quarter, and not when goals are scored.

How wonderful it would be if other ball sports were to consider taking a leaf out of water polo's book.

Imagine Theo Walcott from one end and Raheem Sterling from the other engaging in a water polo-style sprint for the ball; or Alex Cuthbert and Billy Twelvetrees; or respective speed merchants from opposing ice hockey or American football teams.

Perhaps this would be too dangerous, with speeds attained by those involved much greater than in a water-polo pool.

Perhaps American football heavyweights, or their ice hockey or football counterparts, trying to out-sprint each other for the ball would be deemed dangerous, but a safe variation would be a good thing ©Getty Images



If safe variations on the theme could be devised, however, it would set spectators' pulses racing from minute one.

At any rate, I think water polo is to be congratulated on leading the world in the matter of getting play under way.

And, as William Shakespeare nearly said, all's well that starts well.

David Owen worked for 20 years for the Financial Times in the United States, Canada, France and the UK. He ended his FT career as sports editor after the 2006 World Cup and is now freelancing, including covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Cup and London 2012. Owen's Twitter feed can be accessed here.