The 1928 water polo tournament was held at the Zwemstadion (Swim Stadium) in Amsterdam, which was also the site of the swimming and diving events, and the swimming section of the modern pentathlon. Fourteen teams contested a single-elimination tournament. The two teams advancing to the final match, Germany and Hungary, won the gold and silver medals, respectively. A third-place tournament was then conducted in a modified Bergvall format, with all the teams losing to either Germany or Hungary contesting a single-elimination tournament for the bronze medal.