Published by Antonino

16/11/2020

The Basics Of Playing Polo

There’s nothing more exciting than going for polo lessons for the very first time, but it can prove very beneficial to do a little bit of research into the sport so you know what to expect when you make your way out onto the field.

Firstly, polo is played on ten acres of grass – which is about the size of ten football fields – so you’ve got a lot of ground to cover. There are two goal posts, set eight yards apart, at each end of the field… the team with the most goals at the end of the game is the winner!

But, of course, it’s not quite as simple as that. The teams – made up of four players each – change direction after every goal scored, with matches usually lasting an hour and a half. The game is split up into seven-minute periods known as chukkers, with three-minute breaks in between each one and 15 minutes for halftime.

The aim of the game is to whack the ball between the goal posts with the mallet, which can only be used on the right side of your horse.

The line of the ball is an important rule of the game and when you have this on your right, you have the right of way. This right of way can be taken away by making shoulder-to-shoulder contact with the person with the ball, either by hooking their mallet, pushing them off the line, bumping them with their horse or stealing the ball away.

The umpire will mainly be concerned with the line of the ball and right of way. Whoever hit the ball last has right of way and no one else is allowed to cross the line of the ball in front of them. You can, however, ride alongside to block them or hook their mallet, as long as you don’t obstruct their right of way.

Check out the Hurlingham Polo Association website for an A to Z of polo!