The aim of the game
Two teams of four, on horseback, try to hit a small white ball between the opposing goal posts using a long-handled mallet. The team with the most goals at the end wins. It sounds simple, and in principle it is. The skill lies in doing it at a gallop, with three opponents trying to stop you.
Every time a goal is scored, the teams change ends. That keeps things fair if one end is downhill, sunny or windy, and it is why you will sometimes see a team appear to attack the “wrong” goal. Play restarts with the umpire bowling the ball in between the two lined-up teams, a throw-in.
Chukkas and ponies
A match is divided into periods called chukkas, each lasting seven minutes of play. High-goal matches in the UK have six chukkas, while lower-level games often have four. Ponies work incredibly hard, so players change mounts between chukkas and a top professional may bring ten or more ponies to a big final. Players will tell you the pony is most of the game, and they mean it.
Who plays where
- Number 1: the attacker, always looking to score.
- Number 2: a hard-working forward who harries the opposition’s defence.
- Number 3: the playmaker, usually the team’s highest-rated player, turning defence into attack.
- Number 4 (the Back): the defender, protecting the goal.
Handicaps
Every player has a handicap from -2 to 10 goals, with 10 the best. Add up the four players and you get the team handicap. In handicap tournaments the lower-rated team starts with a goal advantage equal to the difference, so a 20-goal team facing a 22-goal team begins the match two goals up.
The line of the ball
The most important rule is the line of the ball: the path the ball travels creates a right of way for the player following it. Cutting across that line in front of someone is the commonest foul, and it is there for the safety of players and ponies alike. Players may still ride off an opponent (pushing them off the line, shoulder to shoulder) or hook their stick to spoil a shot.
A day at the polo
Bring a picnic, wrap up warm in an English June, and at half time join everyone on the pitch for the treading-in, stamping the divots back into the turf. It is a tradition at almost every club and the best way to feel part of the day.