Polo 101

The basics behind this extreme sport

Story & Photos by Ron Allen

From a distance a game of polo may resemble a ballet. Beautiful horses moving at lightning speed with grace and agility beyond any of their equine counterparts. But up close it’s a heated battle with horse and rider combined as one athlete in a hot blooded sport that has no rival.
Great players have the anticipation and recklessness of a NASCAR driver with the sensitive hands of a jockey to handle their 1,000 pound horses. Yet, they have the extraordinary talent of a tennis player to control the ball and place it where it needs to go next.

The History of Polo
Polo is the oldest team sport in the world. It is thought to have originated in China and Persia around 2,000 years ago. The name of the game may well come from the word “pholo” meaning 'ball' or 'ballgame' in the Balti language of Tibet.

The first recorded game took place in 600BC between the Turkomans and Persians (the Turkomans won). By the 1850s, British tea planters discovered the game in Manipur (Munipoor) on the Burmese border with India. They founded the world’s first polo club at Silchar, west of Manipur. Other clubs followed and today the oldest in the world is the Calcutta Club, which was founded in 1862.

It was John Watson (1856-1908), of the 13th Hussars, who formulated the first real rules of the game in the 1870s in India. In 1876, polo was introduced to the USA by James Gordon Bennett Junior who had seen the game at Hurlingham during a visit to England.

Today, more than 77 countries play polo. It was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1939 and has now been recognized again by the International Olympic Committee.

The Aim of the Game

Like many other sports the aim of the game in polo is to score more goals than your opponent. The game is made of periods, called chukkers, each lasting seven minutes. The field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide. On the end line, at each end of the field, are goal posts, eighteen feet apart. Points are scored by hitting the ball between the posts. Each time a goal is scored the teams change direction of play. It's like hockey on horseback. It is legal to "hook" the hitter's mallet, but it is okay to ram into your opponent during play. The game is very physical and can be dangerous. In between chukkers there is a four-minute break for players to change ponies. After three chukkers there is a ten-minute "half time." With time-outs for penalties and the like, a typical match lasts one-and-a-half hours.

Players
There are four players on the field for each of the 2 teams. Each player wears a jersey numbered 1 through 4 representing his position.
The roles of each player are:
1. The Forward. Always out in front - should score most of the goals.
2. The Hustler. Quick and aggressive with fast ponies.
3. The Pivot. The quarterback and captain. Player has to hit a long shot.
4. The Back. Defender. There are no goalies. It's his job to stop the goal shots.
Helmets are required, and some have face masks. Most players wear padded knee guards and they all have to wear boots.

Mallet
The Mallet is a solid bamboo cane with a hard wood head. It's about 4-1/2 feet long and you hit the ball with the side of the mallet, not the end. All players must hold the mallet in the right hand; left-handed play is not allowed.

The Ball
Historically polo balls were made out of wood. However, today's polo ball is solid plastic, weighing 1/4-lb., and is a little larger than a baseball.

The Horses
The horses that are used for polo are called ponies. Most are former race horses, high-speed Thoroughbreds with exceptional abilities. The tail is braided to stay out of the way of the mallet. The mane is clipped off so the player can see the ball, and to help keep the animal cool. The idea is for each player to have six ponies - one for each chukker.

Horse Equipment
The saddle is English. Two girths and breastplate help hold the saddle in place. Two sets of reins are used. A martingale, a part of the harness, keeps the pony from throwing its head and blocking the player's view. The lower legs are wrapped for support and protection.

The Shots
Players actually stand up in the stirrups when hitting the ball. The shots are made from the "off" side, which is the right side of the horse. The left side is called the "near" side. With reins in the left hand and a mallet in the right hand, the player is only holding on with his legs.

Handicap
Players are rated on a scale of minus-2 to 10. Beginners start at minus-2. Only eight players in the world are rated at 10, none in the U.S. About 96 percent of all U.S. players have a handicap of 2 or less, and some with a handicap of 2 or more are considered professional. In handicap matches, each team adds up the ratings of its players to arrive at a team rating. The difference of the two teams' ratings is awarded as points to the lesser skilled team as the beginning score of the game.

Foul
When you hear the umpire blow the whistle it's just like basketball - somebody fouled. The other team gets a free hit. The most common foul is crossing the line. Forty percent of all the points in a game are scored from the foul line.

Rules
Polo is governed by the United States Polo Association. The rules are so complex it takes over 80 pages in the USPA Rule Book just to explain them. In a nut shell: Don't hit your horse or anyone else's with your mallet. You can't play left-handed. No dangerous riding. Abusive play and language are not allowed. If a player comes off his or her horse or off the field, the clock can continue to run; if a horse falls down, stop the clock. The team with the most points at the end of six chukkers wins. If the game ends a tie they play sudden death overtime.