A-Z Polo

C DE F G A B AID: Any signal given to a horse to prompt it to turn, change gaits, or perform some other maneuver. ANNOUNCERS: Sometimes employed by the club to announce games for the crowd, sometimes volunteers, these individuals possess varying amounts of talent, knowledge and wit. APPEAL: Claim by player for a foul, usually expressed by the raising of mallet above their head. Overly demonstrative appealing is considered very bad form. ARGIE: Player from Argentina, a country noted for producing top polo players and ponies. BACK: e number 4 in a polo team is usually referred to as the “Back” rather than by a number lie the other members of the team. BACK SHOT: Hitting the ball in a direction opposite to that which the player is travelling. BALL: (1) e entire point of a polo match is to wallop the ball up the field and through the goal posts. Polo balls are about three and a half inches in diameter, weigh four and a half ounces and are made of hard wood or plastic. (2) A Black Tie or Fancy Dress event, usually consisting of dinner and dancing, sometimes benefitting a charity. BIG STICK: e highest rated player on a team, a term usually reserved for players of considerable talent and showmanCHUKKER/CHUKKA: e origins of this term, meaning the “basic period of play,” are obscure, although it is thought to have come from India. ere are between 4 and 6 chukkas of play (dependant on the level of polo being played) - each lasting 7 minutes. With 30 seconds left in play a bell is sounded to warn the players. DIVOTS: Chunks of grass and earth that the horses have torn out of the field. e holes can cause bad bounces of the ball and other problems during play, so traditionally at half time the fans venture out to stomp divots, thus repairing the playing surface. ENDS: e back lines of a polo field, teams witch ends (switch the goals they defend) each time a goal is scored to equalize weather and turf conditions. FIELD: Regulation polo fields are 300 yards by 160 yard, a space big enough to fit nine football fields into. e goalposts are set eight yards apart. FOUL: An infraction of the rules set forth by the United States Polo Association (USPA), Fouls govern safe riding and the concept of the line of the ball. GAIT: e manner in which a horse goes, based on the sequence and rhythm of its foot movements, walk, trot, canter, or gallop. GOAL: A goal is scored every time the ball passes between the goal posts, whether hit by an offensive player, defensive player, or pony. GREEN HORSE: A term used to refer to a young or Article reprinted courtesy of Calgary Polo Club.A-Z of POLO ship. inexperienced horse.

BIT: e mouthpiece to which the reins are attached.

BOARDS: Made of wood or plastic, up to eleven inches in height, they run continuously along the sidelines of the field to help keep the ball in play and the game flowing. Players may ride outside the boards as long as the ball remains within them.

BUMP: A defensive maneuver on the field, which is one of the few contact moves allowed. A player attempts to ruin an opponent’s run with the ball by bumping his horse against the other player’s. is action is regulated by the angle at which the aggressor attempts it. It may never be executed at more than 45 degrees., and the faster the horses are running, the smaller the angle allowed. GREEN HORSE POLO: Special non-competitive games structured for the development of skills and confidence in young ponies.

GROOM: (a) Polo grooms are responsible for the care of a player’s ponies and their equipment. ey feed, muck out, ‘tack up’, check horses for signs of injury, school and practice horses and liaise with vets and farriers. Grooms usually travel with a particular player and set of horses. e groom will therefore have particular knowledge of the needs of both the ponies and the player. Good grooms are highly respected and can contribute hugely to the success of a player. (b) e act of transferring the dirt from a horse to the individual grooming it.

HHANDICAP: e comparative rating of polo players awarded by the USPA. Handicaps are expressed in goals (to describe a player’s value to the team, not the number of goals he is expected to score,) and range from the beginner’s minus 2 to the best possible 10 goals. Player’s handicaps are added together to calculate a team handicap that is used to equalize competition. e difference in goals between two teams is awarded to the lower rated team before play begins.

HANDS: e unit of measurement for the height of a horse, one hand equals about four inches.

HIGH GOAL: Teams with total handicaps from 18 to 26 goals. back into play from the back line. is gives the defending team a HOOK: One of the two defensive maneuvers allowed in the umpires are discussing after they have blown a foul whistle. M LOW GOAL: Teams with a total handicap of less than 8 goals. MADE PONY: A pony that is well trained for polo and has been playing for some time. MALLET: e instrument used to move the ball. Although fiberglass has been used in construction, the shaft is most often made of bamboo. e ball is hit with the side of the hardwood head. Mallets range from 48” to 54” and are selected depending on the size of the pony.

MEDIUM GOAL: Teams with a total handicap of 8-14

HITIN: A hit-in takes place when the ball goes over the back MY LINE: Words often shouted by a player to an opponent line, wide of the goal mouth. e defending team hits the ball to indicate that (in his opinion) he has right of way to the ball. free hit and can often change the momentum of play. NEAR SIDE:

IJK L NO rules- the other is the ride-off. e mallet is used to block or interfere with another player’s swing at the ball although it must be used in an approved manner. Unsafe hooking or hitting into a pony is a foul. INTERVALS: ree minute long rest periods between chukkas. Half time is ten minutes. IRONS/STIRRUPS: Steel loops to support the rider’s feet, often with a wide flat base to provide more stability while standing to make a shot. JUDGES/FLAGGERS: Goal judges are positioned behind each set of goal posts to observe and signal when a goal has been scored. A red flag waved in the air signals a goal; waved below the waist it indicates no goal. KNOCKIN: Should a team, in an offensive drive, hit the ball across the opponent’s back line, the defending team resumes the game with a free hit from their back line. LEAVE IT: A player who feels he or she is in a better position to strike the ball will tell the teammate who is about to hit to “leave it” indicating that he should not touch the ball, but instead continue up the field for a pass. LINE OF THE BALL: e imaginary line created by the ball in its sometimes capricious travels. e line of the ball may not be crossed or infringed except in special circumstances. is is the pivotal concept on which many fouls and infractions are based - the interpretation of the line of the ball is usually what the NEAR SIDE SHOT: A ball hit on the left side of the horse, players must hold the mallet in their right hand regardless of which side of the horse they hit from. NECK SHOT: A ball is hit under the horse’s neck from either side. OFF SIDE: e right side of the horse. e rules state that you must play right handed. OUT OF BOUNDS: When the ball is hit over the sidelines, it is out of bounds. e clock continues to run. Teams line up at that spot and the ball is thrown in by the umpires. Deliberately hitting the ball out in the closing seconds of a match can be an excellent strategic play. PATRON: e individual who pays to put a team together, usually hiring professional players. Often the team will be named after the Patron’s company. goals. e left side of a horse.

P RPENALTIES: Fouls result in penalties being awarded to the offended team. e degree of the penalty is determined by the seriousness of the infraction committed. Designated from 1 through 6, penalties usually involve a shot on goal from a predetermined spot with the clock stopped. REFEREE OR THIRD MAN: e referee positioned off the field, and has the final word if the two umpires disagree. RIDE OFF: Similar in concept to a body-check in hockey, a ride-off is used to interfere with an opposing player by moving 1: An automatic goal. 2. A free hit from 30 yards to an undefended goal. 3: A free hit from 40 yards to an undefended goal. 4: A free hit from 60 yards to a defended goal. 5: A free hit from the point of the infraction or midfield. 6: Safety. (see below) PONIES: Although termed ‘ponies’ they are in fact horses - S ride-offs do not endanger the horses because they must be made at similar speeds and safe angles. RINGER: An under-rated player, usually hired because he plays above his rating. SAFETY: Penalty 6. When a defending player hits the ball across his own back line, the other team is awarded a free hit 60 yards from the back line with the ball placed at the same distance from the sideline as where it went out. SENT OFF: When an umpire sends a player off (signified by waving a red flag) the offending player may not return to the ie, above the 14.2 hands height of a normally defined pony. Most field, nor may he be replaced. His team must play the duration of are of the Argentinean Criollo breed or pure or cross thorough- the game short handed. breds. eir main qualities are speed and stamina; the ability to accelerate, stop and turn quickly; and temperaments that are SPARE: A fully tacked up pony held on the sidelines so that a amenable to the rigors of the game. ere is no height limit for player can make a fast change from his tired mount to a fresh one. the ponies, although most are between 15 and 15.3 hands. Players position in hockey or soccer. is player should be an accurate hitter, but need not necessarily hit a long ball.

No. 2: Primarily an offensive player but also responsible for defence, interchanging with the number 3 player. e number 2 player is often the second-highest rated player on the team.

No. 3: e quarterback and play maker. e “3” is usually the highest rated and most experienced player. is player must be him off the line of the ball or spoiling his shot. While dramatic, admit that the pony can account for as much as 80 percent of their SPONSOR: An individual or corporation of whom acts as overall performance. a Tournament Sponsor. In consideration of a monetary contribution, the sponsor receives in return enormous recognition and POSITIONS: exposure through the advertising of their corporation’s goods and

No. 1: e most offensive player. is is similar to the forward STICK CHICKS: Decorative girls on the sidelines,

services Q able to hit a long ball accurately but be capable of close-in stick work and ball control. No 4: e back. is is a defensive position. However, a good back must be able to not only hit a good backshot, but to turn the play from defensive to offensive in a flash e number 4 player is the last line of defense. QUEASY: e feeling a player has just before a big game or a bad fall. QUIRT: A short, thin whip.

holding replacement mallets for players on the field.

STRING: A term for a player’s stable of ponies in work.

SUDDEN DEATH: In the event of a tie score at the end of the last chukker, there will be a five minute intermission to allow the players to catch their breath and get a fresh mount before beginning a “sudden death” chukker in which the first team to score wins the match.

TTACK: e equipment used on a pony. TAIL SHOT: A ball hit behind, or under the horse’s rump. TAKE HIM OUT: An order (not an invitation) from a teammate to ride off an opponent and drive him away from the play. U VWXYZ THROW IN: e game begins with a throw-in where the umpire tosses the ball in between the lined up teams. TIMEOUT: An umpire calls time-out when a foul is committed, an accident occurs, or at his own discretion. A player may only call time-out if he has broken tack or is injured. No time-out is allowed for changing horses or replacing a broken mallet, although a player may do so at any time. UMPIRES: ese are the on-field officials. Mounted on ponies so that they may follow the play, the umpires are identified by their black and white vertically striped shirts. Most polo umpires are active players, and while officiating they are responsible for enforcing the rules and keeping proper control of players and teams. USPA: United States Polo Association. Visit the U.S. governing body of polo at http://www.uspolo.org. VET: A veterinarian, or horse doctor. VICTORY: e result coveted by every player on the field. WRAPS: e protective bandages the ponies wear on their legs. WHITES: Regulation white breeches or jeans are traditional for tournament play. XRAY: A frequent procedure undergone by players and grooms alike. Also available to ponies. YOUR LINE: Words shouted by players to a teammate indicating that he, rather than an opponent, has the right of way to the ball. ZEN: A relaxed, focused and centered state of being much sought after but rarely achieved by players.

ZONE: e area around the field that is out of bounds for the spectators during play.