31st Jan 2005
How To Watch A Polo Match
Captivating, heart stopping, thrilling,
enthralling - the list of superlatives used to describe the game of kings is
almost endless. And yet there is nothing that completely captures the essence
of it, the fascination that begins the moment you first glimpse the vast,
imposing green of a prime polo field, and that builds as eight riders thunder
in your direction, hooves drumming on the turf. Your connection is immediate,
almost primal; the experience, unforgettable. You don't have to play to love
the game. If you admire excellence, if the pursuit of perfection gives you a
special tingle, polo is right up your alley. You'll be a perfect fan.
Here's how. The basics are elegantly simple. The game is played between two
teams of four mounted men on a field that measures 300 by 160 yards (as big as
nine football fields) with goalposts at either end. The object is to move a
ball downfield and through the goal in six periods of play known as
"chukkers." Each chukker is seven minutes long. There are no
time-outs except for injuries, penalties, or unsafe situations. And no
replacement of players is allowed except for injuries.
Each of the four players is given an area of responsibility designated by a
jersey number that indicates that area. The forward is designated Number 1; the
most defensive player is called Number 4, or the Back. (There is no goalie.)
The mid-action players are designated Number 2 and Number 3, with the latter
controlling the attack and coordinating the defense. He's usually the
highest-rated player on the team and the de facto captain. This
alignment is designed to be fluid, however, and to change quickly under game
situations.
The players have assignments on defense
as well as a zone to play on offense. That is, they each have a man to cover
when the action shifts, as it often does, countless times in a chukker. Strict
limitations on what is and is not allowed in ball-handling and riding are meant
to inject a degree of safety into what is inherently a dangerous game. Control
of the game rests in the hands of the two mounted umpires and a third man, the
referee, stationed at midfield.
The rules are based on something known as the "line of the ball."
Each time the ball is moved, a line of travel is created that extends forward
and backward from the ball. Players use that line to plan their approach to the
ball, keeping it on their right (or off) side, where they have the
right-of-way. Crossing the line close to an oncoming player who has the
right-of-way may be dramatic, but it's often dangerous and thus is a foul.
Cutting that line as close as possible is common in high-goal polo.
A swing at the ball can be blocked by a hook from another player's mallet or
interfered with indirectly by a ride-off. Distantly related to a block in
football, but with the added emphasis of a ton of horse and player, a ride-off
is more like a body check in hockey - every bit as hard, fast, and effective.
A ball that goes over the back line as the result of a missed goal is knocked
back in by the defending team without stopping the clock. But a ball hit over
the back line by the defending team gives the attackers a safety. The clock is
stopped and the ball is placed 60 yards out from the goal with a free hit
awarded to the attackers.
If a foul is called, the fouled team is awarded a penalty shot - a free hit
from a predetermined distance into a guarded or unguarded goal. Most
high-goalers can convert penalty shots into goals with a regularity that
exceeds free-throw percentages in basketball, which makes drawing the
opposition into a foul a good tactic.
The penalty shot has much more in common with a free throw in basketball; the
clock is stopped and the players wait for the hit from their positions around
the goal. A dramatic pause in the action, it often provides some of the most
suspenseful moments in the game. When the game starts, you will quickly learn
there's no such thing as the right player to watch, and no one place to look.
Take it all in. It's sort of a Zen theory of polo spectating, but it's a good
place to start. Do watch the area around the ball, however; the coordination
between horse, rider and mallet is often dazzling.
The game begins when the ball is thrown in by one of the umpires, who tosses it
between the two lined-up teams at midfield. From there on, the action usually
explodes to the accompaniment of shoving players and horses, clacking mallets,
and shouted orders. One or two quick shifts in momentum follow in the first
millisecond. And then they're off.
As the chukker unfolds, most of what goes on is action and reaction. There are
few fixed plays, as in football. The team that is better able to anticipate and
place its members in strategic positions will be the one to dominate. Watch the
action ahead of the hitter as he gains control of the ball. His downfield
teammates will shake free of their cover and clear a lane for him, or go
farther down field to receive a pass. As in football, players who only rarely
touch the ball often make some of the best plays.
As a spectator, you do have one responsibility during the intermission
(halftime) that comes between the second and third chukkers: divot stomping!
Fans surrounding the polo field are asked to make their way out onto the field
to search out the clumps of grass that have been unearthed by the quick stops
and starts of the ponies and then toe these clumps, known as divots, back into
the ground, grass side up, of course. Don' t forget to take part in this
tradition of polo; it's a great chance to stretch you legs, meet other polo aficionados,
and be a real part of the game.
Finally, be ready to set all the explanations aside and see the game for what
it is: a feat for the senses, a glimpse into an endeavor that honors the
disappearing virtues of daring, risk, danger, and action. It's polo, the
ultimate sport!
Lessons
If you are ready to leave the grandstand side of the game and want to learn to
play, the Royal Selangor Polo Club directly offers polo 03-42564531