WELCOME TO THE KING OF GAMES,
POLO, THE GAME OF KINGS
TUTORIAL: GAME PLAY
Over the next few pages I’ll try and give you as good an idea of how beginners polo works as I can. Please forgive me if it’s condescendingly
simply described, it’s just hard finding the balance between ‘explained’ and ‘over-explained’. It’s also not a perfect rule book, I have just tried to
give the basic idea of the way the gameplay goes.
Quick 2 Words
•
The main rule of polo is ‘the line of the ball’. When a ball is hit it creates an
imaginary line. The player who hit the ball is on this line, so has the right of
way. No one can veer across in front of him or he will T-bone them. He will be
following this ball at speed so people must stay out of his way. Thus being
ahead of him serves no purpose. Much better to be behind him where you can
chase him down and hook him or ride him off. His team is also useless ahead
of him,* they should follow him, as that way if he swings and misses the ball
they are right there to try hitting it. So; like Noah’s animals people follow this
line around two by two. The attacking team in a line of the left of the ball (as
seen from behind) the defending team in a line on the right of the ball, each
person marking one of the attackers.
* People may join on in front of the line if they are a long enough way in front of it. Like pulling onto a dual
carriageway you must not just pull out right in front of people. You will only be doing this once you know your
team mate can actually hit it that far though. There’s no point being ahead of the line if the ball won’t be hit up to
you.
Chapter 1
• Following The
Line & Staying
‘Stick Side’
As Blue 3 has hit the ball his team
are all lined up behind him to
follow him down the arena. If he
should miss it next time they are
there to hit it.
Look at the set on the left of the
image. The blue player is at a
disadvantage, as he cannot hit the
ball whilst the White player is
marking him so tightly.
Note the Noah’s Arc Formation
This is different for the two riding
most on the right of the image;
the blue player can still hit the
ball as the person marking him is
on the wrong side of him. The
white player needs to get stick
side if he is to be of any use.
• Back Him Up
Chapter 2
The man in the middle is trying
to play the ball
The person on the left is coming
up to block his shot, as before.
The white team mate is off to the
right of the image riding next
to the play. This is useless.
He needs to get in behind his
team mate, so that should he
miss is he can back him up!
• Keep Moving
Chapter 3a
The Yellow player (the one who
looks like they’re carrying
the flag) is ahead of the ball.
All she is doing now is getting in
the way, a fowl.
She must veer to one side,
depending on which side of
the line she is on.
Then she can get next to the
player and stick him, or ride
him off.