Polo (sport)

Polo is the world's oldest equestrian sport and is similar to field hockey. Players ride animals—usually horses—and use long-handled mallets to hit a wooden ball. Polo has been an Olympic sport and is played around the world. It is played under a variety of conditions, and equestrians may compete in snow polo, grass polo, beach polo, or arena polo. Although traditional polo is played on horseback on grass fields, in some parts of the world other animals, including camels and elephants, are used.

Polo has a reputation for being the sport of the elite, and specifically an activity for aristocrats. This is in part due to the origin of the sport, which was developed among the royals and courtiers of Iran. When the British adopted the sport, it was again played by people with wealth and titles. The cost of buying, maintaining, and training polo ponies is high. The polo clubs require infrastructure, including the field and stables. An individual must learn to ride a horse, and then train with the polo animal to play well.

Men and women of varying ages play polo, from teenagers to senior citizens. Eighty-six national associations are members of the Federation of International Polo (FIP), and numerous championship events are held around the world.

Origins and History

Polo was first played in Central Asia sometime between the sixth century BCE and the first century CE. It originated among elite cavalry units as a training exercise, and involved teams of up to one hundred equestrians. It was rough and dangerous, much like warfare, and helped warriors hone their skills. Eventually the Persian nobles embraced polo. Royal men and women played the sport; historical references describe a sixth century CE queen and her ladies competing against the king and his men. Polo spread to Arabia, Tibet, China, and Japan. It reached India during the thirteenth century. The British Empire was introduced to polo during the mid-nineteenth century, when tea planters formed a polo club in 1859 in northeastern India. Members of a British cavalry unit in India saw a match, and the officers formed a team soon after. Polo matches arrived in England and were drawing enormous crowds by 1875. While members of the military continued to enjoy polo, it was quickly adopted by university students, royalty, and members of the nobility. Polo was introduced in the United States the following year, and the first US club, Westchester Polo Club, was founded in 1877. Teams at that time had five members, but four players were established as the standard during the early 1880s.

Both American and British teams followed the rules of the Hurlingham Club of England late in the nineteenth century. The United States Polo Association, founded in 1890, standardized the rules in America. During the early twentieth century, English players adopted the American style of play, which hit the ball with a longer stroke and resulted in much faster play.

England won the first international competition, the Westchester Cup, defeating the US team in 1886. Teams from both countries have competed frequently ever since. The US players dominated for much of the first half of the twentieth century. Polo also became popular in Argentina, South America, which has a long-standing and pervasive equestrian culture. The Argentine team faced the US team in 1928 at the Cup of the Americas. A number of international tournaments were established during the latter twentieth century. Argentina, which claims polo as its national game, dominates modern international polo competition.

Polo mounts are full-size horses, despite the tradition of calling them ponies. Around 1920, all restrictions on size were lifted, and any horse could be used. While early players used only Thoroughbreds, mixed breeds soon became common. The best polo ponies are often those from Argentina and the Southwestern United States and Rocky Mountains regions.

Rules and Regulations

Grass, arena, snow, and beach polo have much in common. They do differ in some areas, however, such as the size of the playing area and the number of people on teams. Players score by hitting the ball between goalposts. Two mounted umpires oversee the game on the field, while a referee on foot observes from the sidelines.

Both players and their mounts wear protective equipment. Players wear helmets, riding boots that cover the leg to just below the knees, and a shirt that identifies the player's position number. Optional equipment includes kneepads, non-sharp spurs, and whips. The horses' legs are covered to prevent injury. Horses may wear padding, or their lower legs may be wrapped in layers of bandages. Ponies' manes are clipped, and their tails are braided, so as not to get in the way when players swing the mallets. Other equipment includes the ball and mallet. The ball, which is bamboo or willow root, is about 3.25 inches (8.3 centimeters) in diameter and weighs about 4 ounces (113 grams). The mallet handle has a grip wrapped in rubber and a thong that goes around the player's wrist, to help keep the player from dropping it. The shaft is bamboo cane, and the head, which is also bamboo, is about 9.5 inches (24 centimeters) long. Players use the sides of the mallet, not the ends, to hit the ball. The mallet length ranges from 48 to 53 inches (121 to 134 centimeters), and is sized based on the length of the player's arm and the size of the pony.

Grass polo, or outdoor polo, is played on a pitch that is 300 yards (274 meters) long by 160 yards (146 meters) wide. Goalposts are set 8 yards (7.3 meters) apart, centered at each short side.

A grass polo team consists of four players. The game begins with both teams facing each other at the center of the field. An umpire bowls the ball between them, and a team takes possession. Teammates pass the ball to one another and try to move it toward the opposing team's goal to score, while also blocking the opposing team from scoring. Game periods, or chukkers (also spelled chukkas or chukkars), are 7.5 minutes long. A game usually consists of four, six, or eight chukkers, depending on the country in which the match is played, and riders usually change horses for each chukker and even during a chukker.

Each grass polo match consists of two teams of four people each. The players wear shirts that identify their roles. Number 1 is the forward, who is able to score points. Number 2 is the feed. Number 3, the pivot position, both defends the goal and attacks, and acts as the captain on the field. Number 4, who defends the goal, is known as the back. Numbers 2 and 3 are usually the most experienced players, while number 1 is often the player with the least experience.

Indoor polo, or arena polo, developed in the United States as a way to create a winter polo season. The field is 100 yards (91 meters) long by 50 yards (46 meters) wide. Because the field is so much smaller than the pitch used in outdoor polo, wooden barriers line the perimeter to keep the ball in play. The ball, which is made of inflated leather, is 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) in diameter and weighs 6 ounces (170 grams). Other than the size of the team—three players—the rules are nearly the same as outdoor polo.

Snow polo may be played on a frozen lake or a flat area of compacted snow. The playing field is much smaller, so viewers are much closer to the action, and barriers on the long sides keep the ball in play. The field may be from 251 to 300 yards (230 to 275 meters) long and 164 to 196 yards (150 to 180 meters) wide. Weather conditions may affect the rules—for example, the chukkers may be from 5.3 minutes to 7 minutes long—and the snow arena may vary in size. Teams may comprise two or three players. Rules emphasize a player's right of way, because of the danger of injury caused by interference. As in ice hockey, the goals are often positioned within the playing area on smaller fields, and play is permitted behind the goals. The ponies wear special horseshoes to help them with traction, and the balls are brightly colored so they are visible against the snow and ice.

Beach polo, like indoor and snow polo, is played on a smaller field with boards to keep the plastic ball in play. Rules may vary, although three players per team is the common practice. The field itself may vary in size, based on available space.

All players are rated and assigned a handicap. This system allows teams to be evenly matched. The highest handicap, held by only a few players around the world, is a 10. The handicap system varies by country, so players from one country cannot be easily compared to those of others.

Strategy and Tactics

The number 1 position, the scorer, is one of the most difficult. The position works in opposition to the number 4 of the other team, and must be aware of the movement of the ball and the position of the other players. Number 2 must act quickly and aggressively, keep a fast pony on the move, and find opportunities to take control of the ball. Number 3, usually the leader on the field, must be able to hit the ball hard and move it a long distance to number 1 and number 2, while defending the ball and goal. Number 4's primary function is defense—to block the other team's attempts to score—but the player is free to move anywhere on the field, if necessary.

Professional players say the key to success is finding the right horses and working with the animals. They describe a rider's relationship with a pony as an exercise in teamwork. Good polo ponies naturally follow the ball, allowing the player to focus more attention on controlling and directing it.

With practice, players develop a smooth swing. This enables the equestrian to control the ball, regardless of how quickly the horse is galloping.

Professional Leagues and Series

Many countries have their own ruling bodies. The Federation of International Polo (FIP) organizes many international tournaments, including the FIP World Polo Championship, FIP European Polo Championship, FIP Super Nations Cup, and the FIP Snow Polo World Cup Invitational Tournament.

Popularity

The popularity of polo remains steady around the world. The United States alone had about three hundred polo clubs as of 2013. According to Polo+10 magazine, more than one thousand clubs in about ninety countries around the world represented more than twenty-three thousand players in 2016. About six thousand of these players were in Argentina, while the United States was home to about five thousand. England came in third, with about two thousand players, and France was home to one thousand polo players. These numbers do not include athletes in private organizations, however.

Grass polo is the most popular variety of the sport. Arena polo is primarily popular in the United States. Snow polo, which was introduced in Switzerland in 1985 and soon became popular in Aspen, Colorado, has been growing in popularity. The US Polo Association World Snow Polo Championship was held in Colorado in 2012. Although interest in snow polo has been growing, with teams in such countries as Argentina, Austria, China, France, Italy, Russia, and Spain as of 2014, it remained a novelty among many polo players.

Bibliography

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