Polo Primer SPECTATOR’S GUIDE
POLO BY THE NUMBERS
7.5 MIN 300 X 160
Length of a polo chukker
Size of the polo field
4–8
35 MPH
10
Number of horses played in a polo game
Top speed of a galloping polo pony
Highest goal rating a player can achieve
GOALS, SCORES, AND HANDICAPS There are many uses for the term “goal” in the sport of polo. On the field, a goal is scored each time a ball fully crosses between the goalposts at any height. Every time a goal is scored, the teams switch directions to equalize playing conditions. The second common use for the term “goal” refers to a player’s handicap or goal rating. A player’s handicap is a rating between -2 (or C) and 10, with a 10-goal player being the very best in the world. Club-based rating committees decide the handicap of each player based on playing ability, horsemanship, team play, horses, and knowledge of the game. Players’ goal ratings are used to build equal teams. The handicap of a team is the sum total of all of its players’ ratings, and the final score of a match is adjusted according to discrepancies in the two teams’ handicaps. So, if you are attending a 6-goal match, teams are composed of players whose sum goal rating equals six.
SAFETY RULES Polo is a high-intensity, high-speed sport. Watching ponies pounding down the field, it quickly becomes clear why most rules are in place to protect the ponies and players. When a foul is called by one of the two umpires on the field, the severity of the infraction and resulting
26 HOUSTO N P OLO C LUB
