INSTRUCTORS FORUM
Arena Penalty 4s Strategies for offensive and defensive setup options By Jared Sheldon
After 7-goal arena star Jared Sheldon, a two-time winner and MVP of the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championships, was asked to work with an interscholastic team prior to a national tournament, he drew up some plays and ideas for them to use. This gave him the idea to write a series of arena polo strategy playbooks. The following is adapted from a chapter in his first book, “Arena Polo Strategies: Penalties & Throw-Ins,” covering offensive and defensive setup options for Penalty 4s. He reminds us that no matter what penalty is called, the most important factor for success is for players to set up quickly—as soon as the umpire calls the penalty—regardless if your team is taking or defending the penalty. The sooner players set up, the sooner they can anticipate and choose their actions based on the way the other team sets up.
this play, depending on the shot. If the shot is on target and will clearly be a live ball once touched or swung at by the defending player in goal, then O1 is responsible for attacking player X3 in the goal. It is preferable for O1 to attack here and not O2 because O1 is able to come from a wider angle and attack the defender easier on the offside. O2 Communication with O1 is extremely important. As mentioned earlier, it is preferred that O2 play more reservedly while positioned in the center of the field so if the rebound comes back past the 25-yard line, O2 is able to make a play on it. If the rebound goes off to O2’s right-hand side, then the X player on that side becomes their defensive responsibility. If the rebound goes to O2’s left-hand side of goal, then he or she must mark the player on that side as O1 moves in to go to the defender in the goal.
Hitting O3 This player must think the most defensively because the hitting team cannot attack a rebound off the wall. It is best for O3 to set up just outside the 5yard arc on the offside of the hitter. O3 is there to shut the back door. If O2 goes to X2, then O3 must go back toward the defensive goal in order to cut off X1 from receiving a counterattack pass. If O2 goes to X1, then O3 goes to X2. Anticipating the rebound will make for quicker decision-making. Defense
In the image above, notice the O2 player is not following the shot, but instead allowing O1 to apply pressure. The reason for this is with a Penalty 4, there is usually a more unpredictable rebound. When O1 takes the pressure role, it allows that pressure to be applied on the offside of X3, no matter where the rebound ends up. Here is how the offensive players line up: O1 With a defending player in the goal mouth for a Penalty 4, O1 is free to think very offensively on 14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
