Polo Rules

I think mallet on mallet banning would suck and take fun from the game. Maybe allowing contact for the lower 10 inches? It'll Keep it in the game but get rid of the bullshit hooking moves

Robbie is right, no other sport allows this much contact. Plus it's just ugly and lame. Accidental contact is fine and unavoidable, but hooking/slashing/chopping/whatever should just go.

Robbie is right, no other sport allows this much contact. Plus it's just ugly and lame. Accidental contact is fine and unavoidable, but hooking/slashing/chopping/whatever should just go.

Whut? You guys not seen hockey or lacrosse?

In lacrosse you can check someone with your stick!

Banning mallet contact is ridiculous.

It really does suck that some of the 'best' (IE most victorious) players play some of the ugliest polo, but it is inevitable now that the turtle/hack/block styles have consistently proven themselves at the highest level whereas the open/passy/flowing style only seems to get you so far...

We've needed a crease and to ban hacking for years, but it never happens. Objections seem to be 1) we don't want more rules, 2) we can't paint creases on every court, 3) refs can't keep track of who is in/out of the crease or for how long, 4) hacking is already banned, and probably loads more.

1) is ridiculous - there are loads of rules now, and some of them are almost universally acknowledged as stupid (high sticking!?!), 2) is fair, but it's only really tournament courts that need spraying; people can learn roughly how big they are and just fucking stop turtling in throw ins[I][/I] 3) is kind of fair, but there's now a precedent with the timed BJ. Make it the goal ref's job? 4) is silly - there's too much of a grey area between a hook and a hack, so just ban all mallet-on-mallet.

I really hope there is enough of a groundswell of opinion to sway it this time. I really enjoyed the latter games of the UK Champs - seemed pretty open if I remember correctly, but when the stakes are higher (big international tournaments) it all goes to shit.

I like a bit of clever hooking before a shot or whatever, I could live without the hitting of mallets if they're being used to tripod.

I like a bit of clever hooking before a shot or whatever, I could live without the hitting of mallets if they're being used to tripod.

Me too, but it's really rare, whereas horrendous hacking or just ugly 'mallet tapping' is commonplace and gets worse as tournaments progress. So there would be a net benefit to banning it all - the tough thing (I guess) is differentiating between incidental/accidental contact and intentional contact... But to ignore the issue because of that seems like a cop out.

Rules thread >>€>>>>>>>>>>>>

I think if the courts were bigger in general it would be good. All this rule chat is for rule threads though.

Euros 2014 CMD won in an entertaining battle of two great teams! Even if there was a crease rule I think those two teams would of been in the final. The intensity and fitness was amazing and individual skills on show was boss. Moar flares for polo finals in the dark. Also the ref's did a great job of reffing those games. (Tim,max, fin, Jason)

We has a ruleset we gotta use this year. Getting better at reffing is the best thing we could all do. Tim Timmy Tim Timmy!

Whut? You guys not seen hockey or lacrosse?

In lacrosse you can check someone with your stick!

Banning mallet contact is ridiculous.
.haha banning mallet^this th

I like a bit of clever hooking before a shot or whatever, I could live without the hitting of mallets if they're being used to tripod.

Potentially best tourney hooking move: Hook your opponent while they're pivot turning... That'll learn the flash bastards...

I did this to Professor Pickles once, scared the life out of both of us... Never again...

*TROLLPOST*

We've needed a crease and to ban hacking for years, but it never happens. Objections seem to be 1) we don't want more rules, 2) we can't paint creases on every court, 3) refs can't keep track of who is in/out of the crease or for how long, 4) hacking is already banned, and probably loads more.

1) is ridiculous - there are loads of rules now, and some of them are almost universally acknowledged as stupid (high sticking!?!), 2) is fair, but it's only really tournament courts that need spraying; people can learn roughly how big they are and just fucking stop turtling in throw ins[I][/I] 3) is kind of fair, but there's now a precedent with the timed BJ. Make it the goal ref's job? 4) is silly - there's too much of a grey area between a hook and a hack, so just ban all mallet-on-mallet.

I agree with you we need a crease, and by now, so does the rules committee in North America. So it will happen. But with any major rule change, these things don't happen overnight. You have to keep on trying it at tournaments, and eventually, if it's better, it will reach critical mass. We have the same issue here with the East coast generally allowing wrist shots, but the West Coast hate it. The more wrist shot tournaments we have, eventually it might make it in.

So as I say, 2015 NAH rules will have a crease of some sort. Hopefully EHBPA will work with us on that, and so you will get it too.

1) Is an issue, but it requires education. It's something we've been working on this year, with the rules test, and insisting on double refs at tournaments (often as an introduction for a less experienced ref). You'll always have some players who want to go back to the 3 basic rules.

2) This is the case. many locations, won't allow it, but as you say,for tournaments we can get around it, or be flexible enough to use the the existing markings

3) As you say, like the BJ rule, it's about catching obvious abuse of the rule, not being exact

4) I disagree. As Max says, Hockey and Lacrosse allow it (2 big influences on bike polo rules), and to me there is a clear difference between a hook and a hack. If it's not called, that's a reffing issue, not rules.

Hooking is a part of the game, but I agree that hacking should be called hard... I even find myself doing it occasionally, but only ever in retaliation... And only in throw-ins, obvs...
#theydontlikeitupem #c-cats

Allow hooking and hacking will forever be a part of the game.

Someone move all this to the rules thread, please...

How about cards for referees? Two might not be enough slack to keep the game going but three maybe? Least then you'd have a way of keeping tabs on players accumulating dick moves throughout a game. Could also label specific fouls and what the punishment should be.

Would refs get free beer? If so, interested...

Only like 1 per 10 minute game though. No getting drunk at the whistle.

I'll have a think about it and get back to you...

Sorry to keep banging on and if someone wants to shift this over to the rules thread then thats cool, but... I feel your missing the point of what I'm saying. I'm not saying I have the answers, I'm simply guessing on what might make the game better. None of us no for certain what will work until we try, so why not experiment with different things. What I'm suggesting is merely some ideas to try out, they might work they might not. We don't know until we try. them

Also the ref's did a great job of reffing those games. (Tim,max, fin, Jason)

We has a ruleset we gotta use this year. Getting better at reffing is the best thing we could all do.

I would say directly to this that yes it is true but will no way will happen on it's own. I would use Jono as an example. highly regarded at one point as the best ref in europe (I actually heard him described as the best in the world), but stopped as it's depressing and loses you friends. We must make it appealing to do or the best ref's will stop

Agree that ref should get more reward. I went two years in a row to ref french qualiflyers in Lyon, and both year they paid me the round trip, 60 euros. I feel like at least im not loosing money doing it.
This year was way more hard to ref with the new rule, and i made more mistakes. After two or three mistakes and all the shit talk players gave me, i feel like a bit more than the ticket train would have be cool, because you don't want to get scream at for free for two days.

In Padova Reffing was really unequal. Some ref knows the rules but didin't know how to call it, or didn't get the confidence to make calls. Some other had enough confidence but don'^t seems to understand basics. An italian Ref call Manu for a "sandwich" foul, as manu was stuck between Robert and Shadowman during our game against power ranger....
Finals for me was the best reffing I see so far, and some other ref did great job, wich was a huge step up when you look back at a lot of major envent. Some players seems to don't understand the rule at all. Or some other understood it but told me that as ref didn'd call it they continue to play the old school way...

About the crease I agree that we should try and that this could be a good option. My only concern is that 2013-14 ruleset get some new rules that it took some time to get play with, so i feel that adding a new one and make it official for next year can be too much.
But if this rule is a real need and easy to enforce, it would work. We just have to find how to write it... Is the "static" players defifintion into the crease a good one. Should we just say as an attackant, you can't goes in but you can go trought if you don't disturb the goalie (as in Ice hockey). If you are on defense, what if you stop a ball as a double goalie? Ball turnover? I think we could also imagine to say that if players are two in the crease, if your shot hit the first goalie (the one closeset to nets) ref can allow the goal etc... We have to find this.

About mallet on mallet... Just call more hacking as it was done this week end. For me the way we hook and play these days is fine. I don't really see how to get the ball on really good ball handler without a bit of hooking.

The crease worked well at the LO when it was used, if the second keeper saved it then it was a save as they were traveling through the crease at the right time. The call would come if they stopped for more than 2 seconds, if this then led to a save then there would need to be some sort of penalty. Maybe 30 seconds off if it's obviously on purpose like a goal saving handball in football, maybe just an advantage/turn over if the second keeper had overstayed their 2 seconds and were trying to get out of the way.

there is an awarded goal penalty in the rules that would cover that, if you blocked a goal as an illegal defender (just like if you block a goal when dabbed)

I got given one of those in Padova when I did a long but slowish shot on an empty goal and someone rushed back to try and save it, they probably could've got it easily but they grabbed a load of brake, went over the bars and landed on the ball, it was lulz. The crease would seem a little different to me as you couldn't say for sure it's going in, there is by definition of it being a foul, a keeper behind you and it's something that would happen a lot more often. Not sure I'd like goals to be given without going in the net unless it's 100% it was going in. Penalties!

Oh, sorry, yeah, with a keeper it wouldn't be an awarded goal