Polo Rules

PLaying at NE yesterday, the ball landed in someones pocket of their hoody. Would a goal be allowed if one carried the ball to the other end and emptied it in front of the goal and tapped it in?

Similar to it being caught in the spokes I suppose.

Yeah, it was me. The ball got caught between my arm and body then dropped into my pocket when I lifted my arm up.

Obviously it's a rare occurrence but would this be classed as illegally carrying the ball with the body and require a tap out ?

As it was a throw in game it just raised a laugh, but I'm assuming from Mike's point it would be classed as using your body to add momentum and therefore illegal in competition.

1-I'm all for infinity. Too many childhood memories of being in goal and shouting "over" at anything I couldnt reach. Unless theres a physical goalpost being used, as at some of the courts e.g.brick lane, any arbitrary height restriction is just opening up another way to dispute goals

2- business end only. anything else is a shuffle.

3-I'm not sure you can justify intentionally stopping a goal with your hand. Blocking a shot with your body is allowed. If we're playing "bums on seats",then maybe that should also include feet on pedals, hands on bars/mallet? So no kicking,swatting.etc..

;390828']The ball in the spokes/pocket thing seems pretty straightforward to me. Yes you can do it but be aware that any moves towards your wheel/pocket will be considered a play towards the ball.

+1..Id be impressed if you can intentionally jam the ball into your own spokes anyway

;390828']4. Ok we've discussed forfeits and will go with what's been said so far but what if a team gets suspended/drops out? Should the games they've already played previously not count and be erased from the scoreboards? Everybody's scores/goal differences?

If they havent played everyone, then I think erasing the points/GD for their games is the only fair way to play.

I kind of feel like an instinctive catch should be okay as in ice hockey, as long as you drop it pretty quickly.

Block with body, don't score with it. Fair enough. I backed into a shot on net a week or so ago and blocked it with my torso - this seems like a perfectly fair move in my opinion (especially since the ball was at a height that the only possible place it could hit me was my torso). Not really sure how you would score with your body short of kicking it though.

Yeah, withdraw stats from previous games for teams that drop out.

I kind of feel like an instinctive catch should be okay as in ice hockey, as long as you drop it pretty quickly.

I was thinking about this as well, but it raises issues for long passes back (we don't have an offside rule - people could use this to intercept passes - or even used to make easier receptions). But to be fair, this most be a really rare thing. Not sure it's worth worrying about. I think if you catch the ball, drop it and tap out.

on a slightly different note, when an own goal occurs (either from deflection off the mallet or actually hitting the ball into the goal)
does it have to be from the end of the mallet to count?

this has always puzzled me

Nope. Own goal from anything. Or else we end up having strategic back shuffles.

i like polo nice and simple, infinity goals, body blocks, balls in wheels, done.

I agree that we need one clear set of rules for London though. Sooner the better. If we have different rules according to different people, that's gonna fuck off a lot of people

OT question... Was in the pub after watching you guys with GrowUp last night, my mate Kev from the pub pointed out that in polo (the horsey kind) you have to hold the mallet in your right hand... Safety thing... That doesn't apply with bike polo then? How come?
As you were...

Yes! Great point Joe.
All lefties must play righty.
Like I do.

infinity by its very nature is undecidable. a cross court shot rising is impossible to judge whether it went in between the 'infinity posts'. impossible.
i know we won't be able to ride through them but is there an reason we couldnt use ice hockey goals in a tourney, easy to see if its in/out then?

they seem a good dimension.

I mentioned this on the euro forum. Hockey goals ftw. If need be, we could cut them shorter. Or! Make them ourselves out of PVC that can easily be disassembled and carried around (this type of goal has been mentioned by other people, a couple of times).

I also think we should start playing with hockey sticks.

Just dont bring back the hockey balls, FFS.

And on ice?

And only in North America

Great to watch some games yesterday at the Zombies court.
Even with a ref behind each goal you cannot be 100% correct using a couple of cones and infinity, yes you know it already you need goals with posts and a net.
Is any other league sport using a couple of cones ?
Perhaps that is part of the appeal of bike polo.

OT question... Was in the pub after watching you guys with GrowUp last night, my mate Kev from the pub pointed out that in polo (the horsey kind) you have to hold the mallet in your right hand... Safety thing... That doesn't apply with bike polo then? How come?
As you were...

Because we're not rich cocks on horses.

Even with a ref behind each goal you cannot be 100% correct using a couple of cones and infinity, yes you know it already you need goals with posts and a net.

Whereas in all the sports that use posts and a net, the decisions relating to whether a goal has been scored are always 100% correct?

Errrr...

Because we're not rich cocks on horses.

Oh, really?!? ;]
Just an observation, hadn't heard of the right-hand horseback rule before so wondered why it didn't apply to bike polo...

If you can continue to use cones, great but goals matter to some more than others.
It was evident on saturday that some goals were disputed perhaps for good reason.
Posts and a net would take out the uncertainty to a greater extent.

We would have got our first point if infinity goals were allowed. When we were winning 4-2 in the game (yes, you are reading this correctly!), Jo cracked a couple of shots that went really high. One bouncing of Horatio's head I believe!

Body on ball should be allowed if it is unintentional. E.g. when i am in goal and accidentally saving with my toe (TWICE, thanks Harry... grrrr!) :-)

We would have got our first point if infinity goals were allowed. When we were winning 4-2 in the game (yes, you are reading this correctly!), Jo cracked a couple of shots that went really high. One bouncing of Horatio's head I believe!

Body on ball should be allowed if it is unintentional. E.g. when i am in goal and accidentally saving with my toe (TWICE, thanks Harry... grrrr!) :-)

Those goals were counted, I believe, Hops (they weren't too high - one went off my shoulder as I hid my teeth from the ball, the other either went just above my shoulder, or behind my torso). All the other goals that could have won you the game were expertly stopped by me.

Oh! Sorry, I take it all back then. I couldn't see as I was in goal at the other end, I'm going from what we were all talking about after the match :)

Hey Horatio, I think our team have learnt how to shoot from you.... your shot at my face when I was in goal vs. Malletov!! It was payback time :D

I was thinking the same - Luckily you took it out on me during Tom and Harry's game, not ours ;)