Polo Rules

Was getting the ball off the boards really that much a problem that people feel the need to implement balljointing for it?

No

Was getting the ball off the boards really that much a problem that people feel the need to implement balljointing for it?.

In a corner under pressure I ball joint almost every time to pass, as there is often not enough room to take a swing, and did so at the euro's and just hoped the ref didn't call it, so this rule solves that, which is good, also counting to two seems easy enough,

I just don't see why balljointing should be banned from the defensive zone? What's the argument there?

Boredom?

I just don't see why balljointing should be banned from the defensive zone? What's the argument there?

To mess with Dodi's mind

http://ref.nahardcourt.com/case-study-interference-for-2014/

on first sight... the most dangerous play is legal while all minor not dangerous contacts are forbidden.
imo either ruleset or examples are bad

Scenario 1:
A player rides up to the goal keeper and leans on them/checks them (not with loads of force).
Outcome 1: The attacking player rides off but the goalie dabs, is this illegal under Interference?
Outcome 2: The goalie dabs and so does the attacking player, is this illegal under Interference? Or does it get complicated with Toppling depending on who falls first?

Scenario 2:
An attacking player shoots and on their follow through (still in control of their mallet though) strikes the goal keepers bars/fingers. Is this illegal? I couldn't see anything in the rules about this contact other than hooking of the bike/body. If it's incidental/follow through is it not a foul?

Scenario 1:
A player rides up to the goal keeper and leans on them/checks them (not with loads of force).
Outcome 1: The attacking player rides off but the goalie dabs, is this illegal under Interference?
Outcome 2: The goalie dabs and so does the attacking player, is this illegal under Interference? Or does it get complicated with Toppling depending on who falls first?

If this is off the ball, and assuming the goalie is not screening the attacker, then any contact (beyond incidental) is illegal.

Assuming that's the case then it's interference.

Scenario 2:
An attacking player shoots and on their follow through (still in control of their mallet though) strikes the goal keepers bars/fingers. Is this illegal? I couldn't see anything in the rules about this contact other than hooking of the bike/body. If it's incidental/follow through is it not a foul?

I can't see anything that makes this illegal.

Cool, thanks John

With the next rules what way is mallet to mallet defined. Can players still sweep away goalies mallets? Can players still tie up other players mallets when they are going for the ball? When does it become hooking?

Hooking mallet to mallet is fine, on any player, Just not hacking.

So place and pull, not slash.

Or just carry on hacking because no refs ever call it.

Not true (but agreed, many don't)

Hacking is horrible; hooking isn't all that good. Make life easier on refs and just ban mallet-on-mallet? I really appreciate all of the work going into the rules, but I think there should be a focus on simplicity and ease-of-application especially considering how few dedicated refs there are and how tournaments are run (many games get reffed by people who don't want to).

Despite trying moderately hard to understand it, the new blocking rule confuses the hell out of me.

Hacking is horrible; hooking isn't all that good. Make life easier on refs and just ban mallet-on-mallet? I really appreciate all of the work going into the rules, but I think there should be a focus on simplicity and ease-of-application especially considering how few dedicated refs there are and how tournaments are run (many games get reffed by people who don't want to).
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i've been talking to people about this a lot recently...we all do it probably but sometimes, it seems like you can spend an entire game fencing rather than playing bike polo involving a ball. id love to see hooking banned. id love to know what the consensus is on this. does hooking make the game better? more fun to watch? less dangerous? would removing it improve the game? why is it a legitimate part of the game? justify the hook people!

i think when you're chasing someone down, or in a one on one situation, when you can't get the ball it can be so frustrating that you still feel an urge to do something with the mallet, and the hook is the least violent thing you can do.
that said (as a big user of the hook) its really annoying when it happens.

prob be less violent

The senario mentioned by Neil you are obstructing the opponents mallet from the ball with usually a mallet but can get nasty if someone gives a serious wind up.

I'm finding with my inexperienced team that a few players get just below shoulder height and if you are extending from the hooks you can come in the line of fire. So a lot of our players will simply smack the opponents mallet away. Is this slashing and is this legal? Bearing in mind that the defender cannot hit the ball but can strike the mallet shaft reasonably safely.

The difference of the effect between hacking and hooking is clear to see in that initiating hackers often (imho) want to be seen as more competitive/aggressive/'committed' players as part of their weaponry and they are liable to get more 'aroused' in hacking duels they've instigated. There's a second form of hacker - usually the ball carrier pre-empting interference by hacking blindly and then carrying on their run. The effect is the same - the hack nearly always seduces or demands a response as it is often (mis?)read as a personal attack on a player and as such can quickly escalate and threaten to dominate a game. Serial hackers however draw attention to themselves and probably have referees attentions on them (rightly or wrongly) in anticipation/indication of more serious fouls or aggravation during the match... Not sure what the penalty is this year but referees need to penalise the first instance in every game to ensure that hacking doesn't escalate and lead to other misdemeanours.

The hook is a (momentarily) more considered, calmer and therefore more skilful move in both execution and deed. In close quarters there is no such duelling with hooking - it's usually from behind the player being hooked and rarely has that immediate hack-back response (however aggrieved the person too slow to get that shot/pass away might be!), therefore rarely escalates or infect the mood of the whole game - therefore I think worthy of being retained.

Hooking 4 lyf

Hooking/mallet interference is definitely quite a large part of my game (maybe because I'm lefty hooking situations are more regular).

I'd like to think I never maliciously slash/hack, but I'm sure there are times when I'm not totally precise and it could be classed as a slash (albeit a minor one). If we want a change in attitude then these things need to be called/heckled at pick up games. I went through a bit of a hacking phase a few years ago and got called on it, until someone told me I didn't realise I was doing it.

After seeing the level of committed hooking in Rouen, I'd be keen to trial a mallet contact ban too.

Hooking can be a legit way of stopping someone from making that easy shot, but it's mostly irritating and messy.

I think it would be to hard to ref or it will make all the actions in the front of the goal ridiculous...
Of course it is annoying that all the crazy dribbles in a crowd, passing opponents by millimeters are now finished without a shot because it is so easy to hook the mallet ...
but how it will look like when defenders will try to hit the ball and won't manage to ? we should call all the contacts between mallets?

Maybe we should try out different rules effects instead of predicting them :P

After seeing the level of committed hooking in Rouen, I'd be keen to trial a mallet contact ban too.
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We should do this, maybe at the 4v4?

na make it the uk champs

Hacking blows, I'm well guilty of retaliatory hacking... It gets me well riled up...

Moar skill please, let's boot the dickheads out of the game...

I like a bit of well timed hooking, especially when people take massive wind ups on shots.