Polo Rules

LHBPA rules: http://www.lhbpa.org/resources/LHBPA_Bike_Polo_Rules.pdf

After Saturdays games, there's a few rules I really want sorted out and made public, especially to ref's.

1. How high is the goal? I've always played, and i thought it was the general consensus, that there is no height limit to the goal. However, Rob was denied a goal that was 'too high'. This sucks as Rob often scores spectacular goals that are higher than a bike.

2. Can you score off the shaft of your mallet? Is this a shuffle? I conceded a goal where I batted an airborne ball with my mallet, hitting the shaft not the head. The ref called it a goal, I conceded because I didn't have the business end of the mallet turned in the right direction so if I had hit the ball with the head it would've been a shuffle anyways.

3. Body to ball contact? We gave a goal to MT when Rob caught a ball that was going in goal out of natural reaction. The ball was near his head/shoulder area. (which according to question 1. wouldn't have been a goal anyways because it was too high?) According to most rule lists, including the shoreditch tourney, body contact is allowed as long as you are sat in the saddle and there is no momentum added to the ball. What is our rule for this? And please note this is not about ball to body contact but intentional body to ball.

4. Forfeits. We really need to sort this one out as there may be quite a few coming up...

1 - I was under the impression the goal was counted in the end (although this was not really announced to the teams)?

(The height of the goal was an issue that came up earlier in the season, and I thought after that happened, the consensus was to not count screamers that go straight up [it was a goal I scored that went off of Roxy's mallet and, I think, straight over the fence behind the goal at NE - I wasn't really thrilled with the goal when it happened, but Chris called it as a goal]. I don't personally care, one way or the other though).

2 - No goals off the shaft is fine with me. It's less of a new rule, and more in line with goals can only be scored off the business end of one's mallet.

3 - Hand to ball bad, body to ball okay?.

4 - I've given my opinion on this. Let the games be played if they can (no time limit for now). If they can't be played, award the points, and use GD to decide a tie. Don't award goals.

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.

1. I always thought that we played goal post to infinity but I think it would make more sense to have the goal height capped, Say at shoulder lever?

2. I awarded that as a goal and you disputed it. I still maintain that from the shaft goals should count but it would be a lot easier to referree if we adhere to the business end only rule.

3.Intentional body to ball should be disallowed in my opinion. The ball should only be struck with the mallet or our wheels.

1. Long discussed, I'm sort of bored of this one. I think this league has been to experimental, as it's the first, to tie this down properly. This league should allow games to be played at a later date. The next league should be rigid with what ever people think is best.
   

Em, was a goal awarded for the disputed height goal?

1. infinity is ridiculous because the cones end at 2.5 feet, where do you judge how wide let alone high it has gone? Anything over the goalies head height in my opinion is too high. that shot looped right over him.

2. a goal can only be scored from the end of the mallet. that is the rule, in the air on the ground, unless it hits the end of the mallet it is not a goal. the shaft is not the end there fore the shaft should not count.

3. Any handling of the ball is wrong. the only thing that you should move the ball with is your bike or your mallet. No kicking, catching or any other intentional swatting at the ball. If the ball hits you that's different and if you header it, then your mad, but should not be penalised, because you cannot score with a header because it is not the end of the mallet.

4.i'm with em. for this season.

1. shoulder height? infinity, or even above human scale, becomes too problematic, especially in the league where the refs can't be directly behing the goals on most courts.

2. end of a mallet. awesome if you can score from the shaft, good control, but it might be too difficult to call, simpler answer wins out, i think.

3. +1 to skoota and object's replies. balls hits you, sure fine, play on. you intentionally obstruct the movement of the ball with your extremeties, tap out?

4. agreed with em.

1 - the goal should be as high as it is reasonable to raise your mallet during play. I don't want to get to the situation where people are just doing 8ft lobs and calling them goals. If there is absolutely no way you could stop the ball with your mallet or bike (through luck or skill), then it shouldn't be a goal.

2 - if it's not with the face of the mallet, it's a shuffle.

3 - That rule from Shoreditch sounds right

4 - We made some rules, people should stop worrying about being seen to be bad guys. 3 points and 15 goals to the "winners", -1 point and -1 goals to the forfeiters.

1. +1 to skoota and object's replies. balls hits you, sure fine, play on. you intentionally obstruct the movement of the ball with your body/extremeties, tap out?
   
   

I think that you should be allowed to get your body in front of the ball in order to stop goals, but not hands or feet.

mark stop deleting your posts.

1. +1 to skoota and object's replies. balls hits you, sure fine, play on. you intentionally obstruct the movement of the ball with your body/extremeties, tap out?
   
   

What about being in goal? That is clearly a situation where one often intentionally obstructs movement of the ball with one's body?

No hands or feet - agreed. I hate it (this is what I deleted before) when someone stops a ball by taking their foot off a pedal and standing/kicking it.

I think that you should be allowed to get your body in front of the ball in order to stop goals, but not hands or feet.

What about being in goal? That is clearly a situation where one often intentionally obstructs movement of the ball with one's body?

agreed,
sorry the slash was me selecting and deleting 'body', didn't work somehow.

What about being in goal? That is clearly a situation where one often intentionally obstructs movement of the ball with one's body?

i think thats fine most times its comes at you so quickly it hits you in the body. you go "ow" we play on.

More importantly, what about when it is a little bit wet and Hassan obstructs the ground with his body?

No hands or feet - agreed. I hate it (this is what I deleted before) when someone stops a ball by taking their foot off a pedal and standing/kicking it.

+1 if you use your leg as a mallet then don't be surprised when someone whacks your 'mallet' when trying to get the ball.

More importantly, what about when it is a little bit wet and Hassan obstructs the ground with his body?

he's just being a gentleman.

So what about the 'ball in spokes' carrying scenario?

So what about the 'ball in spokes' carrying scenario?

As I posted elsewhere, this is so much fun (watching people smash their own wheels with their mallet) that I'd hate to see it outlawed.

And thier pocket?

The idea of mallet to ball to ball amuses me

he's just being a gentleman.

thats me, always thinking of the ladies

ball in spokes is fun (for everyone else). if you can escape the wrath of 3 players hammering your wheel and make it to the goal and tap the ball out with the end of your mallet, go for it. and bring extra spokes.

I'm not sure about point 1. I like the infinity thing but at the same time it is physically impossible to block a shot 10ft high. Then again 10ft high shots are pretty rare. The players should know if the goal was a goal and the ref should be paying enough attention to call a decent call. Between the 6-7 people involved a decision should be able to be made.
However, restricting this means the decision is already made. Until somebody disputes that the shot was slightly higher than the restriction...

I feel the way most people do about point 2. The easier rule is the best. No goal for a strike off the shaft.

A scenario for point 3.:

You're in goal, the ball is hit high, about mid thigh high and going towards the main triangle of your bike. What should/can you do?

a. raise your knee to block
b. try and raise your mallet that high which may mean having your arm straight out/up/to the side
c. try to maneuver your bike into position to block
d. let it go through because a. is frowned upon, b. may not be physically possible and the chance of c. is so impractical?

I think you should be allowed to use your body to block. You should not be able to use your body to add momentum, as in kicking the ball. If your body is used intentionally anywhere else apart from tending goal/blocking a shot it should count as a foot down.

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. 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?
   

4 - yes, take then out entirely. Early season enthusiasm and later season apathy would be an unfair distortion to the results (especially as the -1 points, etc, woudn't be a disincentive to them by that point).