Polo Rules

I agree, 'beautiful' hooks can be quite cool (although I'd stop way short of describing them as one of my favourite things) but they happen what, once every ten games?

Fuck... I dont have any game without hooking. Spanish Rik taught me to do it, said it was important, that stopping your opponent shooting was another tool in your box.

I dont think it's like going for the player in football - thats a bad analogy. If you hit the other player with your mallet, that's like going for the player.

In other 'stick' team sports (hurling, ice hockey, etc) are there any rules against stick to stick contact?

I thought the mallet contact issue had been resolved anyway, with the 'hooking not hacking' rule.

Does anyone have access to a laminator? I would like to have a copy of the rules in my bag for reference. I think we should try and ref some pick up games. When I last ref'd a league game I realised that although I've read the rules and can remember most of them I totally suck at making calls in real time.

I'm ordering a whistle tonight and will try and ref some at pick up if people are up for it. Watching the AFL reg with the head can was great, I was (pleasantly) surprised at the level of conversation/explanation he was giving to players.

I might Ed, I'll check downstairs in work in half an hour.

Ace, thanks. Some beers coming your way if you could make me a set.

I dont think it's like going for the player in football - thats a bad analogy. If you hit the other player with your mallet, that's like going for the player.

In other 'stick' team sports (hurling, ice hockey, etc) are there any rules against stick to stick contact?

Yeah, it's the best I could come up with to make the point that the shaft/head plays the ball (like the foot/leg and arm/hand in football and basketball respectively). I think we should promote playing the ball and punish hitting the 'hitting implement'.

If kicking and slapping were allowed in football and basketball both games would get as ugly as polo does.

This.

In your opinion what is the point of having refs then?

I don't even..

Didn't we do this conversation last week?

Probably, but the issue still stands.

Or if need be, implement the 30s penalty straight away.

This is probably a good starting point when reffing a game. Come down hard, early. Set the tone early in the game.

I believe people should be dicks MORE.

The main problem with reffing is the idea that everything is an accident and that everyone is playing with the best intentions.

Whilst this is often true for throw-ins, it's rarely true in a competitive game. We should put more pressure on refs to make calls (of any kind) and not give them the safety net of "well, they probably didn't mean it" – which whilst perhaps being true, isn't conducive to the correct team always having the advantage (and perhaps winning the game).

Hacking, mallets-under-wheels, raised arms, steering arm checks (below the elbow), bike-on-bike contact, shoves, holding, etc... all rarely called and certainly not penalty box calls (as many of them should be).

While admittedly I've played a lot less competitive games than you, I don't think it's as much a case of the ref thinking contact was not intended as a case of simply not catching exactly what happened. There's so many illegal moves thrown in a competitive game, I can appreciate how it can be hard for a ref to not just see them but also call them correctly. The last thing we should be doing as a community is put MORE pressure on these already tense situations. If we have LESS tense situations the ref is more inclined to call them.

In my opinion, refereeing is probably the least explored aspect of our game. If we want the standard of refereeing to improve, the regulations to be upheld and the general good of the game, the worst thing we can do is make it harder to referee. That's basically what you guys are suggesting: Make it harder to ref. I think that's wrong. Refereeing simply won't develop and grow at the same speed that players will learn to abuse the rules and worsen the game.

Everyone needs to read the rules, but then we need to play by them as well.

Any suggestion that players should be more flagrant and intentional in their foul play strikes me as a very dangerous route to go down.

^ that

kevin nik and ryan dirtiest (and most naked) team in polo.

The Irish Windmills...

Yeah, it's the best I could come up with to make the point that the shaft/head plays the ball (like the foot/leg and arm/hand in football and basketball respectively). I think we should promote playing the ball and punish hitting the 'hitting implement'.

If kicking and slapping were allowed in football and basketball both games would get as ugly as polo does.

If it's excessive swipes (slashing) its gonnna be a turnover or if consistent then player removed for a period of time. There will always be some incidental mallet contact as people play the ball. If reffed correctly it should be fine. Be better ref's first then see were we are at.

I just think, despite not wanting to because of more potential for losing the fun, that we need to start reffing pickup.

Or at least start heckling dick moves during pickup.

I'm going to buy a whistle at lunch time, who's up for reffing at Newington with me this week?

Come ref our game tomorrow, Ed.

How much are whistles? I kinda want one..

Bulk buy of whistles?

We already time at Newt, which is good practice imo and makes people more awarein the backs of their heads of game times.

Also up for laminated rules to keep in bag, good shout.

#LPCrefinitiative2014

Part of me wanting to ref at throw ins is because I'm not very good at it, as much as players need to practice playing to the rules I need to practice reffing.

I'm thinking if I concentrate on 1 aspect of the rules (eg interference) for a few weeks it'll be easier than trying to learn all of it at once.

No laminator.

I've got one under my couch (I didn't put it there), it's gonna need a clean tho'....

Laminator sheets at the pound shop...

Thanks for looking Kev.

Joe - are all laminator sheets the same or do I need anything in particular? I'll get some and bring them to HH on Sunday if that's ok for you.

Yup, we can laminate courtside... Any A4 laminator sheet is fine...
#onlycourtwithpowerpoints

what in the middle of the drome?

Yup...

nice! Need a toastie maker courtside!

hahahah

nice! Need Internet access to stream games!

This.

nice! Need a toastie maker courtside!

genius badge.

Yeah, it's the best I could come up with to make the point that the shaft/head plays the ball (like the foot/leg and arm/hand in football and basketball respectively). I think we should promote playing the ball and punish hitting the 'hitting implement'.

If kicking and slapping were allowed in football and basketball both games would get as ugly as polo does.

Come on, kicking and slapping are blows to the player's body. You can't equate fouls like that in sports like basketball and football to stick clashes in polo, they're not analogous. An arm is not the same as a mallet.

Hooking a person's stick does not seem (in my head) worthy of a punishment, you might be impeding the stick, but you are not impeding or striking the body of the player.

Yeah I acknowledge that the analogy isn't great. Of course hacking mallets isn't dangerous (although neither is slapping in basketball), but that's not the point I'm getting at.

I'm talking about what looks good to watch, and what feels nice to play. If any meathead could just ignore the ball and crunch an attacking footballer's legs then we wouldn't see much fluid, dribbly, passy football. If a defensive basketballer could just swipe at opponents arms, we wouldn't see much flair.

The prevalence of hacking is one of several things that discourages skilful play.