Polo Rules

Nobody is talking about checking because spectators love the hits. But on the real, how many more injuries have been caused by dick-head, illegal hits or just accidental bad hits? I guarantee it is more than from high sticking.

I think we all should remember the first rule of bike polo: don't be a dick.

checking also sucks. We should ban that too.

I can't if that's sarcastic or not.

#americansinbritain

Back to high-sticking:
If someone scoops the ball into the air (using the centrifugal force, so not carrying), while its in the air the ball is unplayable by the opposition, as that is high-sticking (or some kind of hacking) - is that correct?

Could you ride the whole length of the court swinging the ball side to side in the air with no one allowed to get it?

So is waving the mallet around when not near the ball totally within the rules?

If I jab my mallet at someone's face (without making contact) is that a good way to avoid an interference call?

As for the injuries from bad crashes, mallets to the face are a lot rarer, but I would put possible loss of sight above any number of stiches or broken bones.

In Aus I have definitely seen more injuries from mallets to the face than from illegal checks. Balls to the face generally have worse consequences for teeth, but the only way to avoid that is to make face cages mandatory. Sports are dangerous, no ruleset can completely eliminate the risk of injury.

@n3il - I think you could still legally hook their mallet in the air.

@Khornight2

So is waving the mallet around when not near the ball totally within
the rules?

Yes, so long as it is not near an airborne ball and doesn't make contact with anyone's face or neck

If I jab my mallet at someone's face (without making contact) is that
a good way to avoid an interference call?

No, because that is clearly unsportsmanlike conduct, and clearly dangerous, so a major penalty could be assessed

@snottyotter - if there is a player who can do that then kudos to them, I'd like to see it.

Edit: changed format, content is the same.

If you get hit in the face at the two big tournaments of the year it's your own fault. If you can afford to travel and commit to playing then there's no excuse.

I've been hit in the face seriously caged up and not and never blamed anyone but myself. Although the one scar I have on my chin is from a check to the face in the euros final #thanksdavid

It would be so awesome.

Luca will be doing that by next year! :)

I've been able to do that for a while but I was under the impression it would be called as egg spoon

Keep it moving, side to side, maybe upsidedown in the middle to remove any doubt about carrying.

Also, show a little flesh.

only one thing to do in that situation... play the body and push them into the wall. think in real life games the whole snow-coning the full length court wouldnt work but i definitely dont think that flare should be taken out the game.
ive never work a facecage or a helmet (except tournament) and have only ever been hit in the face once and it was a follow through. no amount of high sticking rules or slashing rules will make it any safer! this is what ice hockey says an it works kinda perfectly

60.1 High-sticking - A “high stick” is one which is carried above the height of the opponent’s shoulders. Players and goalkeepers must be in control and responsible for their stick. However, a player is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or follow through of a shooting motion. A wild swing at a bouncing puck would not be considered a normal windup or follow through and any contact to an opponent above the height of the shoulders shall be penalized accordingly.

Spectators want to see cool scoops and sweet tricks not Call Me Daddy winning everything.

Word.

@emab

Objects follow parabolic trajectories.

In a scoop, the mallet head accelerates the ball until it loses contact. If your mallet head slows down and the ball doesn't leave, you're carrying. After the ball loses contact, the high-stick rule applies.

(hence low juggling is legitimate and awesome, but a slow-mo scoop is just a balletic carry, and a lob followed by a hit is both an offence under the high-stick rule and a dick move).

@Dkhleang I thought the first rule of bike polo was ... its just like horse polo but on bikes.

That was ages ago.

Now it's "It's just like ice hockey but on bikes"

This is how I've started explaining to people who exclaim "Bike.... POLO?!" as if I have a mental deficiency and didn't mean to say it.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lonL3laORfe0C6g1VEO_eOrs_kteTsxKXIpAciUES4I/viewform

Both the crease and obstruction rules were a great success.

The crease with the "3 second rule", and no contact was perfect. It really cleaned up the game, with no double goalie, no fucking with the goalie, and less clusterfucks in front of the goal. It produced more offensive situations, and more attractive pass based offense, as teams had to defender higher, and in a more active way.

Obstruction still needs a little work. The refs knew what it was trying to achieve, but it still seems there are some grey areas for the players to understand, so it may need rewording. But again it produced a more attractive game. Defenders were trying to make plays on the ball, not block attackers, Attackers were looking for the pass, not blocking out defenders.

Between the two rules, it also removed a lot of the shitty situations which can escalate, and turn games nasty. A lot less calls needed to be made in general (and not because of the quality of the refs, we had most of the top NA refs there)