Polo Rules

I love to apply stickers to my polo frame...

Ha @ Yorgo!

The LHBPA rules on body contact:

11.2. – Body contact.
11.2.1 – Shoulder–to–shoulder contact and the use of static elbows is allowed (you may "shield" yourself from others to avoid your bikes becoming tangled together, etc).
11.2.2 – Holding (with hands, elbows, or mallets) is not allowed (for example: "chicken winging", grabbing shirts, etc).
11.2.3 – Pushing with the hands is not allowed (for example: hands on a player's back, pushing a player away from you when being screened, etc).
11.2.4 – Mallet–to–body contact is not allowed (for example: hitting a player with your mallet, hooking a player's hand, etc).
11.2.5 – Body–to–bike contact is not allowed (for example: holding part of another player's bike, leaning
across a players cockpit, etc).
11.2.6 – Body pressing is allowed. (for example: pressing and leaning like–for–like between aware players is
fine, flying in unawares and taking someone off their bike is not ok).
11.2.7 – Pushing or checking someone from behind is not allowed.
11.2.8 – Physical blows about the neck or head, any punching or kicking are not allowed.
Personally, I think the 'static' elbow is probably a slightly confusing wording. Most players will either push their steering elbow out slightly, which is ok, or lift their mallet elbow to somewhere near shoulder height whilst in contact, which is definitely not, IMO.

In my view, elbows have no business being up at all, as most people's instinct, once the elbow is up, is to start pushing at the other player with the fore-arm or elbow in the back or side, which isn't really ok, even if it's not specifically prohibited, or even clothes-lining the chest, ie extending the fore-arm right across the upper torso, which is really poor form.

Much better to keep elbows down, but pushed out slightly, much as a sprinter does, so that your bars are protected, but you're not applying pressure to the other player.

This is another area where the rules could be more explicit, as I think some players may think that it's ok to push with fore-arm / elbow, just because they're not using a hand. Much better to just say elbows have to stay down well below shoulder-height, unless you're striking at the ball (which is what I have been saying to players anyway).

William, don't you have your own forum to go to?

:-)

ahah yes Bill, and even if those videos are used as exemples, I feel a bit concerned into it, so I can't stop to follow the discussion..

So I'm a bit frustrated because I think I did a great World Championship and those 3 short videos (get out of context) don't give a good image of my game.

But hope this discussion will help the reffering in the futur.

ahah yes Bill, and even if those videos are used as exemples, I feel a bit concerned into it, so I can't stop to follow the discussion..

So I'm a bit frustrated because I think I did a great World Championship and those 3 short videos doesn't give a good image of my game.

But hope this discussion will help the reffering in the futur.

I don't think anyone thinks you're an especially dirty player (well, I certainly don't, and I've played you & reffed you), it's just that there a lot of videos of you, because you have played in a lot of important matches.

On the other hand, "with great power comes great responsibility"

Thanks Bill it gave me the smile.

So I'm a bit frustrated because I think I did a great World Championship and those 3 short videos (get out of context) don't give a good image of my game.

Don't worry Will, most of us stayed up til 4am watching your games. CMD were ACE :)

yeah! i fell asleep and missed the final though :(

and well said bill. i just think that some teams eg. the guardians (not being malicious) will give it no matter what and risk being penalised and i think sometimes if you just take it they are going to walk all over you and win.

Stay out of trouble, keep your head down, ignore them and they will go away? Fight!

i just think that some teams eg. the guardians (not being malicious) will give it no matter what and risk being penalised and i think sometimes if you just take it they are going to walk all over you and win.

I don't think Guardians have that reputation at all.

Let's not make sweeping judgements from short video clips. It's useful to use them as a visual reference to discuss ruling, but as soon as we start discussing the players in the video by name we are mudslinging.

yes completely, that may have come across as me being rude, what i meant is that there are certain teams that you know are going to play very physically and you may have to alter your game slightly in order to win.

yes completely, that may have come across as me being rude, what i meant is that there are certain teams that you know are going to play very physically and you may have to alter your game slightly in order to win.

Yes, I totally agree. Whenever I play Tornadoes, I know that I am going to have man up in a big way, and prepare for big hits, sly elbows etc. Oh shit, is Erin still reading this thread?

ha! well, I was only telling Josh last night that I am looking forward to playing passed it in team games so I can point out your cheating ways, and how it contradicts your internet persona... Charlatan!

ha! well, I was only telling Josh last night that I am looking forward to playing passed it in team games so I can point out your cheating ways, and how it contradicts your internet persona... Charlatan!

Me, cheat? Never. Ever. Ok, only when the ref's not looking.

It's what makes you a good ref, you have a cheater's mind (pretty sure I am paraphrasing you directly here..)

yes completely, that may have come across as me being rude, what i meant is that there are certain teams that you know are going to play very physically and you may have to alter your game slightly in order to win.

Yeah, you could either match another teams physicality so it escalates or you could play a tactical passing game?

Tactical physical passing game FTW!

Somebody's gonna get hurt real bad...

Yes, I totally agree. Whenever I play Tornadoes, I know that I am going to have man up in a big way, and prepare for big hits, sly elbows etc. Oh shit, is Erin still reading this thread?

no but i am

so... we're all waiting for Jono's feedback after his investigatory continental trip... QU'EST CE QUE C'EST??

note: I have never seen Spring Break play as well as on Sunday morning, drunk and loud...

so... we're all waiting for Jono's feedback after his investigatory continental trip... QU'EST CE QUE C'EST??

note: I have never seen Spring Break play as well as on Sunday morning, drunk and loud...

I was hoping that Jono was going to update us at the LHBPA meeting.

I can do both... I had a great chat with Will and Greg, we're essentially on the same page, but don't have an "awesome" solution regarding the state of polo rules.

My feeling is that we need to pick one direction from the following and run with it (my interpretation may be a little off here, but we're looking for the key essence of the rules/approach and not details):

The NA approach:

• Every player can take space from each other without warning.
  
• Fouls are mostly reserved for reckless/dangerous play (punching, malleting wheels, etc).
  
• Players that fall off should improve their bike handling.
  
• You may not ride into another player forwards or backwards (t-bone).
  
• There is no such thing as a forced t-bone (so a defender may reverse into your path as long as your front wheel hits their bike and the rear wheel didn't go into the side of your bike).
  
  
  

The UK approach:

• You may be penalised if your "challenge" is overly aggressive/reckless/dangerous in the referee's eyes.
  
• You should make an effort to play the ball, playing the ball is a strong indicator of whether a player fouled another (or not).
  
• You may not ride into another player forwards or backwards (t-bone), but also, you may not cause a forced t-bone by short-stopping in front of another player.
  
• Forced t-bones exist (so defenders may not reverse into an attacker's path at all, no hopping 90 degrees at the last minute, no cutting someone up on their blind side, etc).
  
  
  

The Euro approach:

• Every player can take space from each other without warning. (NA approach)
  
• Fouls are mostly reserved for reckless/dangerous play (punching, malleting wheels, etc). (NA approach)
  
• Players that fall off should improve their bike handling. (NA approach)
  
• You may not ride into another player forwards or backwards (t-bone), but also, you may not cause a forced t-bone by short-stopping in front of another player. (UK approach)
  
• Forced t-bones exist (so defenders may not reverse into an attacker's path at all, no hopping 90 degrees at the last minute, no cutting someone up on their blind side, etc). (UK approach)
  
  
  

All the rulesets have the same problem of overusing words such as "reckless" and "dangerous" which are subjective.
All the rulesets have also been written to ban/control certain parts of the game without considering the larger ideal/approaches.
All the rulesets would benefit from using black/white terminology that then goes into explaining the details.

My three favourite bike polo rules are now:

1. Defending players must challenge another player from as shallow an angle as possible (challenging an attacker at 90 degrees is dangerous and will result in a penalty).
   
2. Attacking players must keep their heads up at all times (not looking where you are going is dangerous and will result in a penalty).
   
3. Riding into another player with your front wheel is forbidden (this is a t-bone and will result in a penalty).
   
   

The addition is obviously rule number one which acknowledges the UK/Euro idea that forced t-bones are easy to achieve (and are usually a dick/dangerous move), the idea is that the majority of dick moves are simply from a challenger coming "out of nowhere", or riding full tilt across another, or reversing their bike into your path, etc.

It's still not "the solution" as if a defender player breaks rule number 1 and an attacking player breaks rule number 2 or 3, then the foul is both of their faults (we'd need a new term for this as it's not incidental, they fouled each other, etc).

My hope is that the NAH release a concise (re-written) ruleset for 2012 that everyone can use without modification, it'll be interesting to see how they give attackers and defenders a more concise boundary for adhering too.

I have never seen Spring Break play as well as on Sunday morning, drunk and loud...

We had a bad first day, shouted at each other a little, then got really drunk and came back in high spirits for day two... day two was awesome.

My three favourite bike polo rules are now:

1. Defending players must challenge another player from as shallow an angle as possible (challenging an attacker at 90 degrees is dangerous and will result in a penalty).
   
2. Attacking players must keep their heads up at all times (not looking where you are going is dangerous and will result in a penalty).
   
3. Riding into another player with your front wheel is forbidden (this is a t-bone and will result in a penalty).
   
   

Are these rules proposed?

when you say euro approach do you mean france? Do switzerland and spain and germany think what will and greg think? I'm not being a smart ass, i just don't think its a good idea to label it as such if it isnt. Its excellently explained cheers mate.

and when you say france you mean greg and will?
i think, this euro approach is something most of us continentals agree with.
at least i do.
and for me, if both players break a rule, just let the game go on if there is no serious injury involved...