Protection

I have no problem getting a mallet to the face, I think people are missing the point here, what I'm saying is that if I do get a split eyebrow/lost eyeball/whatever, I'd like it called a foul (preferably 30 seconds for reckless mallet-to-body).

My safety is my problem but thanks for your concern, this is about the outcome (which should be ruled the same for helmet/cage wearers too). I will wear that scar with pride post game-winning-power-play.

If this isn't the case then face cages have changed polo, I wanted clarification as it's starting to feel like my head is in the way of your mallets, etc and my personal opinion is that the onus lies with the mallet wielder to keep things in check (yes, accidents do happen, it's still a foul).

I have never seen a game where somebody had been hit in the face (and i mean a serious hit) and the game has continued without stoppage, except when the player has a face cage..

I've just read through all of this. I'm not sure how I feel, I've hit Todd in the face once, and been hit in the face twice. I have a face-cage, which I wear 99% of the time these days. I just don't have to worry about it.

I'm a big swinger, and last time I hit Todd was over 18 months ago. I do look around before I shoot. The below comment is just irresponsible and ignorant.

You shouldn't need to be checking over your shoulder before you shoot....

There are five other people on court, it's all of your collective responsibilities to know where each other is. Snoops' statement is like saying "I t-boned him, but I don't have to look where I'm going, it's not my problem". Total bullshit. You have to look around before you go for a big swing. Look at how Benjamin plays. He hit me in the face-cage last week, and told me "it was low, it was low". Clearly he hasn't developed the spatial awareness to even know where the end of his mallet is. We need to keep telling him when he's in the wrong.

Jono, I do understand your 'no pads needed' stance. I also agree that individuals should make their own informed choices. However, individuals do not exist in a vacuum on court and I think we should be realistic, objective and up front about the risks (not dangers) of our sport. In your position I would be particularly worried that a newer player could look at me, thoughtlessly adopt a 'no pads' stance and get themselves hurt. Shit, I worry about Cam getting hurt all the time.

Brake lever through the foot = freak event.

Mallet to the face = same number of players playing, more players wearing cages but still more facial injuries. What's going on?

We need to keep telling [him] when he's in the wrong.

As I mentioned before, people being told that they're swinging dangerously isn't well received on the most part. If penalties are enforced more then perhaps this will change.
I personally would not be content with a foul called if I lost an eye, which is why I choose to wear a cage.
Bottom line is we should tell each other when we have done a dangerous move on the court, and we should listen.

Jono, I do understand your 'no pads needed' stance.

It's not so much a stance, that sounds political. I genuinely believe that I'm as likely to lose an eye as I am to end up wheelchair bound from a dislocated neck. I accept I'm in the minority, but I don't have a problem with losing teeth or a scarred face (more common occurrences), your point about showing newer players the "safe" way again assumes that I have not considered what I believe to be acceptable risks on the court, I am in my head (rightly or wrongly) doing my thing.

All I'm asking for is clarification that mallet-to-body is still a foul (including the face), if it's not then I guess I feel like I've brought this discussion up too late and soon I'll be forced to wear a face cage because it'll be added to the rules for safety reasons and because mallet-to-body is now an integral (or "expected" as people like to write) part of the game (cue new slew of rules about slashing, mallet interference, supposed intention, obscuring the view of a player with your mallet, etc).

Mallet to the face = same number of players playing, more players wearing cages but still more facial injuries. What's going on?

This has little grounding in my opinion, the additional incidents of mallet-to-face may very well be the result of the face-caged players with a narrowed field of vision (especially peripherally) causing more incidents.

I have no problem getting a mallet to the face, I think people are missing the point here, what I'm saying is that if I do get a split eyebrow/lost eyeball/whatever, I'd like it called a foul (preferably 30 seconds for reckless mallet-to-body).

Ok that's fine. But imagine a scenario where I am in goal and you have carefully hooked my mallet. Me, in a bid to stop you from making me fall over, has raised my mallet in the air (or at least above the height of my handlebar). Your teammate is so near the goal and definitely going to take a shot so you reach up and hook my mallet in the air to make sure it's definitely going in and one of us slips and hits the other one while trying to untangle our mallets/arms.

I suppose my point is, sometimes it's not really black and white how mallet > body has occurred. If I was called out for making contact with you, I'd be pretty upset that I was even put in that situation, let alone was being called out as a foul.

I'm not worried about you - I worry about less experienced players not considering the risk or evaluating them incorrectly because they see the choice you have made based on your ability, bike handling and risk tolerance.

Mallet to body is a foul but only gets called if someone is hurt so we should probably think about that part.

I'm not explaining an increase in facial injuries, I'm just saying there appears to be an increase based on anecdotal evidence and that we should think about why that might be.

Mallet to body, head or otherwise should be called as a foul regardless of whether injury is caused or not.

IMO wild uncontrolled sticking should be called out to players, however I would agree with Joni on it not being received well and would add that depending on who is doing the calling out or being called out seems to give varying results.

one of us slips and hits the other one

Within the existing rules I would interpret the fouler to be the one who lost control of their bike/balance and caused the incident (otherwise players could feign losing control of their equipment whenever they liked to gain an advantage), not malicious, still a foul, unlikely to get called unless it changed the flow of the game.

Mallet to body is a foul but only gets called if someone is hurt so we should probably think about that part.

This is the crux, just because it's now "ok" to hit someone in the face cage (as there's no incident) I don't want there to be an underlying belief that mallet-to-face contact is allowed (or incidental), it's not allowed, players must keep their equipment in check (my opinion).

I worry about less experienced players not considering the risk or evaluating them incorrectly because they see the choice you have made based on your ability, bike handling and risk tolerance.

Again, this assumes your risk assessment (for newer players) is that it's safer to wear a face cage. I would advise them to wear a face cage if they were worried about losing teeth or getting stitches, but otherwise I believe they're safer with a plain old helmet (less likely to crash badly, more aware of their surroundings, etc). Controversial, yes.

At the very least I'd tell them to ride around with a face cage on (maybe do some chores at home) and get used to it before hitting the court (unprepared)... all the gear, no idea, etc.

Agree.

Until you edited...

Re-Edit: Actually agree with it all.

In terms of noobs playing, I encourage them to wear knee pads and say the rest is up to them. This is because in my experience when you're learning bike and polo skills, the knees cop it when you fall off, and we had a couple of serious knee injuries in a row.
I do however tell people that it's much better to do 'snap' shots at the ball and you should definitely not high stick. I call it when it happens.
It should definitely been a foul imo.

RE- this ongoing protection debate, which is something we have talked about in Cambridge before, I think it's pretty ironic that everyone is rocking face cages/hockey gloves and playing 'harder yet fairer' and consistently tries to improve the national ruleset, currently regarding high sticking/injury with intent- but there's so much emphasis on drinking beer and smoking weed during tourneys etc.

The teams that drink/smoke during tourneys, drink/smoke during throw-ins too, there are no surprises/dangers (maybe).

Many teams don't drink/smoke at all until they're out of the tournament... many people call this cheating.

Until you edited...

The last bit? Ah well.

"john h is a safety cop"

hah!

Don't get me wrong- I am fully pro-booze, but in the name of 'furthering' the sport it's just something that to my knowledge is never really discussed....

Playing polo drunk is definitely a bigger issue than high sticking.

#IMO

Also having to look over your shoulder before you shoot and having to look ahead of you before you t bone are very different in my opinion.

The game is good right now. Let's carry on.
If you wanna stay pretty and avoid any risk, protect yourself.
If you don't mind then play on.

I've been hit a few times. (Not recently but had too many close calls lately) The worst to my temple which fucked with my jaw. And I've nearly lost a tooth and ripped my top lip away from my gum. Nice stuff.

I wanna keep playing as many games as possible. Especially in a tourney.
So I realize protection is important. I reach for the ball and put my face at a perfect height for a good whack. I don't wanna stop that.
Whenever I've been hit in the face I've never considered it a foul. Never blamed that person. (Hacks to the mallet (hand) are what piss me off). The game natural stops if it's bad. I've hit enough people too and think I have a fair bit of control. If the ref wants to call a foul that's fair enough. But generally it'll be an accident and the person who swung the mallet always feels bad.

I don't really understand the argument (if there is one?).
It's personal choice. L'equipe don't wear grills.

I've made the decision to wear a helmet and pads every time I'm playing now.
In my experience, more damage is done in throw-ins than tourney games.

We ride around on bikes at high speed wielding mallets and hitting balls pretty damn hard.
Accidental injuries will always happen despite rules.

I've even hit myself in the head.

And as for alcohol. Well that's quite a big issue really...

I've even hit myself in the head.

This needs addressing.

Playing polo drunk is definitely a bigger issue than high sticking.

#IMO

And as for alcohol. Well that's quite a big issue really...

It's gotten all Daily Mail in here. When has alcohol and polo resulted in someone bleeding from their face?

Responsible drinking is a rule that exists on court as well as off, and I don't remember many incidents where people have got hammered and get on the court. I know when I have had too much (usually big polo events like the end of the league party, tap-outs, things like that) I stop playing.

My memory could be clouded by a beer induced haze.

What would manu do?

( I don't take hints well so if anyone feels i'm high sticking or playing over aggressively put your hand on my shoulder, look me in the eye and tell me if i'm playing like a dick)

Considering a face cage now.

( I don't take hints well so if anyone feels i'm high sticking or playing over aggressively put your hand on my shoulder, look me in the eye and tell me if i'm playing like a dick)

This is a good point. If you want someone to take your advice on swinging, don't mockingly yell "Swing Bigger!" in the middle of the game (I've done this. Mea culpa again). Also, don't do that to one person, and then ignore it when your own team takes wild swings, or complain when you get it thrown back in your face. Badger.

;)

I'm not worried about you - I worry about less experienced players not considering the risk or evaluating them incorrectly because they see the choice you have made based on your ability, bike handling and risk tolerance.

I see this as an issue, not because they might not see the need to suit up properly, but because they are misinterpreting what's appropriate play with regards to appropriate mallet handling and appropriate bike handling.

A new player sees a stronger player swing big and get a sweet strong shot that blasts into the goal (even cooler when it goes THROUGH the wheel) and will want to emulate that, resulting in careless big swings WHEN players are around you, not when you're in empty space which is when most experienced players will take those wild swings.

And +1 or x2 or whatever re: Yorgo's statement about back swings.

And also +1 to what Mark said ^