Polo Videos

Just to clear up legal checking - is it the case that Rory is fouling (0:30) by pushing with his elbow, but the next shot is okay, as the guy in purple has his hands on the bars and is using his shoulders?

IMO it's exactly what you sayed, elbow is a foul and shoulder even with two hands on the handlebar is ok, but in the reality lots of players use elbows and it's sometimes hard to know if they use it as a protection or as checking, I'm mean in live not on a video.

If you felt the player was being reckless/excessive then you should call a foul.
If you felt the elbow was a shove/push then you should call a foul (some players curl their elbow and hand together to push with: mini shove, etc).
Hooking, holding, restraining with elbows should be called a foul.

Incidental body-to-body (involving elbows) is not a foul.

In Europe elbows are frowned upon (but mostly ok if they're not to the kidneys, or chicken winging someone).
In America elbows seem to be frowned upon slightly less (elbow shoves/forearm shoves are not often called), I think.

Shoulder-to-shoulder is super clean, elbows are a grey area (although chicken winging is never ok), outstretched arms are not cool at all (pushing/shoving).

Shoulder-to-shoulder is super clean

Don't want to start a lengthy one, but whenever I go shoulder to shoulder with a player, almost always one or the others handlebars tuck under the other bars, resulting in a load of pain/crashing out/lifting/crushed fingers/steering their bike. I think a bit of elbow/forearm is much safer personally, buffer zone if you will, to keep the hard parts away from each player.

I think you crashed because this happened to you against me in Roeun, you pretty much stopped dead and flipped. I might be getting that wrong though, it was a pacy game.

^ plus, most polo bikes have a different front end height to each other, so its rarely clean when bars come close.

Both players are meant to lean in with shoulders to avoid bars/bikes touching each other, you can "safely" extend your body with your shoulders much more than you can with forearms/elbows/etc.

I think you crashed because this happened to you against me in Roeun

I don't remember this? So can't say what happened...

its rarely clean when bars come close.

Agreed. Many players have mastered the dirty (but often uncalled) body-to-bike ride through another player's bars technique.

This is probably a discussion for another time (or the rules thread)... back to the videos!

Moar videos.

In my case any elbow or shoulder action often leads to a big mess as I am shorter than most players, and end up under their armpits, lifting them! NOT MY FAULT THEY'RE TOO TALL

despicable armpit lifting frenchman.

In America elbows seem to be frowned upon slightly less (elbow shoves/forearm shoves are not often called), I think.

Taken from the NAH ruleset.
9 - Permitted contact and restrictions

9.1 - Body-to-Body contact:

Shoulder-to-shoulder contact and the use of forearms is permitted.

I don't know why they allow it, but it's not frowned upon at all.

Don't want to start a lengthy one, but whenever I go shoulder to shoulder with a player, almost always one or the others handlebars tuck under the other bars, resulting in a load of pain/crashing out/lifting/crushed fingers/steering their bike. I think a bit of elbow/forearm is much safer personally, buffer zone if you will, to keep the hard parts away from each player.

I actually really agree with this, I often find myself using my forearms to defend the cockpit without even thinking about it, to some extent it's an instinct to stop a gnarly crash.
On the other hand, defensive forearms can quickly become aggressive pushing, which I'm certainly not in favour of.

It's an interesting area for debate.

Safety Buffer.

bathtime sufferer. ^

Brendan Stiffymaker

Shoulder-to-shoulder contact and the use of forearms is permitted.

Forearms don't equal elbows. Some people would read that this means everything else is forbidden (as only shoulders and forearms are "permitted"), where as some people deduce that all body-to-body contact is fine unless explicitly ruled against (so no chicken winging, etc) meaning the rule above is superfluous.

Another grey area is that "forearms are fine", but taking out someone's bars (body-to-bike) is not (which you can do with a static forearm), some people then go on about defensive/offensive forearms which is laughable/meaningless.

Obviously the line between elbows and forearms is not black and white either... generally if you're elbow is "down" (not pointy) then you're unlikely to be called for any elbow action (other than chicken winging).

Can someone move this to the rules thread please? Basically the ruling is: don't be a dick*.

*Unless you're being filmed at the Worlds and want to become a world renowned famous "awesome super sick" player... thanks for helping to encourage "dick moves" around the world (I still think the video's cool, but it sends the wrong message to new players).

Move this to the rules thread, but IMO, once the mallet hand comes up, for any other reason than striking at the ball with the mallet, you should call 'hands down'. If pushing with hands is not allowed, then pushing with fore-arms is not ok either, and once people's hands are up, in my experience, it can quite quickly turn into a pushing match.

In my case any elbow or shoulder action often leads to a big mess as I am shorter than most players, and end up under their armpits, lifting them! NOT MY FAULT THEY'RE TOO TALL

haha this!

you've still got time to grow though luca

World Class Polo?

Goals, Fouls and Tantrums would be a better title.

It's brutal, emotive, awesome stuff.

Love that video, why i love polo!

@ Will: 2.22, le gros ours n'a rien contre toi, tu es tros competent sur un velo!

In my case any elbow or shoulder action often leads to a big mess as I am shorter than most players, and end up under their armpits, lifting them! NOT MY FAULT THEY'RE TOO TALL

+100

Brendan Stiffymaker

toddy stallholder

ahah MAX!!

OK just watched Mr. Do's video... EPIC. So motivating. I haven't played for two weeks because of rib problems, and yet this violent film make me want to play...

same same! i think height differences suck. i remember at the lii when we played cosmic i leant in with my shoulder against rupert but because we were both turning slightly i ended up shouldering his bars/forearm unintentionally!

I remember that, it's on a video somewhere. Sometimes it pays to be tall, sometimes it pays to be small.

i'm glad i wear a helmet most of the time i get shoulders in the head!