About the Game of Polo
Captivating, heart-stopping, thrilling, enthralling - the list of superlatives used to describe the game of kings is almost endless. And yet there is nothing that completely captures the essence of it, the fascination that begins the moment you first glimpse the vast, imposing green of a prime polo field, and that builds as eight riders thunder in your direction, hooves drumming on the turf. Your connection is immediate, the experience, unforgettable. You don't have to play to love the game.
Here's how. The basics are elegantly simple. The game is played between two teams of four mounted men on a field that measures 300 by 160 yards (as big as nine football fields) with goalposts at either end. The object is to move a ball downfield and through the goal in four to six periods of play known as "chukkers." Each chukker is seven minutes long. There are no time-outs except for injuries, penalties, or unsafe situations. And no replacement of players is allowed except for injuries.
As the chukker unfolds, most of what goes on is action and reaction. There are few fixed plays, as in football. The team that is better able to anticipate and place its members in strategic positions will be the one to dominate. Watch the action ahead of the hitter as he gains control of the ball. His downfield teammates will shake free of their cover and clear a lane for him, or go farther down field to receive a pass. As in football, some of the best plays often are made by players who only rarely touch the ball.
As a spectator, you do have one responsibility during the intermission (halftime) that comes between the second and third chukkers: divot stomping! Fans surrounding the polo field are asked to make their way out onto the field to search out the clumps of grass that have been unearthed by the quick stops and starts of the ponies and then toe these clumps, known as divots, back into the ground, grass side up, of course. Don' t forget to take part in this tradition of polo; it's a great chance to stretch you legs, meet other polo aficionados,and be a real part of the game.
Finally, be ready to set all the explanations aside and see the game for what it is: a feat for the senses!
Teams for this year's event will be announced when finalized.
Here's how. The basics are elegantly simple. The game is played between two teams of four mounted men on a field that measures 300 by 160 yards (as big as nine football fields) with goalposts at either end. The object is to move a ball downfield and through the goal in four to six periods of play known as "chukkers." Each chukker is seven minutes long. There are no time-outs except for injuries, penalties, or unsafe situations. And no replacement of players is allowed except for injuries.
As the chukker unfolds, most of what goes on is action and reaction. There are few fixed plays, as in football. The team that is better able to anticipate and place its members in strategic positions will be the one to dominate. Watch the action ahead of the hitter as he gains control of the ball. His downfield teammates will shake free of their cover and clear a lane for him, or go farther down field to receive a pass. As in football, some of the best plays often are made by players who only rarely touch the ball.
As a spectator, you do have one responsibility during the intermission (halftime) that comes between the second and third chukkers: divot stomping! Fans surrounding the polo field are asked to make their way out onto the field to search out the clumps of grass that have been unearthed by the quick stops and starts of the ponies and then toe these clumps, known as divots, back into the ground, grass side up, of course. Don' t forget to take part in this tradition of polo; it's a great chance to stretch you legs, meet other polo aficionados,and be a real part of the game.
Finally, be ready to set all the explanations aside and see the game for what it is: a feat for the senses!
Teams for this year's event will be announced when finalized.
