The game

A game has four to eight periods of play known as chukkas. One chukka is seven and a half minutes long with the clock being stopped every time there is any interruption. In Germany there are usually four chukkas a game. The breaks between each chukka are about three to five minutes long and this is when players have to change ponies. Sides are changed every time a goal is scored – which can be rather confusing for first-time polo spectators. The game is not stopped if a player falls off his horse but is not injured.
However, play is stopped if a horse injures itself, the bridle gets entangled, or a horse’s bandage comes undone.

The Team

Each of the four players is assigned a position numbered from 1 to 4. No. 1 is the attacker, no. 2 is a midfielder, no.3 is the team’s tactical link, and No. 4 (also known as the “back”) is the defender at the back most position. While no. 1 and no. 2 play forward, 3 and 4 take on the defence.

The Field

The polo field is 300 yards long and 200 yards wide or the equivalent of about 270m x 180m. The 3m-high goal posts are 8 yards (approx. 7.2m) apart and are collapsible for safety reasons. A goal is valid every time the ball goes through the goal – regardless of how high the ball is hit.

The Mallet and the Ball

The mallet (also known as the stick) is usually made of bamboo or willow and may only be held in the right hand. Depending on the height of the pony played, and the rider, the mallets are between 122 cm and 137 cm long. The ball is hit with the head of the mallet. The ball, which is traditionally made of compressed bamboo and today mostly of plastic, has a diameter of about ten centimetres and weighs about 130grams. A hardly-hit ball may reach a speed of 130 km/h.