Polo is an old sport that begins with the blowing of a bugle horn, and each team has four mounts who are trying to hit a ball with a mallet into the goal. Learn about the role of the two field umpires in polo with help from the secretary of a polo club in this free video on the basics of polo.
Good afternoon, I'm Cyrus Confectioner, secretary of The Calcutta Polo Club, one of the oldest polo institutions in the world. I am here to give you a little bit brief about the game of polo in general and I will introduce you to the basics of the game. This is a very old sport. The game starts off with a person blowing a bugle horn. That indicates that the time has started. Now coming to the game in general it is four horses, four mounts per team, two teams each trying to hit the ball with the mallet into the goal to score a goal. I want to tell you about the people who umpire these games. There are two on field umpires who are also on polo ponies. These umpires are dressed generally in a black and white striped T-shirt to distinguish them from the other players. There is also a third umpire who is stationed on the sideline to keep an overview of the proceedings in general. Now we come to one of the most important aspects of polo. The polo pony and the player almost become one. To be able to maneuver the horse the rider must be able to give it instructions and the polo pony must be able to carry out these instructions very quickly. A polo player must also be able to hit the ball using the various shots such as offside, onside, and various other factors which consider how he hits the ball. A player must have the ability to initiate offensive plays from the end line, from the throwings done overs passing and is successful on 50% or more of the penalties. Players must also have the ability to execute ride offs, bumps, hooks, blocks which effectively are you know, different situations with the horses, side by side, facing each other, how they are not allowed to cross spots. Incorporating the use of ovals, figure eights, stops, stuns, roll back means his maneuverability must be very good but basically a player must be experienced in all team positions to be a top player and must have a clear understanding of the responsibilities of each of the other team's positions. Teamwork is another very important aspect. Players routinely survey the fields with the intent to pass to an open player to defend an uncovered offensive player to assist the teammate in trouble, anticipate and one to adjust positioning. A player is on time for all throw ins, knock ins and penalties and is properly positioned at all times in accordance with the team plan. Thank you.
