Honolulu Polo Rules

Polo is fast paced and exciting, but it can also be dangerous. Honolulu Polo Rules are to keep the horses, or polo ponies, and players safe. The object of the game is simple: move the ball down field and through the goal to score.

The periods of a polo match are called chukkers. Each chukker is seven minutes long and there are four to eight chukkers per game. Each team has four players. Play is stopped for penalties, injuries or any unsafe situations but there are no time-outs. Because the horses work very hard during the games, they are rotated. No horse can play more than two chukkers per game and they cannot play two chukkers in a row.

All polo players must hold the mallet in their right hand but the ball can be hit from either side of the horse and can be hit both forward and backward. If a player is fouled, his/her team may be awarded a penalty shot.

The most basic and most important rule is to respect the line of the ball. Players cannot cross the line that the ball is traveling in front of the player who has the right of way. Putting a player and horse in front of a hard hit, fast moving ball can be very dangerous and is a foul. The higher the level of polo, the farther the players push these limits.

Two umpires and one referee officiate the game. The on-field umpires are on horseback and the referee or third man is on foot or in the stands. The referee only gets involved when the two umpires disagree. Very often, umpires and referees are players or former players.

Now that you've got the basic rules of the game, let's go watch some Hawaii Polo!