How To Play Polocrosse

Players are allowed only to play one horse, except in the case of injury. There are no restrictions on the horse’s height, although polocrosse horses are generally smaller than 16hh. Horses of all breeds play Polocrosse; the Australia Stock Horse is the most popular breed in Australia. Stallions are not permitted to play.

 

In a game, each team has six players separated into two sections of three players each. The two sections from each team alternate on and off the field each chukka. Club carnivals generally play 2 chukkas of 6 – 8 minutes per chukka.

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Team members 1, 2 and 3 play the respective roles of No 1 (attack), No 2 (combination of defence and attack) and No 3 (defence).

 

The Polocrosse field measures 60 by 150 yards (55m x 146m) with three distinct sections. The goal scoring areas on each end are 30 yards long. Only the No 1 of the attacking team and the No 3 of the defending team can play in those areas.

The middle area is 100 yards long and the line separating the goal scoring and centre areas is called the penalty or thirty-yard line. The goal posts are set 8ft apart. To score the ball must be thrown from outside an 11-yard semicircle in front of the goal.

Players can pick up the ball from the ground or catch it in their racket, and ride with it throwing it to other players until it gets to the No 1 in the scoring area who then scores. However, a player is not meant to carry the ball over the penalty line. Instead, they bounce it over or pass it to another player who is over the line, so the ball is not in their hands while crossing the line.

A player carrying the ball must do that on the stick side – this implies that players who prefer to use their right hand must carry the ball on the right or offside of the horse. A player with the ball commits a foul if they cross the racket over the centre-line of the horse ( the line that runs from the ear to the tail of the horse). However, a player can quickly pick up or catch the ball on the non-stick side and send it to their stick side immediately without committing a foul.

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Each chukka starts with a line up at the central spot on the side boundary line in the centre field. All the players from each team line up in a single file while facing the umpire at the edge of the field, with the No 1’s in front followed by the No 2’s and then the No 3’s. The umpire throws the ball between the players at the mid-shoulder and racket height, so that all players can go for the ball. The teams always line up on the defensive side of one another.

Once either team scores a goal, the game begins just in the same way with the line up taking place on the alternate side for each goal scored. Whenever a goal attempt is missed, the No 3 is given a 10-yard throw from the 30-yard line.