Polo is what hockey might look like if the players rode horseback. Two teams face off against each other and try to drive a small white ball through the opposing team's goal by striking the ball with wooden mallets. Each team has three or four players, depending on whether the match is held outdoors or in an arena, according to the United States Polo Association.
Chukkers
Each polo match consists of four to six periods, called chukkers, of seven and a half minutes in length played on a 300-yard in length outdoor field, or a 150-yard indoor field. A horn sounds two minutes before each period begins to let the players and spectators know the period is about to start. Once play starts, the players try to score against the other team until the end of the chukker. Another horn is sounded at the seven-minute mark, letting the players know there is 30 second left to play in the chukker. There is a four-minute break period between each chukker, and play continues in overtime periods until one team has more points than the other.
Teams
Each outdoor polo team has four players: an offensive player, an offensive middlefielder, the pivot and the defensive back. Indoor polo teams have only three players. All players are expected to cover their counterpart on the opposing team during play. Players are numbered in accordance with their position, with the offensive player no. 1, the middlefielder no. 2 and so forth. The most experienced player is typically the no. 3 player, the pivot, serving as the team captain.
Penalties
Penalties in polo, called fouls, result from players engaging in dangerous play, such as crossing in front of the player who has the ball. If a referee awards a penalty shot as the result of a foul, the shot is taken from where the foul is committed or depending on how severe the penalty was.
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