Host a table in the main tent and enjoy a wonderful lunch catered by Outback Steakhouse, reserve a tailgate spot to host your own party or bring a blanket and basket and watch from the lawn.   Rules of the Game Polo is one of the oldest team sports and was first played around 200B.C. in Persia. This military game is the result of 1,000 years of breeding and training of the horse and has evolved into an organized world-wide sport. The game is played on a surface with a dimension of 160 yards wide (boarded) and 300 yards long and has eleven inch high boards surrounding the field to assist in keeping the ball in play. The ball is made of plastic and is 3" to 3 1/2" in diameter. After each score, the scoring team changes goals. A polo match is divided into six 7-minute chukkers, or periods, but the entire game usually lasts a couple of hours. Exhibition matches are often shorted to four chukkers. A horse in fast polo asserts a tremendous amount of energy, so horses are changed out every chukker, thus a player will come to the field with at least six horses, most of which are American or Argentine Thoroughbreds. About the Game The object of the game is to score the highest number of goals. There are four players on a team; each assumes a specific position, either offensive or defensive. However, given the enormous size of the field, the momentum of the galloping horses, and the ball's unexpected changes of direction, the game is very fluid; hence, positions continuously change. Good anticipation is required. With 1,000-pound animals running at speed, it is vital to have a right-of-way rule. Central to the rules of polo is the concept of the line of the ball, a right-of-way established by the path of the traveling ball. Within the limitations governing access to this right-of way and crossing it, a player can hook an opponent's mallet, push him off the line, bump him with his horse, or steal the ball from him. Polo was designed with the safety of the horse first and foremost; the safety of the rider is secondary. Two mounted umpires on the field and a referee at field side officiate the game; penalties are awarded as free hits. The more severe, the shorter the distance to the goal mouth. After every goal is scored, the teams change sides, to compensate for field and wind conditions. Games are played on the flat or the handicap. Every registered player is awarded a skill rating from C (-2, the lowest) to 10 (the highest); only a handful of U.S. players are rated above 6. In a match played on the handicap basis, the sum-total rating of a team's players is subtracted from that of the opposition. Any difference is then awarded to the lower-rated side in goals on the scoreboard. Team Play The four players on each team are assigned positions, designated with numbers. Number 1 is the forward, an offensive player. Number 4 is the back, providing defense, Numbers 2 and 3 are usually the highest-rated and most experienced, with number 3 being the field captain, and number 2 being responsible to push the play both on offense and defense. In defense, each player is assigned a man to cover, number 1 usually cover the opposing number 4, number 2 covering the opposing 3, etc. Play resembles hockey in the continuous shifts from offense to defense. The team with the ball attacks by sending passes to players up the field. The team on the defense attempts to ride off or check their opponents so as to break up the play and go on the offensive. What You'll See One Umpire – stationary on the South side of the field Two Referees – on horseback Two Goal Judges – one stationed between the goal posts of each goal Four Members of each team number 1 through 4 Many different horses – each player uses a fresh horse for each chukker Incredible equestrian skills, lots of galloping and major league action How it Works Generally, the game is governed by two basic concepts; 1. Polo is a team sport with each of the 4 team mates (or 3 for Arena Polo) playing a specific position yet supporting the entire team in both offense and defense, and 2. The "line of the ball." The line of the ball is created once the ball is struck and does not change until it is struck again, sending the ball in a different direction. The line of the ball is used in many ways, most importantly to act as an imaginary buffer to avoid collisions when two or more players ride to the ball for strike. The players must hit the ball to their right side (the "off side" ) and may not cross the line of the ball if doing so would cause a hazardous situation. Scoring & Fouls A score is achieved when the ball crosses the goal line between the goal posts of the opposing team. Fouls are given for infractions of the rules governing field of play, usually for hazardous riding or improper use of the mallet. The umpire can award anything from a free goal to a free hit from a determined distance when a foul is called. Polo Terms Chukker – a 7-minute period; six per game with three minutes between chukkers Off Side – the player's right side, where they hit the ball to Line of the Ball – imaginary line created by the ball traveling from point to point set in motion by a strike. Throw In – the start of each game and each chukker where the umpire tosses the ball between both teams who are lined up at mid-field facing the umpire. What You Can Do The half-time "champagne divot stomp" is a MUST for all spectators and a long standing tradition. Cheer the teams and ponies on, start "the wave" and just have a GREAT time.