Los Angeles Bike Polo

LA bike polo is still young. It would be cool if we could all play the same set of rules. I'll post the rules that the (mostly) westside crew has been playing. But I don't want to impose anything here. I think this is more or less the best set of rules, but the community should decide the rules. This is the place to do it.

Some background: This is a version of one of two basic types of urban bike polo. The other version, often called "Little Beirut" style (a Portland nickname), differs mainly by using a street hockey ball not allowing "shuffling" (hitting the ball with the long side of the mallet), and having a 360 rule rather than a tap-out rule for when a foot touches down.

A set of rules:

1. No feet down. If your foot touches the ground, you have to get out of the play immediately and go tap a designated spot with your mallet. (Typically there are two spots on the center line, one on each sideline).

2. Full contact: bike to bike, mallet to mallet, body to body. But body-to-body action must be shoulder checking only. No grabbing another person (or his/her bike). Whacking mallets okay. A foot can be extended to touch the ball (to stop it or change its direction), but cannot be used to kick the ball.

3. No T-boning a person with control of the ball. If someone has control of the ball, the defender can check, but cannot cut off the person with the ball.

4. Play begins with a joust. Players line up behind their goal lines. There is a countdown: “Ready-Set-Polo!” (or “3-2-1-Polo!”).

5. After the each goal, the players from the team that scored return to their goal line.
After the scoring team reaches their goal line, the other team takes the ball up. The scoring team, now on defense, must wait until the offensive team passes half court to attack.

6. No passing the ball backwards through the goal. If the ball passes backwards through the goal, it is the other team’s ball. Turnover is immediate and game continues play.

Scoring:

Games are best of three chukkers. Each chukker is first to three points.

Equipment:

Any bike is okay. Any mallet is okay. The ball is a size zero soccer ball.

Field:

Hardcourt or grass. Goals are a bike’s length wide, and a 700c wheel tall.