I’m Amanda Leon, an international amateur polo player, world traveler, and lover of horses. I’ve trained in polo for over 10 years, from Argentina to Sarasota Polo Club, and in 2021 I set out to visit every polo club in America.
The short answer: polo is a team sport played on horseback. Two teams of four riders use mallets to hit a small ball through the other team’s goal, a match is split into chukkers of about seven minutes, and players switch to a fresh horse for nearly every chukker. Below are the questions friends ask me most at their first match, then a glossary of the polo terms you’ll hear on the sideline.
Find a polo club near you
See every USPA polo club in America, state by state.
Polo FAQ
What is polo?
Polo is a team sport played on horseback. Two teams of four riders use long-handled mallets to hit a small, hard ball down a grass field and through the other team's goal. A match is split into periods called chukkers, players change horses between chukkers, and the whole game is built around one safety rule: the line of the ball.
How do you play polo?
You ride, you hit, and you follow the line of the ball. Players hit the ball from either side of the horse, ride alongside opponents to push them off the ball, and swap horses after each chukker. The full rules are in polo rules explained in plain English, and the way in for adults is in how to start playing polo.
How long is a polo match?
Most matches are four to six chukkers of about seven minutes each. With stoppages and breaks, a six-chukker match takes around two hours.
How many players are on a polo team?
Four on a grass field. Arena polo, played in a smaller walled arena, uses three per side.
What is a chukker?
A chukker is one period of play in polo, about seven minutes long. Players usually ride a fresh horse every chukker, because a horse running flat out for seven minutes has given you everything it has.
What is a polo stick called?
A mallet. It's usually made of cane with a hardwood head, and players hold it in the right hand.
What is a polo club?
A polo club organizes games on its own fields or arenas, and many also offer lessons, lease horses, and run tournaments. The U.S. Polo Association's directory lists 240 member clubs and teams, most of them in the United States.
Is U.S. Polo Assn. the same as the U.S. Polo Association?
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association, the governing body of polo in the US since 1890. The clothing carries the name, and the association runs the sport.
Do you need to know how to ride to play polo?
No. You don't need to own a horse or know how to ride to start, and some clubs, like Spokane Polo Club, say they welcome new players whether or not they've ridden before. See polo clubs for beginners.
Can women play polo?
Yes. Polo is one of the few sports where women and men play on the same teams.
How much does it cost to play polo?
On my tour I paid as little as $30 a chukker at Poway Polo Club in San Diego, and a lesson at La Herradura in California was quoted at $350 or $500. Full numbers are in how much polo costs.
When is polo season?
It follows the weather: winter in Florida, the California desert, and Texas arena leagues, then summer in the North. See when is polo season.
Polo Terms Glossary
Arena polo: Polo in a smaller, walled arena, three players a side, with a larger, softer ball. It keeps polo going in winter and is often the easiest way in.
Back: The No. 4 player, who defends the goal and turns the play around.
Bump: A fast ride-off: riding into an opponent's horse at a shallow angle to move them off the line of the ball.
Chukker: One period of play, about seven minutes. Also spelled chukka.
Divot stomp: The halftime tradition where spectators walk onto the field and press the torn turf back into place.
Goal (rating): A player's handicap is counted in goals, from -2 for beginners to 10 for the best in the world. A team's rating is the sum of its players.
Groom: The person who cares for the horses, tacks them up, and has them ready for every chukker.
Handicap: A player's rating in goals. In handicap tournaments, the lower-rated team starts with the difference on the scoreboard.
Hook: Blocking an opponent's swing by catching their mallet with yours. Legal only while they are swinging at the ball.
Interscholastic polo: Polo for middle and high school players, run through clubs affiliated with the U.S. Polo Association.
Knock-in: The restart when the attacking team hits the ball over the back line: the defending team hits it back into play from its own end.
Line of the ball: The imaginary line the ball travels along. The player on or closest to it, at the smallest angle, has the right of way, and crossing it is the most common foul.
Low-goal, medium-goal, high-goal: How strong a game or tournament is, based on the players' combined handicaps. Beginners start in low-goal polo.
Mallet: The polo stick, usually cane with a hardwood head, held in the right hand.
Nearside and offside: The left and right side of the horse. Shots are named for the side you hit from.
Neck shot: Hitting the ball under the horse's neck, toward the other side.
Patron: The team owner who hires the professionals and often plays alongside them.
Polo pony: Every polo horse is called a pony, whatever its size.
Ride-off: Riding alongside an opponent and pushing them off the line, horse against horse, at a shallow angle.
Slow chukker: A practice chukker played at an easier pace, often with a coach on the field. Most new players start here.
Stick and ball: Practicing alone with a horse, a mallet, and a ball.
String: A player's group of horses for a match or a season.
Tail shot: Hitting the ball behind the horse's hindquarters.
Throw-in: How play starts and restarts: the umpire bowls the ball between the two teams lined up side by side.
Umpire and referee: Two mounted umpires ride with the players. When they disagree, a referee on the sideline makes the call.
Keep Learning
Polo, wherever you are. That’s PoloFlow, the app I’m building to make finding an affordable game and a good horse easy. Join the waitlist.
