rules to play equestrianism

Rules to play Equestrianism

11. Responsibilities of judges
Officials exercise exceptional authority, which in turn requires them to assume exceptional responsibilities. Their overall effectiveness, no matter what their particular duties, depends not only on their technical competence and intimate knowledge of the rules, but also on their maturity of judgement, self control, flexibility and basic fairness and integrity. Beyond this, all officials must be scrupulously careful to guard against any appearance or actuality of interest. In all questionable cases it is always wiser to acknowledge a possible source of a conflict and stand aside rather than permit suspicions to gain strength.
12. Journalists and other media
The media have their own standards of journalistic integrity, but have to work within the constraints imposed by editors, publishers and producers. Even so, they can make an important contribution to the publics appreciation of fair play through their reportage and commentary, and especially, by placing the events and incidents they cover into a fair and balanced perspective, and resisting the temptation to oversimplify or over dramatise a story.
13. Responsibilities of spectators
Spectators attend equestrian events for their own pleasure, and cannot be denied the right to express their own feelings. Nonetheless, basic fairness should dissuade them from attempting to influence the performances of the horses or the decisions of the judges. Audiences should carefully avoid acts that might upset the horses, such as untimely movement, applause or flash photography, especially in venues that bring them into close proximity to the competitors.

Though it is easy to more or less ignore the spectators and let them fend for themselves, it is important for them to be provided with program material and commentaries that help them not only to understand what is going on, but also to appreciate the skill and sportsmanship of all the competitors, and to applaud even if their hero or favourite team is not winning. Every time the spectators are neglected, a precious opportunity to invest in the future of the sport has been lost, no matter how well everything else has been handled.

14. The Line of the Ball
The most basic concept in the sport of polo is the line of the ball, a right of way established by the path of a traveling ball. When a player has the line of the ball on his right, he has the right of way. This can be taken away by moving the player off the line of the ball by making shoulder to shoulder contact.
15. Outdoor polo ball
The word polo is derived from the Tibetan word pulu which means ball. Outdoor Polo Ball A polo ball must be within the limits of 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 ounces in weight. A polo ball is usually made of a solid hard plastic. The most common polo balls in use are TEC Smooth Polo Ball Texas Polo Ball Polo Gear Argentine Polo Ball In the past, polo balls were made of wood. Wooden polo balls made a whistling sound as they moved through the air. Because of this, polo players could actually hear a ball coming and thus avoid being hit. However, wooden polo balls very often split apart when hit.

Modern plastic polo balls do not produce a whistling sound but they very rarely split apart. Bernard Cohen invented the modern day plastic polo ball in the 1970s. After testing was completed at Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, Bill Ylvisaker was so pleased with Bernies new plastic ball that he switched the club from wooden polo balls to plastic and never looked back. The new ball had an historic impact on the level of play and changed the game dramatically. Bernie named his new company TEC an acronym for his lovely wife Trudy Elizabeth Cohen and began manufacturing and selling the new polo ball with Tony Coppola.

A polo ball becomes misshapen every time it is struck by a polo mallet. Umpires and flagmen replace polo balls as necessary during a game. Each polo match requires approximately two dozen polo balls. The mounted umpires carry a pick up stick to retrieve a polo ball from the field without having to dismount. This saves time during the game.

16. Polo boots
Most polo riding boots are brown leather for a practical reason black boot polish would stain the white polo breeches during a game. Polo boots protect a players leg from wayward polo balls as well as bumps from another riders horse. Polo boots also provide a surface to grip the sides of the horse.

Equestrian riding boots come in a variety of styles and quality. When buying polo boots, try them on first and select a pair that is comfortable, particularly around the ankle area. It takes a couple of days of riding and a little saddle soap to break in a new set of polo boots.

17. Helmet
Research has shown that head injuries are the most common equine sport injury. The structure of a polo helmet should provide a cushioned foam lining to absorb a shock to the head resulting from hitting the ground or from a ball or mallet, thus preventing trauma to the head.
18. Gloves
Polo players have different preferences regarding the style, flexibility, and weight of their equestrian riding gloves. Designed to fit like a second layer of skin, a riding glove provides a secure grip to aid in user confidence and performance. The palm is constructed with a tackified leather throughout its fibers. This tackiness is enhanced during humid conditions and remains tackified in hot temperatures. A simple hand washing is needed when gloves get dirty. A velcro wrist closure ensures a secure close fit.

Neumann Tackified Polo Gloves Equestrian riding gloves come in a variety of styles and quality. Find a pair that is comfortable, particularly when holding and swinging a polo mallet. It takes a couple of chukkers of polo and a little dirt to break in a new set of polo gloves.

19. Knee guards
Polo players have different preferences regarding the style, flexibility and weight of their polo knee guards.Knee guards come in a variety of styles and quality. Find a pair that is comfortable, particularly when riding and swinging a polo mallet. It takes a couple of chukkers of polo and a little saddle soap to break in a new set of polo knee guards.
20. Jerseys
A numbered jersey with the team name and the players position number in the teams colors must be worn in a polo match.