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Polocrosse is a sport that combines the skills of polo and lacrosse to get a combination that can only be described as incredible.
HISTORY:
Polocrosse can be traced back to England in the 1930s as a game used to teach individuals how to ride. Mr & Mrs. Hirst were two of the first people to play and fall in love with the game. They took the sport to their home country of Australia, where it was further developed, and Polocrosse as we know it was created. The first club was formed in 1945, and currently about 400 clubs exist throughout the world. The American Polocrosse Association (APA) was started in the 1984, and the Minnesota Extreme was started in the Fall of 2002.
WHAT IS POLOCROSSE?
Polocrosse, as the name implies, is a combination of Lacrosse and Polo. Mounted on horseback, each player carries a racket 36 inches in length with an 8 inch diameter net on one end. The ball is four inches in diameter and is soft foam covered with a soft latex skin. The ball is scooped up from the ground, carried in the net of the racket and passed between teammates. Ultimately, it is thrown through the goal posts at one end of the field or the other.
PLAYING POSITIONS:
Teams are made up of 6 players, 2 teams of three The number 1 player is the "attack". The #1 is the only player who can score a goal for the team, and can only do so when in the goal scoring area. The number 2 player is the "midfielder" responsible for both offense and defense. The #2 is usually the pivot of the team, and can only play in the midfield area. The number 3 player is the "defense", or essentially, the goalie. The #3 is the only player who can defend the goal.
THE PLAYING FIELD:
Polocrosse is played on a field which is 160 yards long by 60 yards wide. Goal posts, which are 8 feet apart, are located at each end of the field. Infield, there is a line that extends the width of the field, 30 yards from each goal, that is called the "penalty line". This line encloses what is called the "goal scoring area", into which only the No. 1 of the attacking team and the No. 3 of the defending team are allowed to enter. Directly in front of the goal posts is an 11 yard arc. The ball must be thrown through the goal posts from outside this arc, and from within the "goal scoring area". The ball may not be carried across the penalty line when entering or exiting the goal scoring area. It must be either thrown to a teammate or bounced across by the appropriate player.
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