Polo is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious team sports, with a history that spans over two millennia. Originating in ancient Persia around 600 BC, it was first played as a training exercise for cavalry units, particularly the king’s guard. These early matches were often large-scale, resembling a battle more than a sport.
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As the game spread eastward through the Silk Road, it reached India, where it became deeply embedded in royal culture. In the 19th century, British officers stationed in India encountered the sport and helped formalize its rules. Upon returning to England, they introduced polo to Europe, igniting its global appeal.
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By the early 20th century, polo had gained popularity across continents—from England to Argentina, the United States, and beyond. Argentina, in particular, emerged as a global leader in polo, renowned for its exceptional players and elite horse breeding.
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Today, polo is played in over 80 countries and continues to evolve. Whether on traditional grass fields, beach sand, or even snow-covered arenas, polo remains a symbol of athleticism, heritage, and timeless elegance.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF POLO
WHAT
IS
POLO?
Polo is a horseback sport in which two teams, each of four players, aim to strike a small ball into the opponent's goal using long-handled mallets This thrilling and dynamic game demands a combination of, strategy, and teamwork.
POLO FIELD
Polo fields are the largest playing fields of any sport at 300 yards long and 160 yards wide. This is equivalent of nine NFL football fields or ten acres! An eight-yard wide goal, marked by ten-foot high goal posts, is centered on each end of the field.
CHUKKERS
A game consists of six periods of 7 1/2minutes each, called chukkers, chukkars, or chukkas. Eight chukkers are played in Argentina, and four is a common number in England and on the European continent.
HANDICAP
All players are assigned a handicap. Handicaps go from minus two to ten goals and are determined by competition committees in the polo clubs where the players compete. There are only nine, ten-goal players in the world.
POLO PONIES
Although the horses are called polo ponies, they are full-sized horses. They have been referred to as polo ponies due to their ability to be so agile, but not because they are actually the size of a pony.
POLO BALL
The modern outdoor polo ball is made of a high-impact plastic. Historically they have been made of bamboo, leather covered cork, hard rubber, and for many years willow root. Originally the British used a white painted leather covered cricket ball.
POLO MALLET
The art of polo mallet making remains unchanged — though there have been attempts to make synthetic polo mallets, most mallets are made from Argentinian tipa wood and Malaysian bamboo.There are approximately 10 polo mallet makers around the world.
LINE OF THE BALL
Plays are based on the “Line of the Ball,” or LOB, an imaginary line created by the ball as it travels down the field. It represents a “Right of Way” for the last player striking the ball, and is the basis for most fouls in the game.
RIGHT OF WAY
The most important rule of polo is the ‘right of way’ (ROW) rule. When a ball is in play, the player established on or at the closest angle to the ‘line of the ball’ (the extended path along which the ball has travelled or is traveling) has a right of way.