The sport

Bike polo is exactly what you think it is, but on bikes, not horses.

Two teams of three ride bicycles and use mallets to strike a small ball into a goal. Games last for a set amount of 10-15 minutes.

Originating in Ireland in 1891, traditional bike polo is played on grass courts. Modern hardcourt bike polo has roots in the early 2000s in Seattle. Bike messengers would play during down time between deliveries. Hardcourt bike polo spread internationally and is played in over 30 countries. The first world championships were held in Toronto in 2008!

The gear

The most important gear to play includes a bike, mallet, and ball.

We highly recommend wearing a helmet, durable gloves, knee pads and elbow pads too.

Any bike will do

You can play bike polo with any whip, but there are a few things to look for in a good polo bike. First, riding in an enclosed area means you’ll want a bike with a low gear ratio. Most people play on a single speed bike with a freewheel, some folks prefer to ride with a fixed gear. Shorter bikes are easier to maneuver, they accelerate quickly and balls have a harder time getting through them. You’ll want a medium to long stem to ensure your body is in a comfortable position, and most polo bikes have only a front brake since the right hand is typically busy handling the mallet.
**Wheel covers are additional gear you can make for your bike.** They protect your spokes and block mallets from getting stuck and both riders going down. Make your own from corrugated plastic and paint or sticker it up any way you like

Polo mallets

There are many ways to put together a polo mallet and none of them are fancy. You can build one yourself out of an old ski pole and bit of PVC piping, or you can order one online for about $50. We’ve always got a couple extra on hand for newcomers, but if you’re interested in picking up your own, we recommend checking out Heckler’s Alley for parts.

The game

POLO+play3.png — Two teams of three

The traditional style of hardcourt bike polo, called "3v3", is two teams of three playing games between 10–15 minutes in length. The other style is "Squad". Squad is two teams of 5-6 playing games between 30–40 minutes, allowing for substitutions.

The Court

Typically, players play in an enclosed rectangular area, called a "court". Courts vary from city to city but they all have two nets, a centre line and are enclosed by some kind of board or chain link fence. Some clubs play in tennis courts or in skating rinks, others set up temporary boards in parking lots or on some other kind of concrete slab. In Calgary, we play in an enclosed outdoor rink at the Banff Trail Community Association. There’s no ice, but there are solid boards, lights for night games and a warm community centre with access to bathrooms and water.

3-2-1 POLO!

At the beginning of the game, the ball is placed in the middle of the court while the players wait behind their own goals. Following a countdown or a whistle, a player from each team charges the ball in what is termed the "joust".
A player may hit the ball in two ways: a "shot" or a "shuffle". A shot is made with either end of the mallet head whereas a shuffle is made with the side. In order to score a goal, a player must hit the ball into the opposing team's goal with a *shot*; if the player uses a shuffle, the goal does not count and play continues. Following a goal, the scoring team returns to their own half of the court. After the scoring team returns to their half, the scored-on team may cross the half line and resume play.

A few notes

A player who "dabs", (touches a horizontal surface with their foot), must undertake some form of penalty before making contact with the ball again. This usually involves "tapping out" (riding to a designated point on the court and touching it with the mallet). It is also common to have to say "foot down" or "dab" to let other players know you are out of play, but not required. The amount of contact in a particular game may vary but is generally restricted to "mallet to mallet", "body to body". A "check" is allowed as long as it's "shoulder to shoulder" and deemed safe by the referee.