Hardcourt Bike Polo Rules
These are the general rules for weekly pick-up games in Calgary. Tournaments have more specific rules depending on the location.
-Two teams of three or four players.
-Any type of bicycle is allowed. Handlebars MUST be plugged. No Pegs!
-Mallets must resemble a croquet mallet with a wide side and a round end. Modified ski poles and plastic pipe are the most common materials. The handle end of the mallet MUST be plugged.
-The ball will be a street hockey ball.
-Goals will be hockey nets.
-If a goal is disrupted it is the responsibility of the player who disrupted it to fix it.
-Start of a game: Each team will be stopped behind its own goal line and the ball will be positioned at center court. Play will begin with a “3 2 1 GO!” from the sideline.
-Players may not play the ball with their feet at any time.
-Scoring a goal must be made from what started as a hit. A hit is made from the end of a player’s mallet. A “shuffle” does not count as a goal; if the ball is shuffled into the goal, the defending team gets possesion of the ball.
-After a goal is scored, the team who scored returns to their half of the court. The team who was scored on takes possession of the ball.
-Call out the score after each goal.
-Players must not touch the ground, or “foot-down”. Each time a player goes foot-down, that player is out of play and may not play the ball until they ride to the side line at center court and tap in. Then they may return to play.
-Contact rules: “Like” contact is allowed. Player to player (body to body), except grabbing or pushing with hands. Mallet to mallet (generally, hitting another player’s mallet is poor etiquette if that player is not attempting to play the ball or in front of the goal, playing goalie). Bike to bike.
-Everything else is NOT allowed: Mallet to player, player to bike, mallet to bike, etc.
-Throwing of mallets is not allowed at any time, in any situation.
-Most games are played to 5 points. Some games are played to 3 points.
-Trash talking is allowed.