Rules

During weekly bike polo in Australia generally we try to keep as few rules as possible. Rules vary slightly from city to city (See below). Here are the most important ones.

Tournaments have referees whilst weekly pickup games do not. These rules are also more comprehensive as they cover additional issues in more detail: out of bounds? seeding, substitutions, etc.

General Gameplay Rules

Teams of 3 (sometimes 2).
Games limited to 15 minutes (Sometimes 10 or 12 less in shorter round robin games or during busy times, Generally unlimited in Tournament Finals)
First to 5 goals, wins.
To start a game, each teams sit behind their goals and charge for the ball at center court after a countdown of 3, 2, 1, Go/Polo/Kill etc.
Hit the ball anyway you want, but a goal can only be scored off the end of the mallet.
If you put your foot on the ground, you must tap in at the wall or a designated post before you can re-enter play.
After scoring a team must return to their half and wait there for an opposition player or ball to pass half way before challenging or

Safety Rules

Like contact allowed: mallet on mallet, bike on bike (but no ramming) and body on body. But no pushing or grabbing.

Keep your mallet down, watch your backswing.

No malleting (mallet tripping tyres) or mallets in spokes

No throwing mallets

Update January 2011.
2011 Melbourne Australia Day Tournament Rules PDF

2011 Melbourne Australia Day Tournament Rules Word Document

Read the rules for the Sydney Bench Minor in February here

Update: 9th Sep 2010. The nationals rules have been announced by Brisbane at fixed.org.au. They are based on last years nationals rules (see below), They includes the following change from last years Nationals:

The team that scores a goal must return and circle their goals, either by passing through the goal, or by passing behind both cones. The exception being a goalie who is positioned within the goals (or a reasonable distance away which will be demonstrated before play on Saturday) who can play on immediately. The team who have been scored against will be able to play on immediately.

Download the 2010 Nationals Rules PDF Here

Download the 2010 Nationals Rules DOC Here

Read the 2010 North American Rules here

Read about the 2009 Nationals Rules Here inc. discussion

Download the 2009 Nationals Rules Here

Here’s a copy of Melbourne’s Summer Sessions 2009 rules (Generally as above with a bit more detail)

Here’s a copy of Melbourne’s tournament rules for 2008 (Generally as above with a bit more detail and provisions for an umpire)

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