Tri-Cities Bike Polo

Irish Origins

Bike polo was invented in the late 1800s by the Irish cyclist Richard Mecredy, with the first game played in County Wicklow, Ireland in 1891. In 1901, Ireland defeated England at the first Cycle Polo International held at the famed Crystal Palace.

One-Time Olympic Sport

It may surprise you to learn that bicycle polo was once an Olympic Sport! Well, sort of… In 1908, “cycle polo” was featured as a “demonstration sport” at the London Olympics. We think it’s time to include it once again!

Royal Rumble

Bicycle polo quickly grew in popularity in Britain, with roughly 1,000 registered players and 100 clubs by the 1930s. The late Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, even dabbled in the sport in the late 60s!

What kind of bike polo do we play?

We play “grass bike polo” (not to be confused with “hard-court bike polo”) and follow so-called “Colorado Rules” (see below).

What equipment do you need to play?

1. A mountain bike: You don’t need anything fancy. Most players use older mountain bikes they don’t mind getting banged up a bit.
2. A helmet: Bike polo is relatively safe and serious crashes are rare. But accidents do happen, and a good bike helmet is cheap insurance.
3. A mallet: We can loan you a mallet for your first few games, but you’ll eventually want to make or buy your own mallet. We can show you how.
4. A red and blue t-shirt or jersey: We divide into two teams (① red and ② blue) to help keep teams straight during the heat of play.

Where do we play?

We usually play at Leslie Groves Park at the end of Saint St (NOT at the end of Park St). Turn right onto Saint if going north on George Washington Way.

When do we play?

We usually play at 4 pm on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. But we sometimes play a bit earlier on Sundays (e.g. 2 pm), and in the early morning during summer (e.g. 7 am).

How can I join?

Just show up (see the map and times above for details). We will loan you a mallet and teach you how to play. And don’t worry; we go easy on new players.

Set-up

1. Set up the two goals 40 paces apart on a grass field.
2. Place a ball at mid-field (20 paces from each goal).
3. Optional: Place the ball up on a soccer disc cone.

Starting Play

1. Both teams line up at their respective goals on opposite sides of the field.
2. One’s front axle should be no further forward than the front of the goal mouth.
3. One player yells out “Marco,” and then as soon as a player on the other team says “Polo,” both teams sprint to the ball.
4. Alternatively, one person (who is not running for the ball) can count down “3-2-1 Polo!” to kick off the sprint.

Rules & Fouls

1. There is one primary rule in the Colorado game: “Don’t be a dick.” Of course, what constitutes “dickishness” can be a matter of debate.
2. Unlike in “International Rules,” there is no line of the ball to worry about. Basically, the onus is on the carrier of the ball to avoid collision.
3. Similarly, there is no right-of-way (expressed or implied), and you can block other players and take the ball from either side.
4. You cannot be the next person to hit the ball after putting your foot down (it must first be hit by another player on either team).
5. A player can act as goalie, sitting parallel to the goal mouth and held up by their mallet as long as they don’t put down their foot.
6. If the goalie puts their foot down, they must leave the goal mouth before attempting to block any incoming shots on goal.