Teams

• On a full sized field, each team has four players
• In an enclosed arena, usually played in winter, or a similar sized outdoor field, each team has three players
• Men and women may play on the same team
• Professionals and amateurs often play on the same teams

The Field

• The field is 300 yards long, 160 yards wide if boarded. Being boarded means the field has a 12 inch upright board bounding the perimeter which stops the ball rolling out of play easily.
• If the ground is unboarded, it is 200 yards wide and marked with a white line.

• The goal posts, positioned at each end, are 8 yards apart.

Duration of Play

• The game is typically 6 chukkers or periods 
• Each chukker is timed to last 7 mins and then a bell is rung; however, the game goes on until the ball goes out of play, or for another 30 secs.  When the bell is rung again, the chukker ends where the ball is.
• The clock is stopped between the umpire's whistle to stop the play and the whistle to start play (eg.ball out of play, foul etc.)
• There are intervals of 3 mins between chukkers and 5 mins at half time.

Goals

• Any time a ball crosses the line between the goal posts, it is considered a goal regardless of whether a horse or mallet caused the ball to go through.
• The teams change sides of the field after every goal in order to equalize wind and turf conditions. 

Foul

• A player following the ball on its exact line has the right of way over all other players.

• Any other player who crosses the player on the right of way close enough to be dangerous commits a foul.

• Penalties vary according to the degree of danger and closeness of the cross.

• A player may hook an opponent's stick only when he is on the same side of the opponent's pony as the ball.  The hook may not be executed higher than the height of the pony or across the back of the opponent's pony. 

• Dangerous play or rough handling is not allowed - a player may ride an opponent off, but must not charge in at an angle.

Umpires

• Two mounted umpires patrol the game as close to the action as possible, penalizing players for moves that create dangerous situation for horse or player.
• The "third man" watches from the sidelines to make the call if the two umpires are in disagreement. 

• No. 1 is the most forward offensive player
• No. 2 is also offensive but plays deeper
• No. 3 is the pivot player and tries to turn all plays to offense 
• No. 4 is the defensive player whose role is principally to protect the goal 

• All registered players are rated on a scale of B, A, and 1 to 10 (the higher the better.)
• The handicap of the team is the sum total rating of its players.
• In handicap matches, the team with the higher handicap gives the difference in ratings to the other team. For example, a 6-goal team will give two goals to a 4-goal team.