Polo fields

A polo field can be boarded or unboarded. If boarded it has 160 yards wide. This means that there is an upright board of 12 inches around the perimeter of the field to stop the ball from rolling out of it. If it is unboarded it has 200 yards wide and instead of the upright board there is a white line marked on the ground. In each end the goal posts are placed, 8 yards between one and the other. The ground needs to have also a free area around it, about 9 yards long.
Ground rules:

If the umpire uses his whistle the game stops in a dead ball and it will continue when he decides.

No person is allowed to enter the field while during the game. If any player has a problem with his stick or with any other part of his equipment, he shall go to the back area to be helped, no one can help him inside the field.
Only the player and the umpire can be in the field during the game. The people who bring the sticks to the players may be placed near the free area around the ground, so as the umpire assistant.
Only when the game has been stoped by the umpire´s call, the assistants of both teams can enter into the field.
After a goal is marked the teams have to change sides unless the goal is made by penalty one. But if no goal is marked till the half time, teams also have to change sides.
No player can hit the ball if he has gotten off his horse.

These are some of the rules refering to field or ground where polo is played. You can find some specific regulations according to the country this game is played. But as far as I´m concerned they are nearly the same rules all over the world.

Polo fields in Argentina

The polo fields are the first rural sceneries where gauchos played horse games. Normally this soport is thought to have begun in open fields of countries such as England, even though some historians say it was Persia the original place polo games were first played, by brave warriors.

Here in our country, Argentina, there are 3 important polo grounds. Those are Palermo´s polo gound, San Isidro´s polo ground and the polo ground located in La Plata.

Usually the most important tournaments of Polo take place in Palermo´s polo ground becouse of its location in the City of Buenos Aires, near the main streets of the town. This polo Ground is boarded and the number of people that can see the game sited is increasing year after year because of the enlargemet of the stands.

One of the reasons for the few polo grounds in the accurate conditions in our country can be how much money it is demanded for its maintenance. That why the role of the sponsors is so important in the organization of the official tournaments. This is a little bit extrange due to the increase this sport had has in the last years internationaly. We hope all the money players nowadays are earning abroad could return for improve our local polo grounds.

Note: It does not have to be confused with the Polo Grounds at Manhattan, which were the four baseball stadiums the New York GIants and Yankees used decades ago!