In polo, players are not allowed to hold the mallet in which hand?

Under the rules of polo, players must hold the mallet in their right hand. Playing with the left hand is not allowed. This rule exists mainly for safety, so that players riding towards each other always approach the ball on the same side and do not crash into each other.

Background of the rule:

Left-handed play was banned in polo in the 1970s (the Hurlingham Polo Association, the governing body in Britain, introduced the ban in 1975; the US Polo Association followed later). Left-handed players have to learn to play right-handed.

This makes polo one of the very few sports where a player's natural hand is not allowed.

The "line of the ball" (the path of the ball) and "right of way" rules are also designed to prevent collisions between horses.

Basic rules of polo:

Each team has 4 players on horseback.

A match is divided into periods called "chukkas" or "chukkers", each lasting about 7 minutes. A match usually has 4 to 8 chukkas.

The field is very large: about 300 yards long and 160 yards wide (about 274 m x 146 m), the largest field in organised sport.

Players change horses (ponies) between chukkas because the game is tiring for the animals.

Players score by hitting the ball through the opponents' goalposts, which are 8 yards apart. Teams change ends after each goal.

History:

Polo is believed to have originated in Persia (Iran) more than 2,000 years ago.

Modern polo developed in India from Manipur's Sagol Kangjei. British officers founded the Silchar Polo Club (1859) and the Calcutta Polo Club (1862).

The Indian Army's 61st Cavalry regiment in Jaipur is famous for its polo players, and Jaipur is a well-known polo centre.

Polo was an Olympic sport at several Games between 1900 and 1936.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Right hand: the mallet must be held in the right hand.
• ✗Either hand: players are not free to choose; left-handed play is banned.
• ✗Both hands together: the mallet is held in one hand while the other holds the reins.