The four positions

Polo numbers run 1 to 4 from front to back, and the number on your shirt is a job description, not a ranking.

The key points

Number 1 plays furthest forward and scores.
Number 2 is the hardest working: attacks with the 1, falls back to help the 3.
Number 3 is the pivot, usually the best player, turning defence into attack.
The Back, number 4, defends the goal and hits the long ball out.

The four positions, drawn on a polo pitch

In the app this play is animated, and you can spin the pitch and read the rule behind it.

See it move

See this play animated on the pitch, and test yourself on the rules behind it.

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Every rule here is stated in our own words, with short quoted extracts from the HPA Blue Book 2026 and Green Book 2025 and a link to the book itself. Polo Rules Test is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with the Hurlingham Polo Association. In any dispute the published rulebook governs.