Riding off to make space
Riding off is not aggression for its own sake. You take one man out of the play so a team-mate arrives at the ball unmarked.
The key points
- Take the man, let your team-mate take the ball.
- The best ride-off happens 30 yards before the ball, not at it.
- Shoulder to shoulder, same speed, safe angle — or it is a foul.
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.
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.