Polo handicap
Encyclopedia
A polo
handicap is a system created by Henry Lloyd Herbert
, first president of the United States Polo Association
, at the founding of the USPA in 1890 so teams could be more evenly matched when using players with varying abilities.
The players are rated on a scale from minus-2 to 10. Minus-2 indicates a novice player, while a player rated at 10 goals has the highest handicap possible. It is so difficult to attain a 10-goal handicap that there are fewer than a dozen in the world, and about two-thirds of all players handicapped are rated at two goals or less. Handicaps of five goals and above generally belong to professional players. It is not (nor has it ever been) an estimate of the number of goals a player might score in a game, but rather of the player's worth to his or her team. It is the overall rating of a player's horsemanship, team play, knowledge of the game, strategy and horses. At one time, polo was the only sport in the world that considered sportsmanship
when rating a player.
In matches played by "handicapped" players (as opposed to open competition, where handicaps are not considered), the handicaps of all four players are totaled. If the total handicap of a team is more than the total of team against which they are playing, the difference is added to the scoreboard. For example, if the "Mounties" polo team has a total handicap of six goals and the "Tayto" team has a handicap of four goals, Tayto would begin the match with a two-goal advantage.
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
handicap is a system created by Henry Lloyd Herbert
Henry Lloyd Herbert
Henry Lloyd Herbert was the first chairman of the United States Polo Association in 1890. He developed the polo handicap system in 1888....
, first president of the United States Polo Association
United States Polo Association
The United States Polo Association is the national governing body for the sport of polo in the United States since 1890. The USPA provides resources to approximately 3600 individual members and 250 polo clubs across the U.S. and Canada, including coordinating and supervising professional polo...
, at the founding of the USPA in 1890 so teams could be more evenly matched when using players with varying abilities.
The players are rated on a scale from minus-2 to 10. Minus-2 indicates a novice player, while a player rated at 10 goals has the highest handicap possible. It is so difficult to attain a 10-goal handicap that there are fewer than a dozen in the world, and about two-thirds of all players handicapped are rated at two goals or less. Handicaps of five goals and above generally belong to professional players. It is not (nor has it ever been) an estimate of the number of goals a player might score in a game, but rather of the player's worth to his or her team. It is the overall rating of a player's horsemanship, team play, knowledge of the game, strategy and horses. At one time, polo was the only sport in the world that considered sportsmanship
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors...
when rating a player.
In matches played by "handicapped" players (as opposed to open competition, where handicaps are not considered), the handicaps of all four players are totaled. If the total handicap of a team is more than the total of team against which they are playing, the difference is added to the scoreboard. For example, if the "Mounties" polo team has a total handicap of six goals and the "Tayto" team has a handicap of four goals, Tayto would begin the match with a two-goal advantage.
Ten-goal players
- John Arthur Edward Traill (1882–1958)
- Aidan RoarkAidan RoarkAidan Roark was an Irish 10-goal polo player and in Hollywood he acted as a personal assistant to Darryl Francis Zanuck.-Biography:...
(1905–1984) - Louis Ezekiel StoddardLouis Ezekiel StoddardMajor Louis Ezekiel Stoddard was an American 10-goal handicap polo player. He participated in the 1913 and 1921 International Polo Cup. He was the chairman of the United States Polo Association from 1921 to 1936. He won the Junior Polo Championship, Senior Polo Championship, U.S...
(1881–1951) - Bartolomé CastagnolaBartolomé CastagnolaBartolomé Castagnola born June 16, 1970 in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires Province is an Argentine polo player with a 10-goal polo handicap and ranked among the top twenty players. He is often referred to as Lolo.-Career:...
(born 1970) - Pablo Mac DonoughPablo Mac DonoughPablo Mac Donough is a professional polo player from Argentina with a 10-goal polo player.- Biography :Mac Donough was born in Buenos Aires on 21 February 1982. He began playing polo with his family at a young age.- Career :...
(born 1982) - Facundo PieresFacundo PieresFacundo Pieres born May 19, 1986 in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province is a professional Argentine polo player with a 10-goal handicap. Currently, he is ranked number 2.- Biography :...
(born 1986) - Lewis Lawrence LaceyLewis Lawrence LaceyLewis Lawrence Lacey was born in Montreal the son of a professional Cricketer. In 1915 he won the Argentine open and become Argentina's second 10-goal polo player...
(1887–1966) - Adolfo CambiasoAdolfo CambiasoAdolfo Cambiaso born April 15, 1975 in Cañuelas, Buenos Aires Province is an Argentine polo player with a 10-goal handicap. Currently, he is ranked number 1. He is often referred to as Adolfito or Dolfi.-Early years:...
(born 1975) - Gonzalo PieresGonzalo PieresGonzalo Pieres, Jr. born December 17, 1982 in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province is a professional Argentine polo player with a 10 goal handicap. Currently, he is ranked number 2.- Biography :...
(born 1982) - Mariano AguerreMariano AguerreMariano Aguerre born May 25, 1969 in Pilar, Buenos Aires Province is an Argentine professional polo player. He is one of the few players to have achieved a 10-goal handicap, which he maintained for much of his career. He is presently rated at 9 goals in Argentina and the U.S.A.-Career:Like Adolfo...
(born 1969)
Nine-goal players
- Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Argentina
- Ignacio Novillo Astrada, Argentina
- Javier Novillo Astrada, Argentina
- Miguel Novillo Astrada, US and UK
- Michael Azzaro, US
- Bartolome Castagnola, England
- Santiago Chavanne, France
- Lucas Criado, US
- Francisco DeNarvaez, US and Argentina
- Alejandro Diaz-Alberdi, England
- Alberto Heguy, Argentina
- Eduardo Heguy, Argentina and England
- Ignacio Heguy, US and England
- Marcos Heguy, France and England
- Matias MacDonough, Argentina, Spain and US
- Pablo MacDonough, England
- Juan I. Merlos, Argentina
- Augustin Merlos, England
- Juan Merlos, US and England
- Sebastian Merlos, England
- Lucas Monteverde, US
- Juan Martin Nero, Argentina
- Juan Nero, England
- Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Argentina, Spain and England
- Ignacio Novillo Astrada, Argentina
- Javier Novillo Astrada, Argentina and England
- Miguel Novillo Astrada, England
- Gonzalo Pieres, US
- Gonzalo Pieres, Jr., England
- David Stirling, US