Tennis Polo
Encyclopedia
Tennis polo is a field sport where two teams of ten players (nine field players, 1 goalkeeper) use a tennis ball
to score goals. Two teams of ten players attempt to throw the ball into a goal
defended by a keeper who holds a racquet
. Tennis Polo shares elements of sports such as field handball
, the Gaelic sport of hurling
and football
. The game may also be played where all field players have racquets including the goalkeeper.
The sport is also referred toccer and is interchangbly referred to by players as "tennis polo" or "toccer" at different times. There are players in 18 countries including Canada
, Mexico
, United States
, Italy
and France
.
Adapted to be a fast-paced sport with little stoppage of play, players advance the ball by throwing or kicking within the field of play.
or soccer can be used.
by a referee
at midfield.
The ball can be advanced by throwing it or kicking it. When a player has the ball in their possession, they can run with it for up to three steps before being required to 1) pass it or 2) attempt a shot on goal.
Offensive players cannot attempt shots on goal from within the penalty area (referred to as the "layer") and any goals scored from within the layer are invalid. Defensive players may defend from within the latyer, as well as the racket keeper.
In some experimental matches, goals scored outside of the 17-yard arc are worth two points and those scored in front of the 13-yard arc are worth 1 point.
Offensive players are not allowed to be in front of the ball in order for 2-point goals to count.
created the sport was developed as a diversion for his tennis players during a rainy summer; when the outdoor courts were largely rendered unusable. The game was one of a series of elaborate tennis hybrid games he created for his students, that were able to be played irrespective of the weather outside, usually indoors or on grass fields. The most popular of these games became known as toccer. At the insistence of his campers and with their help, they devised the first written rules of the sport later that summer.
Tennis Polo is the first known field sport to be invented by an African-American. The only other sport created by an African-American is Steer wrestling
.
Tennis ball
A tennis ball is a ball designed for the sport of tennis,approximately 6.7 cm in diameter. Tennis balls are generally bright green, but in recreational play can be virtually any color. Tennis balls are covered in a fibrous fluffy felt which modifies their aerodynamic properties...
to score goals. Two teams of ten players attempt to throw the ball into a goal
Goal
A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
defended by a keeper who holds a racquet
Racquet
A racquet or racket is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton...
. Tennis Polo shares elements of sports such as field handball
Field handball
Field handball was the original form of what is now team handball and was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin....
, the Gaelic sport of hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
. The game may also be played where all field players have racquets including the goalkeeper.
The sport is also referred toccer and is interchangbly referred to by players as "tennis polo" or "toccer" at different times. There are players in 18 countries including Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Adapted to be a fast-paced sport with little stoppage of play, players advance the ball by throwing or kicking within the field of play.
Equipment
Tennis polo goalkeepers use racquets similar to those used in tennis. Only goalkeepers are allowed racquets, but any player can serve as goalkeeper. At no time, is a field player allowed a racquet and the goalkeeper cannot exit the goal box (6 yard box) with a racquet.Field of Play
The field of play is any grass field, with two goals centered on opposing end lines of the pitch. Goals for soccer are typically used. The field should be no smaller than 80 yards long by 50 yards wide. Generally, a field for gridiron footballGridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
or soccer can be used.
Length of a Match
Match length is variable, but sanctioned matches are divided into two halves of 20 minutes. If matches are tied, an extra half is played and if the score remains tied in a tournament match, the game is decided by throws from the penalty mark (13 yards from the goal) but players are allowed to run anywhere between the midfield line and penalty mark before throwing the ball and have 5 seconds in which to take their shot.Game Play
Each half of the game begins with a jump ballJump ball
A jump ball is a method used to begin or resume play in basketball. It is similar to a face-off in ice hockey or ball-up in Australian rules football...
by a referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
at midfield.
The ball can be advanced by throwing it or kicking it. When a player has the ball in their possession, they can run with it for up to three steps before being required to 1) pass it or 2) attempt a shot on goal.
Offensive players cannot attempt shots on goal from within the penalty area (referred to as the "layer") and any goals scored from within the layer are invalid. Defensive players may defend from within the latyer, as well as the racket keeper.
Field Size
The sport is played on a grass field between 80 to 100 yards long and 50 to 65 yards wide. The goal area is a semicircular line with a 11-yard radius and the penalty mark at 13 yards from the goal. An experimental rule has a second semicircular line on the field with a 17 yard radius.Substitutions
Teams make unlimited substitutions and they enter play without stoppage of play. (similar to ice hockey.)Turnovers
When the ball is turned over because it goes out of bounds, the clock is not stopped. Instead, the ball is retrieved (or in most cases, a new ball given to the opposing player) and the game resumes. If the ball is intentionally thrown out of bounds, it's referred to as wasting and the penalized team is assessed a penalty depending on the severity, which may include extended time at the discretion of the referee.Player positions
Player positions are evolving, but each team is generally composed of a racquet keeper (1), defenders (2), midfielders (4) and strikers (3).Scoring
Scoring occurs when the ball is hit (or kicked) into the goal. Each goal is worth one point.In some experimental matches, goals scored outside of the 17-yard arc are worth two points and those scored in front of the 13-yard arc are worth 1 point.
Offensive players are not allowed to be in front of the ball in order for 2-point goals to count.
History
In 2004, Ron Bronson, then the Tennis Director at Camp Awosting in Bantam, ConnecticutBantam, Connecticut
Bantam is a borough in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 759 at the 2000 census.While separated for census and historic reasons, Bantam is governed as an integral part of the town of Litchfield...
created the sport was developed as a diversion for his tennis players during a rainy summer; when the outdoor courts were largely rendered unusable. The game was one of a series of elaborate tennis hybrid games he created for his students, that were able to be played irrespective of the weather outside, usually indoors or on grass fields. The most popular of these games became known as toccer. At the insistence of his campers and with their help, they devised the first written rules of the sport later that summer.
Tennis Polo is the first known field sport to be invented by an African-American. The only other sport created by an African-American is Steer wrestling
Steer wrestling
Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event in which a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer, then wrestles the steer to the ground by twisting its horns. Like all rodeo events, there are concerns from the animal rights community that the competition...
.