HOW A POLO MATCH SHOULD BE PLA YED 357 



side. Much will depend on his quickness and decision, and 

 knowing where to place the ball at a critical moment, as, for 

 instance, hitting a back-hander to the side farthest from his 

 goal when the ball is in dangerous proximity to it. He should 

 be a man of nerve, decision, and judgement, quick to note an 

 opportunity of turning defence into attack, and equally quick 

 in carrying out his plan. Until lately it was a recognised rule 

 that the * back ' should never start upon a run except under 

 extraordinary circumstances; now, however, a 'back' sometimes 

 does this, but in the event of his doing so his 'half back,' or 

 No. 3, ought immediately to drop back and take his place 

 temporarily. The circumstances, however, under which No. 4 

 will be called on to go far to the front are, as a rule, few and 

 far between, and he will generally occupy the defensive position, 

 at the same time directing operations much as the coxswain of 

 a boat does. One great aim of a ' back' (who need not neces- 

 sarily be a heavy man, as some suppose he ought to be) should 

 be to bother his hostile No. i by putting him ' off side ' as 

 much as possible ; he should be thoroughly well mounted, a 

 clean and hard hitter, thoroughly competent, and should never 

 ride to meet the ball when the enemy are attacking in force, for 

 were he to miss it the consequence might be serious for his side. 

 He should defend his goal principally with back-handed strokes 

 and be keenly alive to the fact that he, and he alone, is the re- 

 sponsible guardian of the goal. 



No. 3, or ' half back,' has a difficult task to perform, an 

 onerous position, yet, if he understands it thoroughly, a very 

 pleasant one. His chief duties consist in helping his ' back,' 

 to the utmost of his power, in keeping his opponents off him, 

 and assisting him in taking a ball away from dangerous proxi- 

 mity to his goal, besides, as before said, dropping back and 

 assuming No. 4's place should the latter start on a run ; often, 

 too, he must, when not wanted by his own No. 4, go up to help 

 his No. i and No. 2, and so get an attack of three men against 

 the opposing two, Nos. i and 2. He will, in fact, have to make 

 himself generally useful, and to do this must naturally have his 



