Okay so it is NOT a new rule as Paul Withers was at pains to point out yesterday but a stricter interpretation of existing ones. He also said that when we played together for England I never turned for his backhands. I was too busy ducking!!

So far so good I think is my analysis of developments so far. I have conducted an exhaustive survey of at least 4 people and they are all in agreement that it has opened up play. Kim Richardson from Knepp Castle told me that the first Club 2 Goal was like lightning and that he was lucky his ponies were fitter than him. The old lags whom have played a good level of polo, including High Goal and have been around polo collectively for nearly a century (only 3 of them!) say the same. Everyone expressed their concerns about consistency of interpretation but as I pointed out, there has to be time allowed for the median to be reached.

From my own point of view I have two things to say. Firstly I love watching some of the pros in the Low Goal to whom turning the ball has almost become a reflex. Will he, won’t he? He does go and do it again and lets off a wail of despair, brilliant entertainment! Even when they do not turn, they get in such a muddle that they end up missing a lot. Hard to be in two minds, when the only one you have got does not function brilliantly? Anyway they cannot help it and I think in a funny way do not realise they are doing it half the time. As someone far less couth than me said it is a bit the same with some of their other habits, appealing, stabbing people in the back, scratching their privates, cheating etc.

On a more serious note the contact between players and the blocking of players seems to have increased. At times it has become quite forceful and at times even a bit desperate. Now, however, instead of it happening to the trailing player trying to join up when a team is attacking, it is happening to attacking players who are possibly in a position to ride the line on a player in defence, who may wish to turn the ball. As usual the umpires focus is naturally more drawn to the play of the ball area and some of these trailing fouls or unnecessary roughness penalties are being missed. It is an age old problem but for a different reason and officials need to be vigilant.