Extract from the Kindle book – Sports the Olympics Forgot

Keeping a string of Polo ponies is an expensive hobby as is maintaining a polo paddock – only the wealthiest people had the necessary funds to play polo in pre-WWII Tehran. However, this didn’t prevent other people inventing a version of the game that was played on any green space available in the city. The rules were slightly different from the polo played on horseback as some elements of croquet were introduced. The game is still played in Tehran and around the world in polo-playing nations.

In deference to the game of polo each player rides a hobby horse and plays with a croquet mallet in their right hand. No left handed shots are allowed in the game. The hobby horses of each team are painted the same colour though their manes can be different colours as can the wheels.

The game is played on a patch of ground 60 yards long by 20 yards wide. Two upright posts, 4 yards high and 4 yards apart, represent the goals at each end. There is no crossbar. The game starts with a hit off by the team who won the toss. There are four quarters each of 16 minutes and teams swap ends after every quarter. There are seven players on each team and there are no designated positions.