With the much anticipated 2023 Spring Season in Argentina due to start within a few weeks, the Board of Directors of the Argentine Association of Polo (AAP), unveiled three new rule changes. These new rules will become inmedialty effective in every tournament to be played in Argentina.

The changes are as follows:

 Duration of each chukka

After six years, each chukka will return to the old format and will be played at seven minutes, until the first bell, with 30 additional seconds, maximum, unless a goal is scored, a foul is awarded or the ball goes wide.

Change of horses

In all B category matches, a change of horses will be granted. Each team will have one minute to change horses, and the umpire will be responsible to determine the moment of the change in a neutral play. The minute will begin to run since the moment the last player positioned the furthest from the ponyline will approach midfield.

Fair Play

When the match resumes through Fair Play – meaning when a foul is not awarded and the umpires interrupt the game with a team having the ball and free from every opponent – the team who has the ball will determine whom they start the play with.

 According to Marcos Aldao, the President of the Board of Referees and Rules of the AAP, these changes have been made “in order to unify rules on an international level, in both of the duration of each chukker as well as allow any player to resume the match following a fair play.”