ban stationary picks

Discussions
#1

polo people:

can we please get rid of stationary picks! we banned obstruction years ago yet we still allow this no skill shit.

reminder: WE ARE PLAYING A PERMANENT POWERPLAY/PENALTY KILL so we don’t need the same picks that they use in basketball to get open shots because WE ARE PLAYING A PERMANENT POWERPLAY/PENALTY KILL.

we’re banning hooking to “speed up the game” yet we incentivize stationary picks that literally slow players down to a standstill. the faster you play the more likely you are to break your bike and your bones. no matter how skilled you are you cannot decelerate from 18mph as fast as a player at any speed turning perpendicular to you and grabbing a handful of brake.

i heard over and over again that you should “play the ball” instead of hook. how is tripodding to screen a defender and possibly make them crash into you “playing the ball”?

to speed up the game we have to remove all obstruction tactics.

#2

I dont know what stationary picks are. Please educate

6 Likes
#3

i think stationary pick = defender braking in front of the ball possessor ?

you wrote twice that we are playing a permanent power play / penalty kill but its not true: you can be in your own half, with possession of the ball , and the other team is pressing 3 up in your own half. which is actually the opposite of a power play.until you release your goalie you are ina 2vs 3 situation while having the ball.

also basket ball picks are different : a block in basket ball is executed by the offensive team on a defender.

a brake check/stationary pick in polo is executed by the defense on the ball possessor.

i ll add that you will never be as fast while possessing the ball (one handed bike control) vs a defensor cranking up with both hands on his handlebars. imo its a fair advantage and you should just pass early? or im missing something.

in basket ball the ball possessor dont have right of way and defense has the right of space. if you go through them its a foul similar to bike polo . most sports allow the defense to be in the way of the ball carrier .

an exemple of sport without any obstruction or contact is tchoukball, they rey solely on positioning and passing, no interception and each team as a limit of 3 passes to play and a limited time : Best of tchoukball - European cup 2011 - YouTube

1 Like
#5

We are discussing it. Big difference.

1 Like
#6

How do you distinguish a stationary pick from a circumstantial static occupation of space?

1 Like
#7

To quote the famous and wise Alejandro, “there are no ‘lines’ in bike polo.” I think we should keep it that way.

My usual riposte to comments like these is exactly in line with Django’s comment above - how do we distinguish between what is allowed and what is forbidden if there is no bright line dividing the two actions? I agree that pivot stopping to impede the movement of the ball carrier can be borderline dangerous at times but in order to have the opportunity to “short stop” on someone you have to gain, or the ball carrier has to give up, a distinct positional advantage. Players who do not have positional advantage should have no right of way.

The only exception that I believe might be both good and implementable is that if someone “short stops” on you there should be some limit to the further use of their back wheel to block your path. It’s crazy dangerous when people pivot block and after somehow miraculously avoiding death by their hand they hip thrust their rear wheel in your path at the last second. You should get one bite of the dick move cherry IMO… ; ) Pivoting and rolling back seems fine/less egregious because that is predictable given that it arises from momentum translated during rotation. Perhaps baiting someone into space behind your rear wheel and hip thrusting your rear wheel in their path could be covered under the fragrance rule.

There is also a grey area which needs discussing whereby someone who short stops on you is intersected before their rear wheel touches the ground. Calling a foul in this instance is not in the spirit of the “whale tail” infraction but it has been mentioned in many a courtside chat when the topic of short stopping comes up.

My favourite moment in all of bike polo was when Joey Halvorsen short stopped on one of the portland united players behind their own goal in the final of NAHBPC 2014(?) and the PU players spewed the ball out in front of goals. That move has to stay… I’ll dig up the video. It’s beautiful.

#8

I agree that this can be handled with the Flagrance rule as Dave has described it.

I understand your worry about not being able to break in time, however unless you are only contesting with one other player running up the line most players are trying to avoid defensive players ahead of them instead of just holding their line.

1 Like