Is scooping becoming a hindrance to open and collective play?
It’s not so much a problem seeing scoop ninjas creating crazy passing lines; if anything it brings complexity and acrobatics to the game, for both the offensive and the defensive players.
Self-scoops however are a different story. Seeing a player self-scoop into oblivion the rest of the players is such a setback to what we’ve come to build in terms of game play development.
Is self-scoop the unloved child of solo polo?
Should we think to limit the amounts of scoops per individual ball possession?
Should we limit scooping to passes?
Am I an old man yelling at a cloud?
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You’re old and yelling at cloud but I get your point.
Nevertheless, I think some people found a nice way to use these solo scoop :
- repositioning the ball at a certain and precise place when it’s over crowded
- getting the ball without it being stolen right after
- make the ball go a little bit up so you can shoot it from below
Those (non exhaustive) kind of moves are impressive and useful. I think we’re just seing the beginning of it and new/young player will bring something to it.
Yet, I really hope it won’t bring back solo playing as, as you said it, the sport evolved in a nice team playing spirit.
I also think many player over do it and that’s
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i am older and yelling louder: I HATE SCOOPING
let me explain:
i see a lot of players, often beginners, are scoooping the ball during a game. but they are just not good enough. instead of playing an easy pass they scoop around. and the result: a) losing the ball on the spot or b) bringing their teamsmates in difficulties with jumping balls and loosing position now.
and soloscooping quite often makes the game slow and while doing it you often allow your opponent to organize again.
as a very strange man often told me: good players dont need tricks. (where are you, tim?)
solution 1: i would like to see mallets without an open side.
solution 2.: allow slashing against a scooping player
(and yes, of course, there are people doing it right amd using scooping to their advantage. but its stiil kind of poopy.)
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I see a lot of new players doing pointless and useless pivots, should we then ban them or allow to crash into pivoting player?
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As a mediocre scooper and a teammate of heavy scoopers I would add some points:
- scooping is not that easy - If it were we will see more and more people doing that (and still Bouchard will score 5 on them)
- it is somehow easy to stop scooping players, @Frax is a really good example how to defend scoopers and usually any attempt to play a scooped ball even if the motion stops on opponent’s shaft instead of ball isn’t called and usually ball is lost
- it adds some good looking stuff to the sport which is needed if want to make it a bit more popular
- it doesn’t add that much advantage - just look at recent worlds and euro podiums
- no matter how good scooper one can be still pass will be faster than any bike
- the more scoopers there will be the more defenders will know how to effectively defend it
- we can’t force new players to learn in the way that we used to do it (should I force them to play on a fixie?), don’t force them to do it like you want to, just give them advice and alternative
- IMHO part of being a good scooper is to use it as little as possible so it should naturally become less frequent with experience
But of course I will try adjust to any rules :P
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I’m a mediocre scooper myself, and I agree for the most part with Pajac — but I want to add a few points myself.
- Bike polo borrows a lot from hockey. The way hockey players are able to manipulate the puck is completely insane, and the game isn’t any worse for it. In fact, it makes the game more interesting for everyone involved. We’ll never be able to do the same kind of stuff with mallets and polo balls, so I’d say we’ll be fine.
- People have different styles. If it doesn’t directly hurt you or others, we shouldn’t outlaw everything we personally dislike.
- Scooping has always been part of the game. Some players are now getting so good at it that it might feel like they’re playing a different game. That’s because they kind of are. But we can’t just outlaw people getting good at things.
- Sport is dynamic. If people come up with new ways to gain an advantage, other people will develop new methods to counter them. That’s exactly the kind of progression we usually love to see in sports, and I’m totally here for it.
- Self-scoops can be shut down with the right countermeasures, you just have to learn them. It’s part of the 1v1 situations that are just part of the game. That’s not to say I’m any good at it myself.
- The point about some players not doing them well and slowing down the game isn’t really about scooping, I think. Less experienced players will make mistakes and slow the game down, no matter what they’re trying to do — scoops, pivots, getting off the wall, etc. We all work on the things we want to improve at. If you’re playing with teammates who do things you don’t like, just talk to them.
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Before this conversation drags on and diverts on tangents:
Nobody is implying scooping should/would/wil be outright banned.
Read what the implications are and elaborate on that.
So far most of your arguments are the same straw man that happenned when blocks were regulated.
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I was a big fan of regulating screening!!
I just think that current regulations around scooping are good enough 
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I’m not anti scoop, nor was I anti screening. i find this rule very interesting. It changed the game in a very good way even though it was kind of a move to win previously.
But yeah, I don’t really like the rule about hooking a mallet and the scoop is a good reason for that. i should be able to block a scoop or something with my mallet without having the ball at my “playable distance”
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How could it be possible?
I mean that when someone is scooping then the ball is as close to a shaft as possible. What part of the mallet you could hook or block? IMHO if ball is scooped and shaft is in a distance that you can reach then in 99/100 situations ball is in playable distance as well
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When every argument you don’t agree with is a straw man for you then there is no discussion possible.
No arguments were made in this thread with the intention of diverting the discussion towards an outright ban. The point was simply that the current rule set regarding scooping is sufficient for maintaining good game dynamics.
At the same time, mallets with two closed sides were proposed, which is a fair suggestion, but would effectively be a de facto ban on scooping. The limitations you proposed are also a form of ban, even if not an “outright” one.
You can’t just accuse people of making straw man arguments when they’re simply contributing to the discussion you started just with a different opinion.
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someone scooped himself up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
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I agree with most of the arguments from Max, Pajac and Sotak. And also from Andi when he sites Tim. Seems like one can be an efficient team player with or without scooping. Scooping is one of the tools a player may have. Then its up to the players mind to use it for the team or for themselves, according to the game situation.
I think it brings to the game more than it withdraws from it, when properly used.
And i also think that the first aim of the existence of any ruleset is to provide secure and fair playing conditions. As I dont see how a scooper endangers any other player on court or withdraws the possibility to defend against/ to reply, hence I neither see the need to downgrade this tool by the rules.
One thing is “I dont know how to scoop” and “I dont know how to defend against it” ( most often my case :D) and another thing is " as I dont know how to scoop, neither how to defend against it, so I dont want others to train and improve it".
Lets all stay far from such a confusion. we have the ability to acknowledge the beauty of a well-timed scoop creating a nice shooting line, even if its done on us.
If you feel like you need to evolve the ruleset, you should rather reconcider sudden stops in front of unaware players. Or make the facecage mandatory or… there are other debatable points. But this is another discussion.
P:S: stawmen detector didnt detect any empty arguments in this disscussion.
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The Title is super. I cant scoop, but like to See it.
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I find it hillarious how defensive people are getting about their ugly baby.
We lived happily for years without it and now it’s here to stay. There’s no denying it.
My question are:
Are you liking the direction the game is taking with the increase in scooping?
Do you think it will/should be regulated? And if so, by which means.
If you have any suggestions regarding other rules, feel free to post your own thread about them.
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@Pyetro stop scooping to urself please , the rest is totally fine .
Hard skill to learn properly and rewarding if done correctly , can backfire easily . What am I missing here?
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Imagine scooping in Horse Polo 
The game is many times “over-scooped” in my opinion.
It’s becoming more like Lacrosse type of polo - throwing a ball.
Want to point out, that this game was about ball moving motion and rotation. Scooping makes it being thrown at you. Change my mind.
I usually hate to receive a scoop pass, bc it’s so much harder to receive. It bounces too much out of your mallet/bike. Harder to control.
Self scoops maybe, but sometimes it’s looks like player has a mental issue overdoing it reapadeatly, not mentioning your teammates waiting forever for a pass and getting frustrated?!
So in my opinion it may have a negative effect or even destroying the team-play aspect of the game sometimes. Which saddens me.
Mixing other topics like pivoting or back to fixie is just irrelevant in this topic.
Make the ball bigger! $top the Scoop! 
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- Yes, it looks amazing when done right even though I can’t do it myself.
- No.
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Scooping doesn’t stop that. Again, when used right it can offer ninja pass. It’s amazing cause it distrubs the defender and I think that’s the whole point.
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The problem in here is you who don’t know how to receive that kind of pass. But you can get better at this. Banning scooping won’t make you better, it will just make you stay at the same level. What’s the point int that ?
I find it funny to ask this question about scooping for reasons I’m having a hard time to understand (and I read what you said). T just feels like it’s difficult for the ones who don’t like it to defend it more than a real reason. Yes it can look boring (imo @Levin for example used to over do it a while ago but I think it’s better now… ish) and the same time I know you guys are ok with doing the raclette (when the goalie goes down to apply their mallet horizontally) even though it’s illegal to put a foot down or the hand on a horizontal surface. Raclette is dangerous for the goalie and don’t try to tell me “you’re not allowed to touch the floor” no ref ever called a raclette. This move is incredible, I really find it amazing but it doesn’t work with the rest of the rules.
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- The problem in here is you who don’t know how to receive that kind of pass. But you can get better at this. Banning scooping won’t make you better, it will just make you stay at the same level. What’s the point int that ?
I disagree on that. It’s impossible to catch a ball thrown at you with high velocity if you dont have a lacross mallet to catch it!
I met only few scooper poopers which can adjust a proper force of scoop. And i don’t mean point-blanc ninja scoops, but long hard scoops which happens quite often.
If you tell me i dont know how to receive a scoop pass it’s even better! ban it once and for all!
I’m one of the best pass-ball receivers I know!
thank You for your scoop time MAX! And learn how to scoop properly! ;-)
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You’ll never get a scoop from me I’m too bad at this 
but still find it great
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