The following is a Penalty 3 rule insight. The Penalty 3 rule reads as follows:
If the foul occurred within the 30 yard line, the captain of the team fouled shall be offered the choice of one undefended free hit from either the spot where the foul occurred or 30 yards from the goal line of the team that has fouled opposite the center of the goal.
All the team awarded the penalty are to be positioned behind the ball. The player taking the hit may hit or hit at the ball only once and may not make another play. Should the ball fail to cross the goal or backline or rebound into play off a goal post, the team defending the hit will be awarded a free hit from where the ball came to rest, as per Penalty 5a. The ball may be moved outwards towards the boards or sideline should a goal post interfere with the player taking the hit.
The team defending the hit has no play and must be 30 yards from the ball, behind their backline and not between the goal posts nor behind the goal. They may not distract the player taking the penalty, including unintentionally, and must allow the ball to come to a rest.
In order to generate success in polo, it is crucial to position yourself appropriately at the penalty line to give yourself the best possible scoring opportunity.
Here’s an example of how to position your team for a Penalty 3 resulting in a goal:
A penalty hit at the ball by the team fouled from the center of the 30 yard line nearest the fouling team's goal or 30 yard spot . All players of the team fouled are to be behind the 30 yard line unless they are off the field or returning to their proper position. For a penalty hit from the 30 yard line or 30 yard spot, all of the fouling team shall be positioned behind their backline, outside of the goal or until the ball is hit or hit at. The penalty is to be undefended, no member of the fouling team may enter the field from behind the backline.