Set plays are a very important part of the game as they are the one repeatable play that begin from a stop and allow both the offensive and defensive teams set up their positioning. Knock-ins can be very important as keeping possession into the attacking half can ignite a scoring chance, turning a potential goal against you into a goal for you. However, as mentioned the defensive team can also prepare for this action, trying to control field position and provide the best possible chance of creating a turnover and counterattack.
From the 2021 U.S. Open Polo Championship, Cessna effectively did just that against Aspen/Dutta Corp by quickly turning an opponent's knock-in into a goal. See below for the breakdown of how that happened.
At the beginning of the knock-in, Cessna is effectively marking in pairs with each defender closely on the hip of their offensive mark. The only player that isn't as tight is the player in the back position, but he is containing his defender while also protecting the middle of the field, which controlling is critical to most defensive strategies.
On the pass to the boards, Cessna gains the line of the ball and also the possession. The player that was playing the back position in the middle of the field begins approaching the ball until realising that his teammate has the line and it isn't necessary to join the play. Becasue this player already was in the center of the field and holding that field position, it allows them to turn back into the open space in preparation for a pass.
With open space in the center of the field, the Cessna player approaching the ball has the opportunity to hit an offside tail backhand that will create a quick transition from defense to offense. This is the best decision for this play as it allows Cessna to turn the direction of the ball, maintain possession and avoid any fouling from oncoming defenders.
With the ball in space, Cessna's Jared Zenni hits a phenomenal neckshot to goal to complete the play and while the finish is something most often seen at high-goal play, it was created from the effective knock-in defense shown by Cessna. See the below video for the complete play.
For more knock-in videos from the U.S. Open Polo Championship, visit the Polo Development app:
Knock-in Examples