Effectively transtioning from defense to offense is crucial at any level of polo and the best way to often do this is through the use of the backhand pass. This changes the direction of the play and if done correctly, can allow your teammate to gain position and keep possession of the ball to begin moving downfield on the attack.
In the 2021 U.S. Open Polo Championship, Tonkawa effectively demonstrated this tactic with their duo of 10-goaler Sapo Caset and 9-goaler Francisco Elizalde. Although the first play may not always be executed, Tonkawa showed that with effective ball support as well as anticipating the next play can still result in a successful sequence.
In this play, Sapo Caset approaches the ball and first assesses the field behind him to help him determine the best course of action. This could mean keeping the ball and turning, or hitting a backhand to a teammate.
With that information in mind, Caset can approach the ball on the nearside, knowing that he has teammate Elizalde in support, following the play if he does not make a play on the ball. While under pressure from the defender, Caset does not make contact on the nearside, allowing Elizalde to ride onto the ball. The key component here is that the play continues, with Caset turning to his left, creating an opportunity as a receiver.
Recognizing his options by what is happening around him, Elizalde is closely followed by a defender which makes a turn more dangerous. Instead, with Caset gaining the inside position, the offside tail backhand allows Caset to ride onto the ball in an attacking manner, while keeping his defender on the outside of the play.
After the well-hit offside tail backhand that was hit into space ahead of the receiver Caset, he then runs onto the ball, making sure to gain the right of way by approaching the ball with the least amount of angle.
Watch the full play below:
To see other highlighted backhand passes from the Tonkawa team, please visit the Polo Development app:
Tonkawa Backhand Pass Examples