Why 1 Meeting 2 is a Rule
1 meeting 2 is part of the right of way rule, it grants priority to two players traveling on the same line. Those two players can either be moving in the same direction or meeting as they come from opposite directions. Both players are granted priority over any single player coming to challenge them from any direction or angle.
The definition of this rule states: "Two opposing players riding on the exact line of the ball and simultaneously making a play on each other, whether following or meeting, have precedence over all other players."
1 meeting 2 is a rule designed to protect the safety of the two players on the same line because their focus will likely be on the ball and the other player, so they may not be aware of any single player approaching.
How the 1 Meeting 2 Rule is Applied
1 meeting 2 is applied the same for both offensive and defensive players. The rule simply states that two opposing players travelling on the same line of the ball have priority over a single player coming from any direction. Therefore, the rule applies in all areas of the field and during all phases of the game for all players.
What this means is that as a player off the ball, the player needs to be aware of when two players are engaged on the ball and not attempt a play in this scenario. A player can be travelling in the opposite direction of the ball carrier and make a play on the ball on their offside (assuming they do not cross over the line dangerously), but as soon as a second player is travelling in the same direction and forcing that player to pay attention, it causes a dangerous situation if a player comes from the opposite direction.
Procedure of the 1 Meeting 2 Rule
The penalty for a 1 meeting 2 violation, is a free hit against the single player who meets the pair. Whether that is a player from the team in possession of the ball or from the defending team, the violation still occurs against the individual player that meets the two players.
The outcome of 1 meeting 2 is very much determined by the position on the field where the foul was committed and the position of the team, whose player commited the foul. These factors determine where the free hit takes place and at what proximity to the opponents goal. If in the attacking half (or the opposite side of the field of the goal they are defending), the likely outcome will be a spot hit at the place where the foul occurred. If closer to the goal they are defending, then the position on the field where the foul occurred can result in a penalty from the 30-yard (Penalty 2), 40-yard (Penalty 3) or 60-yard (Penalty 4) line.
If the 1 meeting 2 violation occurs directly in the goal mouth, preventing what would have been a sure goal, then a Penalty 1 can be awarded, giving the attacking team the goal, while also moving the ball back to centre field and restarting play with a spot hit to the team that was fouled.
After a 1 meeting 2 violation is confirmed the game will restart with one of the penalty hits as described above. If the umpires deem that dangerous riding was used in committing the foul, a yellow card may be awarded to the infringing player, resulting in an upgrade to the foul location (i.e. a Penalty 3 gets moved to a Penalty 2).
The 1 Meeting 2 Rule at Different Levels of Polo
The 1 meeting 2 rule is applied fairly similarly between low and high goal levels, but there are a few differences depending on the level of play.
First, the main difference will be that at lower speeds in high-goal matches (meaning matches typically 16-goal handicap and higher), if the players are aware of the relative positioning of others around the field, then a 1 meeting 2 violation wouldn’t be called. This speed has to be almost walking pace where the play slows down and the players get compressed. This is because at slower speeds or at a walking pace, the danger of collision is not there and players can still adjust to surrounding players without causing a dangerous situation.
At the low-goal level, this situation is more likely to be called at slower speeds because of the lower ability of players to be aware of the relative positioning of others on the field.
Regardless of high or low-goal, when the speed increases, this foul is called the same at all levels of polo, due to the dangerous component of having one player approaching with pace from an opposite direction, approaching two players who are focused on each other or the ball.
The most common error that Fergus noted for a 1 meeting 2 violation being called is often the miscommunication between teammates. For example, a scenario would be a player expecting their teammate to pull out of a play which would allow you to meet the opponent on the line, or when a teammate comes to make a play on an opponent as you’re coming to meet them. Fergus suggested the best way to overcome this error is through communication and to approach an opposing player in the opposite direction only when they are on their own and not engaged or about to engage in a ride-off.
