How Wide Is The Line Of The Ball?

The line of the ball is like the line of the road or is it?

The rule book doesn’t really say, picture the most recent path of the ball or the line as a center line of a highway. Walk your horse along side the line and stop by the ball, this line, the most recent path of the ball continues all the way across the field.  Reach down with your racket like you were going to pickup the ball, if you are not picking up too close or two far away from your horse, you will be taking up a lane about three to four feet wide. Assuming you are on your off-side, from the line to your left stirrup is about 3 to four feet. So this lane, not the line, is what the right of way is all about. It accommodates your horse and room to pickup the ball. This visual may give you a little better appreciation of the right of way alongside the line of the ball.

So the next time you are within four feet of the line of the ball, at an angle to someone in the right of way alongside of the line, you might have a better visual as to whether you are impeding the progress of another player in the right of way. If you are that is a right of way violation or a line crossing violation. No, you did not cross the line, but you did create a right of way violation that impeded the progress of the player with the right of way.

The other common problem for the player on the line of the ball or with the right of way is we start our pickup properly positioned, but then cross over the line and into the other side of the right of way as we finish. A good way to test your line cantering ability is to use the side line or 30 yard line with a few balls placed along that line. Take a few consecutive off-side or near-side pickups on that line and see if you are still on the same side of the line that you started on, or is your horse stepping over or even across the line. This can be a rather humbling exercise and give you something to work on.  Actually, it is a great drill and all you need is a few balls, a horse, a field, and some integrity.

Keep your heels down and racket Up.