Rule 6 · USPA 2026 Arena Rules
Scoring
How arena goals are scored and counted, including the two-point goal, goals at the whistle and the buzzer-beater.
More points wins
The team which scores more points shall win the game.
Handicap goals
Goals awarded by handicap shall count as one point goals scored.
The two-point goal
A ball hit from beyond the 25-yard line which scores directly or off the wall but not off the roof structure and without being touched by any mount or any player other than one original hit by the striker, shall count two points unless it is hit by the striker into the goal his or her team is defending, in which case it shall count only one point for the other team.
Penalty 4 for two
A Penalty 4 which scores directly or off the wall but not off the roof structure and without being touched by any mount or any player other than one original hit by the striker, shall count two points.
Goals given by Penalty 1
Goals awarded according to the conditions of Penalty 1 shall be counted:
As two-point goals scored if the hit met the criteria of Rule 6.a(2) above but did not score solely due to a defensive foul.
As one-point goals scored if the criteria of Rule 6.a(2) are not met.
Every other goal
All other goals count one point.
When the ball is in
In order to score a goal, the ball must pass between the goal posts, through the plane of the mouth of the goal, and beneath the top of the goal. If required, the Committee may state “house rules” for goal construction as permitted under Rule 1.c.
No goal after all, and doubtful goals
Where play is stopped in the belief that a goal has been scored, and it is subsequently ruled that no goal has been scored, play shall be resumed by a bowl-in at the 15-yard mark with the near goal to the Umpire’s right. In the event that the Officials cannot determine whether or not a goal has been scored, or whether or not it was a 2-point goal, the benefit of doubt shall be to the defending team.
Restart after a goal
Following a scored goal, at the option of the Committee, play is resumed by either:
A bowl-in at the center of the arena; or
A “free hit” by the team against which the goal was scored.
A goal at the moment of the whistle
If a goal is scored at approximately the same time the whistle sounds:
The goal shall be counted if the foul was called on the defending team regardless of whether or not the foul is confirmed.
The goal shall not be counted, and the game resumed by the appropriate penalty hit, if a foul is confirmed against the attacking team.
The goal shall be counted and play resumed with a bowl-in at the center of the arena if the whistle sounded for any other reason.
After the clock: the buzzer-beater
A goal scored after time has expired on the official clock does not count, even if it is before the second horn or bell sounds and before the Umpires blow their whistles, except in the circumstances described below:
A ball hit prior to the timer’s horn, and prior to the Umpires’ whistle(s) officially ending the period, may count as a goal if it is not touched by an opponent or a teammate of the player hitting the ball and it rolls or flies through the goal either directly or off the wall (a “Buzzer-Beater”).
Touching a buzzer-beater
In all periods should any player on either team touch a potential Buzzer-Beater with his or her mallet, body or horse, a whistle will be blown, the ball will be considered dead at the spot where it was at the time of the whistle, and the period will end as it normally would.
A foul during a buzzer-beater
In all regulation periods and any overtime periods, should a foul occur while a potential Buzzer-Beater is “live” but after the period would otherwise end, the penalty will be exacted immediately, and 5 seconds will be added to the clock for execution of the penalty.
The criteria for one vs. two points are: a) that the foul meets the criteria of Penalty 1; and, b) that had the foul not occurred, a two point goal would have scored.
Blue hits to goal from beyond the 25-yard line. Red makes a goal mouth save, but fouls. Penalty 1, the goal was prevented by the foul, two points awarded because the ball was hit from beyond the 25-yard line, and play will resume with a center hit for the team fouled as in a Penalty 5b. Blue hits from beyond the 25-yard line. Red, defending, backs the ball but fouls about 15 yards from goal. This foul does not qualify as a Penalty 1 because it is not “in the vicinity” of the goal and there is no certainty that it would, in fact, have scored. The Umpire may, however, award an open goal penalty due to the likelihood that the hit may have scored.
Although a goal line may be used to assist the goal judge, the criteria for scoring a goal is that the ball must pass completely through the plane of the goal mouth. The front edge of the goal line (if used) should be at the plane of the goal mouth and the back edge of the goal line in the goal. Whether or not a goal is scored at “approximately” the time of the whistle is the Umpire’s judgment and does not necessarily mean the goal must precede the whistle. To count as a goal, the ball should have been unstoppable by a defender had the whistle not sounded.
The following examples assume a recessed goal or goal box as outlined in Rule 1 a.2. The ball trickles into goal mouth and comes to rest on the chalk goal line but the entire ball is in the goal box. Goal - the entire ball has passed through the plane of the goal mouth. The ball comes to rest on the chalk line but part of the ball is still on the playing surface. No goal - the entire ball did not pass through the plane of the goal mouth. The ball hits high on the edge of the goal box and rebounds into the arena. No goal the entire ball did not pass through the plane of the goal mouth. The ball hits high on the side of the goal box and rebounds into the goal. Goal - the entire ball did pass through the plane of the goal mouth. The ball hits the top piece of the goal and bounces out or back into the arena. No goal - the entire ball did not pass through the plane of the goal mouth.
Blue hits a Penalty 4. Red, in the goal mouth, deflects the ball with a mallet and the ball goes into the goal. This goal counts one point because the ball was deflected.