History:
Pato, declared National Sport of Argentina officially in 1953 with a decree, is a traditional team game played on horseback similar to basketball.
Pato has been practiced in Argentina since the 17th century. Originally, as implied by the Spanish word “pato” meaning “duck”, the game was played with an alive duck, placed in a basket, instead of a ball. Due to the game’s high risk of brutality and violence not only towards the duck, but also towards the players, Pato was prohibited over the years both by religious and civil authorities. Since the game was finally ruled and the duck was substituted by a leather ball, in 1938 the governor of Buenos Aires repealed the ban. Consequently, in 1941 the Argentine Federation of Pato was created with the aim of promoting the game by organizing tournaments and ensuring the implementation of regulations.
Rules:
The modern Pato, as mentioned above, is currently played on a pitch, rectangular in shape, 80-220 m long and 80-90 m wide, and with a leather ball still called “el pato” surrounded by three strings crossed transversely.
Two teams of four players ride on horses with the purpose of throwing “el pato” through a hoop of one meter in diameter vertically located on a post 2.40 meters high. The team with most goals scored after regulation time (six 8-minute-periods), wins the match. Any players’ movement made not to make a pass or try to make a point, but to prevent the opponent grabbing “el pato”, is prohibited and punished by the rules.
