2023 US Open Women's Handicap

Congratulations to Lugano Diamonds on winning the 2023 US Open Women's Handicap!

MVP: Madison Jordan, presented by Todd Riemenschneider from QR Jets and Kristin Vago from Diageo

BPP for a Professional: Moxie, played by Tiamo Hudspeth, owned by San Ysidro, presented by Todd Riemenschneider from QR Jets, pictured with Austin and Bradie Kimbrough and grooms Emily Christensen, Jenny Rutherford, Rylie Rutherford

BPP for an Amateur: Rubia, played by Madison Jordan, owned by Ignacio Saenz, presented by Todd Riemenschneider from QR Jets and Kristin Vago from Diageo

Final Score:
Lugano Diamonds (6) def QR Jets (5)

Winning Team: Lugano Diamonds
(L to R) Audry Persano, Tiamo Hudspeth, Dayelle Fargey, Kendall Plank, 
presented by Todd Riemenschneider from QR Jets, Denise Wynne from Lugano Diamonds and Kristin Vago from Diageo

Welcome to the 2023 US Open Women's Handicap! We have 4 teams playing in this year's tournament. Please see the draw & schedule below:

Tournament Format:  
​4 teams, 3 day tournament - teams will draw for who they play first round, then the (1,0) teams will play the (0,1) teams for the second round, best records go to the finals.
 - Tuesday – Cancelled
 - Thursday – ​Game 1: A vs B, Game 2: C vs D
 - Saturday – Game 3: WG1 vs LG2, Game 4: LG1 vs WG2
*After Saturday games – In the case of tied records after Saturday games, we will have a shootout between teams with tied records
 - Sunday Nov 19 – Finals held at HPC Farish Field at 2pm  

​Tied Records:
 - If 2 teams have tied records and they did NOT play each other, then the tie is broken by a shootout.
 - If 2 teams have tied records and they HAVE played each other, then the tie is broken by who beat who. 
 - If 3 or more teams have tied records, then the tie is broken by a shootout.

USPA Shootout Rules:
 - 1 player from each team will shoot 1 round of Penalty 3s and 4s.  If teams are still tied after the 1st round, it will go to sudden death shooting penalty 4s.  
 - Players need to wear boots, whites, jerseys, and helmets. Horses are to be tacked as if playing in a game.

**Reminders**
 - Teams higher in the draw will choose jersey color
 - Games will be played on handicaps
 - Spare changes at end lines only
 - All players are required to wear a helmet that passes the NOCSAE ND050 Standard Performance Specification
 - All players must have USPA Dues paid
https://www.uspolo.org/association/membership
 - All players must have signed a HPC release form for this year
://houstonpoloclub.com/hpc-release-form/
 - Anyone on horseback must wear a helmet (spareholders, grooms, etc)
 - Both teams need to mount 1 umpire each game
 
Note: The Host Tournament Committee will schedule and assign fields for all tournament games. The HTC will do their best to uphold the draw but reserves the right to modify the draw and schedule in the case of inclement weather or where deemed in the best interest of the tournament by the HTC. Teams may be required to travel to alternate fields in the case of inclement weather.

Optional Tournament Conditions:
Buzzer Beater
Substitution
Fair Play Throw-in 
​

Bracket 1
A. BCI / Alliant (1,1)
B. Propaganda (0,2)
C. Lugano Diamonds (1,1)
D. QR Jets (2,0)

SCHEDULE
Tuesday November 14
CANCELLED
2:00pm @ TBA
3:30pm @ TBA

Thursday November 16
Game 1
*BCI/Alliant (6) def *Propaganda (5.5)
2:30pm @ Pecan Acres
Umps: M. Pascual / P. Blake
3rd Man K. Huddleston
Timer: E. Markell
*Please bring 1 ump horse

Game 2
*QR Jets (5) def *Lugano Diamonds (2)
4:00pm @ Pecan Acres
Umps: K. Huddleston / E. Ezcurra
3rd Man: M. Pascual
Timer: E. Markell
*Please bring 1 ump horse

Saturday November 18
Game 3
WG1 vs LG2
*Lugano Diamonds (6) def *BCI/Alliant (4.5)
9:30am @ Tonkawa - Wilson
Umps: P. Blake / K. Huddleston
3rd Man /Timer: E. Markell
*Please bring 1 ump horse

Game 4
LG1 vs WG2
*QR Jets (7) def *Propaganda (6)
10:30am @ Tonkawa - Wilson
​Umps: M. Pascual / E. Ezcurra
3rd Man/Timer: E. Markell
*Please bring 1 ump horse

​Shootout Following Games if Needed

Sunday November 19
Finals
Lugano Diamonds (6) def QR Jets (5)
2:00pm @ HPC - Farish
​Umps: M. Pascual / K. Huddleston
3rd Man: E. Ezcurra
Timer: E. Tooth
*Please bring 1 ump horse

TEAMS

BCI / Alliant
Cara Kennedy 2
Grace Mudra 4
Maddie Grant 6
Lottie Lamacraft 6
Handicap -- 18

Lugano Diamonds
Kendall Plank 3
Tiamo Hudspeth 5
Audry Persano 5
Dayelle Fargey 7
Handicap -- 20

Propaganda
Kaile Roos 3
Malia Bryan 5
Erica Gandomcar-Sachs 5
Alyson Poor 4
Handicap -- 17

QR Jets
Madison Jordan 3
Lily Lequerica 4
KC Krueger 6
Sarah Wiseman 7
Handicap -- 20

OUTDOOR RULE 2a: Substitutions
(i) If during bracket a game of a tournament, a player is hurt DURING a game, a player (with equal or lesser handicap) in the same tournament can finish the game. BUT for all games following, only eligible substitutes (players not in the tournament) can sub. This will apply to players with handicaps from B to 10 goals to help teams when they are playing on remote fields. 

(ii) After bracket play, so either in Quarterfinals, Semifinals or Finals, if a player is injured or ill and can't start or becomes injured during game, an eliminated player of equal or lesser handicap may substitute for that game and/or the remainder of the tournament. An eliminated player is someone who has completed their final game in that tournament.

OUTDOOR RULE 14.b (the Buzzer Beater)
b.(i) A ball hit prior to the second bell or 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 between the goal posts (a “Buzzer-Beater)”.

(ii) If any player on either team touches a potential "Buzzer-Beater" with their mallet, body, or horse, the whistle is blown and the ball is dead at the spot of the whistle

(iii) If a foul occurs after a potential "Buzzer Beater" is hit, a whistle will be blown, and if a penalty is called, it will be played out at the beginning of the next period

(iv) In the final period or OT period, if a foul occurs while a "Buzzer-Beater" shot is live, and a penalty is called, then the penalty will be played out immediately, and 5 seconds will be added to the clock.

IX. OPTIONAL TOURNAMENT CONDITION FOR FAIR PLAY THROW-IN 
Notwithstanding USPA Outdoor Rules 21.l, 22.e, and 22.e(4), which remain in force, if the Umpire or Umpires stop play due to an inadvertent whistle, a damaged or buried ball, a fallen or injured Umpire, player or horse, or some other perceived emergency or unexpected event, and the team in possession of the ball is significantly disadvantaged by the interruption of play, to be determined by the Umpires in their discretion, that team will be awarded possession in an “undefended throw-in” from the point where the ball was considered dead toward the nearer side boards or side lines. In the event this point does not allow sufficient room for the teams to line up on the field, the Umpire shall throw the ball in, in the same manner, from the nearest point that allows it. 
 
In an undefended throw-in, the Umpire shall announce “fair play throw-in to the [color] team” and line the teams up with the team not getting possession at least one horselength wide of the line along which the ball will be thrown. When the ball is thrown in, only the team awarded possession may play the ball, but it must do so immediately, and no member of the other team shall affect that play. As used in the prior sentence, the word “immediately” means within 5 seconds of the throw-in, and the phrase “affect that play” describes conduct that includes but is not limited to being within a one horse-length radius of the first play by the team awarded possession. If a member of the team awarded possession does not play the ball immediately or a member of the other team affects the first play by the team awarded possession, the Umpire(s) may award an appropriate penalty ​