You can play poleball without building a 3-pole goal described in the rules and in this website. You can use one of your players as a substitute for a formal goal! So, you can get a chance to play Poleball or at least the feeling of how the game would be fun and exciting if you already play field hockey, soccer or lacrosse and have a field and goals on each end.
All you have to do is the following:
A Field Hockey Team--
You leave your hockey sticks and protective glasses in your lockers. All you need to play are your shoes and a #3 or #4 soccer ball. You use your field as it is marked and you use the shooting circle and the 25 yard line as the lines for determining how many points should be awarded for a successful score on goal. The scoring circle substitutes for the 15 yard arc used in poleball, and the 25 yard line substitutes for the 25 yard arc used in poleball. A score from an attempt farther out than the 25 yard line gets 1 extra point awarded. You put one of your players in front of your goal, and how they are able to catch or touch a shot on goal also helps determine the number of points awarded for the scoring attempt. The scoring is the same as that set out below for a soccer team. Now, you play the game as set out in the Rule Book.
A Soccer Team--
You put your goaltender in the goal where you will score and he/she is substituting for the 3 poles that make up the scoring goal in Poleball. He/she stands on the endline at about midpoint of the goal. Now, to score you throw or kick the ball to him/her from outside the Penalty area that is already marked on your soccer field. The Penalty area markings are a substitute for the 15 yard arc used in Poleball. The goaltender then has to catch or touch the ball that is thrown or kicked at him/her, and has to do so with both feet on the ground. If he/she catches or touches the ball with both hands it scores 2 points. If he/she has to stretch out and can only catch or touch the ball with one hand, it is a score of 1 point. The goaltender can't move his/her feet once the ball is thrown or kicked, but must keep both feet planted as they were just before the throw or kick was made. If the goaltender lifts one or both feet off the ground in making the catch or touch, there is no score and the ball goes over to the other team as a turnover, out of bounds by the goal. It would be helpful in getting a more accurate scoring award if you have the goaltender stand on a 1" x 12" board about 15 inches long or something else about that size when catching the scoring attempt.
To have a more challenging scoring plan you can score 3 points if the ball is caught or touched with one or two hands or feet or his/her body within the imaginary cylinder encompassing the goaltender and having its diameter being the width of the goaltenders shoulders. Then score 2 points if he/she can catch or touch the ball with two hands or one foot if the ball is outside the imaginary cylinder. Finally, score 1 point if the ball goes through the space between the two imaginary lines above the goaltenders hands when his/her outstretched arms are bent at the elbows and the forearms are pointing upwards.
A Lacrosse Team-
You put your goaltender in front of the lacrosse goal on the circle that is 3 yards out from the goal and the players throw or kick the ball to the goaltender from behind the line marking the attack area. The line setting out the attack area substitutes for the 15 yard arc used in Poleball. The scoring of the throw or kick is the same as that set out above for a soccer team.