As a decentralized and organically growing game, the rules and styles of Hardcourt Bike Polo may vary substantially from city to city. The North American Bike Polo Association has created an official set of rules for North America, which has been influential to standardizing rules world-wide. Since 2009, various governing bodies have been created within the polo community for the purposes of advancing the sport and creating rule sets. The North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Association (NAHBPA) and European Hardcourt (EHBP) are the prime organizations, but there are others such as the Australasian Hardcourt (AHBP) and Bici Polo Latinoamerica (BPLA) organizations coming up as Bike polo spreads to other continents and countries all over the world. There are currently two types of tournament formats in hardcourt bike polo: 3v3 and Squad.  3v3 is the more traditional format of hardcourt bike polo, where 2 teams of 3 players play against each other. An alternate format is Squad, where 2 teams of anywhere from 5-6 players play against each other. In Squad format, there are still 3 players on each team on the court at one time, but there is a bench of players that can be substituted throughout the game. Squad format games tend to be longer in duration, typically 30–60 minutes. There is usually a team captain in charge of substitutions, who may or may not be a player. Rather than use traditional wooden polo mallets, Hardcourt Bike Polo players started making handmade mallets in the spirit of the DIY ethic. Since then, a number of companies have appeared, which are producing more distinct equipment, specifically for bike polo. Typical mallets are constructed using heads made from UHMW, and aluminium shafts similar to ski poles. The ball used in bike polo is typically made from PVC and is identical to a Street Hockey ball. In 2012, the company, Fixcraft, team up with D-Gel, makers of hockey products, to produce the first official bike polo ball. Some players make wheel covers out of corrugated plastic, polycarbonate, plastic netting, or even thick fabrics to protect spokes and create solid blocking surfaces. Many of these covers are painted with elaborate designs to help identify riders or their city's club. Low gear ratio single-speed bikes have advantages for quick acceleration and control on a small court. Although any bike is acceptable for the game, eventually most players customize their bikes especially for bike polo and their playing needs.