Bocce and Pétanque
The Observatory Almanac — Universal Rulebook
Bocce and pétanque are kissing cousins from Mediterranean antiquity — both descend from ancient ball-tossing traditions practiced across the Roman world and earlier. Both involve throwing or rolling balls toward a small target ball. Yet they differ substantially in technique, terrain, and tactical texture. Bocce, the Italian form, is played on a dedicated court with rolling throws. Pétanque, the Provençal form, uses a distinctive feet-together throw and embraces rougher natural terrain. Together they represent one of the world's great families of target sports, accessible to all ages and sizes.
Bocce
Overview
Bocce (pronounced "BOH-chay," from the Italian for "bowls") is played between two teams of one, two, or four players. The goal is simple: get your bocce balls closer to the pallino (the small target ball) than your opponent's balls. Rounds are called "frames," and points accumulate across frames until one team reaches the winning score.
Equipment
- Bocce balls: Each team uses four bocce balls (pallini, or "bocce"), either metal or hard resin, each 107mm in diameter. Team balls are distinguished by color or pattern.
- Pallino: A small target ball, approximately 40mm in diameter, white or yellow. Also called the jack, boccino, or cino.
Court Dimensions
The standard bocce court is a long rectangular court of compacted sand, clay, or packed gravel:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ←————————————— 76.2 feet (approx 23.2m) ————————→│
│ │
│ [foul line] [foul line] │
│ [pallino throw line] │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↕ 13 feet (approximately 4m) wide
Official court dimensions (Bocce Standards Association): - Length: 76.2 feet (23.2 meters) — sometimes listed as 60 to 90 feet depending on governing body - Width: 13 feet (approximately 4 meters) - End boards (backboards): Raised edges at each end - Side boards: Rails along the length
Foul lines: Marked across the court. The pallino must cross the center of the court when thrown; bocce balls must be thrown from behind the foul line at the throwing end.
The pallino throw line: The pallino may be thrown to any position in the far half of the court (beyond the center line), but must not strike the back wall. If it does, it is re-thrown.
Starting a Game
A coin toss determines which team throws the pallino first. The pallino-throwing team also throws the first bocce ball.
The pallino thrower stands behind the foul line and tosses the pallino toward the far end. The pallino must: - Cross the center line of the court - Not strike the back wall - Come to rest at least 12 inches from any side wall (in formal competition)
If the pallino is incorrectly thrown, the opposing team throws it. If they also fail, the first team throws again.
Throwing the Bocce Balls
After the pallino is placed, teams alternate throwing bocce balls. The team currently not holding the point (i.e., not closest to the pallino) always throws next, until they either take the point or exhaust their balls. Then the other team throws if they have balls remaining.
Throwing styles: - Pointing (approccio): A rolling or lobbing throw intended to stop the ball as close to the pallino as possible. - Shooting (raffing, or volo): A high-arc throw designed to knock away the opponent's ball or the pallino. Also called a "spock" (to knock out a ball).
There is no restriction on throwing style. Players may roll, lob, or shoot at will.
Legal throw: The player must release the ball from behind the foul line. The ball must stay in bounds. If a ball goes out of bounds, it is removed from play for that frame.
Pallino struck by bocce: If a bocce ball moves the pallino, the pallino stays in its new position. Play continues normally. This is a major strategic element — moving the pallino away from the opponent's cluster can win a frame.
Ball touching back wall: In many rule sets, a bocce ball that touches the back wall is a dead ball and is removed. In others, it remains in play. This should be agreed before the game.
Scoring
Only one team scores per frame — the team whose bocce ball is closest to the pallino.
That team scores one point for each ball that is closer to the pallino than the closest opponent ball.
Example: Team A's closest ball is 10 inches from the pallino. Team A also has a second ball at 15 inches and a third at 22 inches. Team B's closest ball is 18 inches away. - Team A scores 2 points (their 10-inch ball and their 15-inch ball are both closer than Team B's closest ball of 18 inches). - Team A's 22-inch ball does not score (farther than Team B's 18-inch ball).
Distances are measured from the center of the bocce ball to the center of the pallino.
Tied balls: If a ball from each team is equidistant from the pallino, no points are scored for that frame (a wash/tie). All equidistant balls cancel each other out.
Winning
Standard bocce games are played to 12 points (some organizations use 15 or 16). The first team to reach the target score wins.
Playing Positions (4-player teams)
With four players per team, two stand at each end of the court. After each frame, teams switch ends — the players at the far end now throw in the next frame, with their partners waiting at the other end. This ensures both partners throw from each end across the game.
Fouls
- Foot fault: Releasing the ball while over the foul line.
- Out of turn: Throwing when it is not your team's turn.
- Interference: Touching a ball in play (results in the touched ball being placed where it would have come to rest, at the referee's discretion, or removed from play, depending on rules).
Pétanque
Overview
Pétanque (from the Occitan pès tancats, "feet together") originated in the Provence region of France in the early twentieth century. It is played on rough natural ground, gravel, or a dedicated piste. The defining characteristic is the throwing stance: both feet must remain together on the ground throughout the throw, never leaving their starting position.
Pétanque is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FIPJP) and played competitively in over 50 countries.
Equipment
- Boules: Metal balls, hollow or semi-solid, 70.5–80mm diameter, 650–800g weight. Each player uses two or three boules depending on team size.
- Cochonnet (jack): A small wooden ball approximately 30mm in diameter. Also called the but ("target" in French).
Team Sizes
- Tête-à-tête (singles): 1 vs. 1, each player uses 3 boules.
- Doublette (doubles): 2 vs. 2, each player uses 3 boules.
- Triplette (triples): 3 vs. 3, each player uses 2 boules.
The Terrain (Piste)
Pétanque is intentionally played on rough, imperfect ground. Formal competition uses a piste of packed gravel or sand approximately 4 meters wide and 15 meters long. Casual play adapts to whatever ground is available. The irregular surface is part of the game.
Starting Play
A circle approximately 35–50cm in diameter is drawn in the ground (or a circle disk placed). The starting player stands inside this circle with both feet on the ground, feet together or apart but both within the circle, and throws the cochonnet.
Cochonnet throw: Must land between 6 and 10 meters from the throwing circle (competitive distance). Must be at least 1 meter from any boundary and 50cm from any obstacle.
Throwing Stance and Style
The mandatory rule: Both feet must remain on the ground within the throwing circle throughout the entire throw and until the thrown boule lands. Players may not step, hop, or run up to the throw. This is the defining physical constraint of pétanque.
Throwing styles: - Pointer (pointeur): Throws the boule with backspin or minimal spin to make it roll gently to rest near the cochonnet. A poussette is a low roll; a portée is a higher arc that lands and stops. - Shooter (tireur): Throws with high arc and backspin to knock the opponent's boule or the cochonnet. An accomplished tireur can reliably hit a stationary boule from 8–10 meters.
Most teams include at least one dedicated shooter and one dedicated pointer.
Turn Order
The team that does not hold the point throws next (same principle as bocce). The team that threw the cochonnet throws the first boule. If they hold the point after their throw, the other team throws until they take the point or exhaust their boules. Then the first team throws, and so on.
Scoring
After all boules are thrown, the team closest to the cochonnet scores one point per boule closer to the cochonnet than the opponent's nearest boule. Only one team scores per round (mène).
This is identical in principle to bocce scoring.
Winning
Games are played to 13 points. The first team to reach 13 wins.
Fanny: If one team wins 13–0, the losing team is said to have "fanny" — and in Provençal tradition, this involves a humiliating ceremony that varies by local custom.
Key Rules
- Thrown boule off-piste: Dead ball, removed from play.
- Cochonnet off-piste: If the cochonnet goes out of bounds and neither team can recover it, the mène is canceled; if one team has exhausted their boules and the other has boules remaining, the remaining team scores one point per remaining boule.
- Bouler (kissing the jack): When a boule comes to rest touching the cochonnet. Still scored normally — touching is not special treatment.
- Dead ball area: Any ball resting more than 1.5m beyond the cochonnet is a dead ball in some formal rules.
Bocce vs. Pétanque: Key Differences
| Feature | Bocce | Pétanque |
|---|---|---|
| Court | Defined rectangle, enclosed | Open natural ground (piste) |
| Throwing | Running step allowed | Feet must stay in circle |
| Ball material | Resin or metal | Metal (hollow or solid) |
| Ball size | ~107mm | 70.5–80mm |
| Game to | 12 points | 13 points |
| Target ball name | Pallino | Cochonnet |
| Team sizes | 1, 2, or 4 per team | 1, 2, or 3 per team |
| Terrain variation | Minimal (flat court) | Embraced (rough ground) |
The Observatory Almanac — rules compiled from the Bocce Standards Association (BSA), World Bocce League, and Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FIPJP).