Boules
Encyclopedia
Boules is a collective name for games played with metal balls.
Two of the most played boule games are pétanque
and boule lyonnaise
. The aim of the game is to get large, heavy balls as close to the 'jack' as you can. It is very popular especially in France
, but also Italy
, where it may often be seen played in any open space in villages and towns. It is also similar to 'bocce
' and 'bowls
'.
Size of boules and cochonnet: Boules should have a diameter of 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in), ideally made of steel, and weighing between 650 to 800 g (1.4 to 1.8 lb). They should be marked so each player can tell which boules belong to them. The cochonnet should be made of wood, about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter.
Choosing the throwing place: Toss a coin to choose which team plays first. Any player in this team chooses where to draw a circle on the ground in which every player will stand to throw their boules. The circle should be about 0.5m in diameter and at least 1m from any obstacle (wall, tree, edge of playing area, etc).
Throwing the cochonnet: He/she then throws the cochonnet between 4m and 8m, or 6 to 10 paces from the circle in any direction. It also must not be closer than 1m from any obstacle.
The first boule: Any player from the first team then throws the first boule, trying to get it as close as possible to the "cochonnet" without touching it. Both feet must stay together on the ground and within the circle while throwing and until the boule has landed.
The other team: A player from the other team then steps into the circle and tries to place a boule closer to the cochonnet than their opponent, or to knock the opponent's boule away. You must throw within 1 minute of your turn starting. The boule nearest to the cochonnet is said to be "holding the point".
Who plays when: The players in the team that is not “holding” continue throwing until they place a boule closest to the cochonnet, and so on. Players on the same team do not have to take alternate throws, but player must always play their own boules.
When one team has no more boules: When a team has no more boules to be played, the players of the other team throw theirs and try to place them as close as possible to the cochonnet.
Counting the points: When both teams have no more boules, you stop and count up the points. The winning team scores one point for each boule nearer the cochonnet than the opponents closest. Only one team can score points in each round.
Starting the next round: A player from the team that has won throws the cochonnet from a new circle drawn round the cochonnet's last position. The winners are the first team to reach 13 points (or whatever total you decide).
Two of the most played boule games are pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
and boule lyonnaise
Boule Lyonnaise
Boule Lyonnaise is a popular French form of bowls, and may be the oldest of the French Boules sports....
. The aim of the game is to get large, heavy balls as close to the 'jack' as you can. It is very popular especially in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but also Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where it may often be seen played in any open space in villages and towns. It is also similar to 'bocce
Bocce
Bocce is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire...
' and 'bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
'.
Brief rules of pétanque or boules
Size of teams, number of boules: You can play the game with two teams of one, two or three players on each side. With teams of one or two, each player has 3 boules; with teams of 3, each has 2 boules.Size of boules and cochonnet: Boules should have a diameter of 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in), ideally made of steel, and weighing between 650 to 800 g (1.4 to 1.8 lb). They should be marked so each player can tell which boules belong to them. The cochonnet should be made of wood, about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter.
Choosing the throwing place: Toss a coin to choose which team plays first. Any player in this team chooses where to draw a circle on the ground in which every player will stand to throw their boules. The circle should be about 0.5m in diameter and at least 1m from any obstacle (wall, tree, edge of playing area, etc).
Throwing the cochonnet: He/she then throws the cochonnet between 4m and 8m, or 6 to 10 paces from the circle in any direction. It also must not be closer than 1m from any obstacle.
The first boule: Any player from the first team then throws the first boule, trying to get it as close as possible to the "cochonnet" without touching it. Both feet must stay together on the ground and within the circle while throwing and until the boule has landed.
The other team: A player from the other team then steps into the circle and tries to place a boule closer to the cochonnet than their opponent, or to knock the opponent's boule away. You must throw within 1 minute of your turn starting. The boule nearest to the cochonnet is said to be "holding the point".
Who plays when: The players in the team that is not “holding” continue throwing until they place a boule closest to the cochonnet, and so on. Players on the same team do not have to take alternate throws, but player must always play their own boules.
When one team has no more boules: When a team has no more boules to be played, the players of the other team throw theirs and try to place them as close as possible to the cochonnet.
Counting the points: When both teams have no more boules, you stop and count up the points. The winning team scores one point for each boule nearer the cochonnet than the opponents closest. Only one team can score points in each round.
Starting the next round: A player from the team that has won throws the cochonnet from a new circle drawn round the cochonnet's last position. The winners are the first team to reach 13 points (or whatever total you decide).
See also
- BocceBocceBocce is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire...
- BocciaBocciaBoccia is a traditional recreational sport, similar to bocce. The name Boccia is derived from the Latin word for boss – bottia. The sport is competed at national and international level, by athletes who require a wheelchair because of physical disability...
- Boule lyonnaiseBoule LyonnaiseBoule Lyonnaise is a popular French form of bowls, and may be the oldest of the French Boules sports....
- Lawn BowlsBowlsBowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
- PétanquePétanquePétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
- KlootschietenKlootschietenKlootschieten is a sport in the Netherlands and East Frisia, Germany. In the game, participants try to throw a ball as far as they can...
- VarpaVarpaVarpa is an old outdoor game. The game dates back to the Viking Age and survived in Gotland together with several other medieval or Viking games....
- CurlingCurlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...