Bocce (BOTCH-ee) is the Italian iteration of French pétanque and British lawn bowling. Portable sets are ideal for games on the go—especially on a sandy beach.
Eight large balls (made of resin, in two colors) and one small pallino, or “jack,” the target ball.
Toss the large balls so they land as close as possible to the pallino.
An official court is 60 to 90 feet long and roughly 12 feet wide, on a level surface (gravel, dirt, clay, or grass can be used). A center line is marked, as are foul lines, at 4 and 10 feet from each end and one foot in from each side. Unofficially, a level patch of grass or sand works just fine.
Each player (or team) has four balls. Standing at the 4-foot line, a player tosses the pallino past the center line and then tosses a bocce ball. Next, the opponent tosses, trying to get closer to the pallino than the first player. This player keeps tossing until a ball has landed closer or no balls remain. The game continues until both teams have thrown all four balls. The winner begins the next frame at the other end of the court.
A player (or team) scores one point for each ball that is closer to the pallino than any of the opponent’s. Thus, only one side scores (up to four points) per frame. The game ends when a player (or team) earns 12 points.
