BOCCE RULES OF PLAY
EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PLAY A GAME
1 Palino (small white ball)
2 sets of bocce balls (4 red colored, 4 green colored)
1 measuring can or tape measure
OBJECT OF THE GAME
For your team to get your bocce balls closer to the pallino than your opponents
TEAMS
There are 2 teams per court
We generally play with 4 members per team, however, teams may be fielded as follows.
4 member team, 2 members are on each end of the court
2 member team, 1 member on each end of the court
COLOR OF BALLS
Once teams have been established, the color of balls a team uses may be determined by mutual consent or by a flip of a coin, except in tournament play where color of balls are assigned by Tournament Director by the Tournament Director.
DETERMINING WHO STARTS GAME
Which team goes first may be decided by mutual consent or by a flip of a coin, except in tournament play where Tournament Director assigns starting.
SCORING
Balls of the same color closest to the pallino will receive 1 point for each ball closer than the opponent’s closest ball
Game ends when one team reaches 12 points
In tournament, disputes will be settled by the Tournament Director whose decision is final
START THE GAME
One member of a team is selected to start the game and steps into the court, but must not cross over the red line or foul line in preparation to throw the pallino (white ball).
When throwing any ball in tournament play, the player must not step over the red line as this will result in a penalty, and the ball removed from play.
That team member throws the pallino (white ball) across the center white line but not past the foul white line at the opposite end of the court. Pallino stopping on the line is in play.
If the starting team member is unable after two tries to throw the pallino correctly, the opposing team then throws the pallino but does not receive a point for the opposing team’s error.
The team member that successfully threw the pallino then throws a team ball, after the pallino stops rolling, trying to get it as close as possible to the pallino.
One opposition team member then throws one of their team balls trying to get it closer to the pallino the opponent’s team ball.
PROGRESSION OF GAME
After one member from each team has thrown a ball, who goes next is determined by which team has its ball closest to the pallino.
That team’s ball that is further away throws the next ball.
Thereafter, the team’s ball that is further away throws a ball until one of their team’s balls is closer than the opposing team or all four balls have been thrown.
Each member of a team alternates throwing their balls until all four balls have been thrown.
After all four balls on each team have been throwing, count the number of ball one team has closest to the pallino that the closest opposing team ball and score one point for each ball.
The play then goes to the end of the court to the other team members.
The team that scored last goes first.
Play alternates from one end of the court to the other until one team accumulates 12 points.
RULES OF GAME IN PROGRESS
Throwing the ball while game is in progress:
You may throw your ball straight at the pallino or the opponent’s ball to get your ball closer to the pallino.
You may bank your ball off the side rail to get closer to the pallino.
You may hit the pallino to move it closer to your team’s balls.
If your ball hits the back rail without hitting the pallino or another ball, that ball is disqualified and removed from the court during that round of play.
After both teams have thrown all four balls, you determine which team’s balls are closest and score accordingly.
When a team scores 12 points, game is over, however, all remaining balls must be thrown.
Throwing a ball before pallino stops rolling is the same as an unsuccessful pallino throw.
Any player playing the wrong colored ball will have the ball replaced where has comes to rest with the right color ball with no penalty.
To start a new game, the players change sides.
DISPUTE ON WHICH BALL IS CLOSER
If it cannot be determined visually, you must measure the distance of both teams balls using the “measuring can and string or a tape measure”.
Measure the distance to the inside edge of the ball.
After all balls have been thrown, if two balls are equal distance to the pallino they cancel each other out and the next closest ball gets the point.
While throwing the balls, if two balls are equal distance to the pallino, the team throwing continues to throe as his ball failed to get closer to the pallino.
Play continues following the Rules of Game in Progress.
Rev.5/2010