The Rules of Boules

The Rules of Boules

Boules. Whenever you're in France you'll likely will see a game of boules being played either in little villages or main town squares or even be asked to join in on a game of boules. It's a popular game played by old and young. I originally thought it may be preferred by the older generation but in our village, children and young adults all play in the terrain (single playing ground) behind our local Tabac or at the boulodrome when inter-commune championships are held.

In our village Breton Boules is played which is particular to our region with different rules and not with the metallic boules, but a larger resin ball. (More on Breton Boules coming in a future post). 

Boules or pétanque as it's also called, is oft played with a pastis or cider in hand and onlookers are welcomed. If you are invited to join in a game, the rules will be swiftly explained and you'll be handed a set of metallic balls. 

Games are played on grit or sandy pitches that are flat and edged by concrete. The end of each pitch is bordered with wooden planks to stop any fast flying balls. In a boulodrome the numerous terrains or pitches are divided by low concrete barriers (kerbs) and the space between the terrains is where spectators sit and watch with their feet safely behind the concrete kerb.  

The objective of boules is to win by throwing your balls to land closer to the small wooden ball than those of your opponent. Cochonnet  literally means piglet, but the little wooden ball is also known as a jack or target ball. 

The Rules of Boules or Pétanque:

1. Games are played with 2 teams that can be made up of 1, 2 or 3 players. If you are playing with teams of 1 or 2 players you use 3 boules and in teams of 3 you use 2 boules per player.
2. To decide which team starts, a coin is generally tossed and the winning team of the toss throws the cochonnet between 6 to 10 metres away keeping away from trees and obstacles. The cochonnet must not land within 1 metre of an obstacle or it will need to be thrown again.
3. This starting team also draws a circle or area usually about 0.5 metres in the grit (unless a circle has already been drawn or a hoop placed on the ground) from which teams will throw from.
4. Now the toss winning team steps into the circle and throws the first boule aiming for as close to, but not touching the cochonnet. In friendly games it's often not essential to keep your feet together touching the ground until your boule has landed, but in serious games, this will be expected. The boule can be thrown with palm facing up or down; however throwing with the palm down gives you more control of the spin. Aiming to get your boule closely in front of the cochonnet will make it more difficult for other players to get their boule close. 
5. The other team's member now steps into the circle and throws aiming to get their boule closer to the cochonnet than that of the first team. This can be done in two ways: a player may 'point' their boule. This means they will roll their boule trying to get close to the cochonnet; or they may 'shoot'. This manoeuvre is where the player tries to hit the opponent's boule away from the cochonnet. This skilful high arch throw (called tirer) is spectacular to watch with excellent strength and aim on display. The loud sound of a boule hit with force by another boule on the full throw is very distinctive.
6. The round is finished once all of the boules have been thrown. The winning team is the one with a boule closest to the jack. That team earns a point for every boule that is closer than the opposing team’s closest boule. The losing team does not get any points.
7. Next a new round is started. The winning team draws a new circle where the jack was in the previous round and that is where both teams must now throw from. The same team will toss the jack and throw the first boule.
8. This process gets repeated until one team reaches 13 points. The first team to reach 13 points wins the game. Many boulodromes have counters hanging on the fence of each terrain to record rounds of the game. 

You can download a 12 page PDF of the official rules of Boules from the Federation of Pétanque below. "These rules are applicable to all territories of the national federations, members of the FIPJP." - Federation of Pétanque

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