Bocce ball is a popular game for events ranging from family barbecues to organized tournaments. The game's origins date back to the ancient Egyptians, then spread through the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, and through to the rest of Europe, before landing as a modern backyard favorite in the United States. For the casual player or the competitive athlete, bocce ball combines skill and strategy with the precision of landing objects closest to a target.
Equipment
A bocce set consists of nine balls total, including eight large balls and one small ball. The eight large balls are divided into either two or four different colors or patterns. The small ball, called the pallino (or jack or boccino), is the target for the player's tosses.
Playing surfaces can vary from a grassy lawn to a packed dirt or sand surface to a paved court. An official court measures 86.92 feet by 13.12 feet; however, in "open" games, the playing surface may be of any dimension. The surface should be relatively flat and straight, but slight hills or curves can add to the difficulty of the game.
Players
A game of bocce can consist of two, four or eight players of all ages. With two players, each will throw four of the large balls in attempts to be closest to the pallino. With a four-player game, each player in a team of two will alternate in throwing two balls each. In an eight-player game, players will divide into teams of four, with each person getting one ball to toss.
Playing Rules
Play starts by determining one team to throw the pallino, either through random selection or a coin toss. A player from the first team will then toss the pallino, and follow by trying to roll or toss one of his larger balls as close as possible to the pallino. The second team then attempts to get one of their larger balls closer to the pallino than team one. If team two fails to get a ball closer than the first ball thrown by team one, team two will continue to throw their remaining balls until one becomes closest to the pallino. Once team two is able to land a ball closer to the pallino, team one will again try to get closer. Play continues in this fashion until all balls for each team have been thrown. When attempting to get closer to the pallino, a player may land his ball closest, knock one of his own balls closer, push the opposing team's ball farther away, or roll the pallino closer to his own team's ball. The next frame will begin when all of the balls are collected and the scoring team chooses a member the throw the pallino.
Scoring
Only one team is eligible to score after each frame. The team with the ball closest to the pallino will score one point. That team will score another point for each additional ball that the closer to the pallino than team two's closet ball. A maximum of four points can be scored in each frame, in the instance that one team has all four of its balls closer to the pallino than the other team's closest ball. No points will be awarded if each team's closest ball is equally distant from the pallino. Additional frames continue until the predetermined "winning" score, usually 12 to 16 points, if reached.
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