Petanque, pronounced "pay-tahnk," is a French game similar to the Italian game of bocce. In petanque, players throw or roll metal balls, called "boules," in an attempt to land one nearest the "jack," a wooden ball that serves as a target. Players are also allowed to try to knock other player's boules away from the jack or to knock the jack away from other player's boules or closer to their own. The rules are simple but the strategy is as complicated as you wish to make it, making petanque a great family game.
How to Play Petanque
Step 1
Mark the boundaries of the playing area. Playing areas are usually about 13 feet wide and 49 feet long. The playing area can be on any surface that will not be damaged by the metal boules and where people or pets will not be hit. If there are obstacles in the playing area, they add to the challenge of the game and cannot be removed.
Step 2
Draw a circle about half a 2 feet in diameter at one of the short ends of the playing area. This is where each player will throw his or her boules from.
Step 3
Designate two teams of players. Each team can have one, two, or three players. If there are one or two players on a team, each receives three boules; if there are three, each receives two boules. Flip a coin to decide who will play first.
Step 4
Choose which player on the team going first will throw first. This player stands inside the circle and throws the jack. The jack must land within ten meters of the circle and should be at least one meter from each side. This player then throws or rolls his or her first boule, trying to get it as close to the jack as possible.
Step 5
Choose the first person to play from the opposing team. This person takes a turn, standing inside the circle and throwing or rolling a boule toward the jack. He or she may also try to knock the first player's boule away from the jack or to knock the jack away from the first player's boule.
Step 6
Determine whose boule is closer to the jack. The remaining members of this team each throw their boules.
Step 7
Choose the player from the opposing team who will go first. This team then throws its boules.
Step 8
Tally the score. The team with a boule closest to the jack earns one point for the closest boule and one point for each boule that is closer to the jack than the opposing team's closest boule.
Step 9
Choose a player from the winning team to draw a new circle about half a meter across, using the jack as the center. This player then throws the jack again and a new round begins. The first team to earn 13 points wins.
Tips and Warnings
- Use marked boules or boules of different colors to help you keep track of who threw which boule.
Things You'll Need
- 2 to 3 metal boules per player
- 1 wooden jack
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