Bocce is a game that can be played on grass, dirt, sand or even pavement. It is played with either two, four or eight players using eight larger balls and one small ball. Bocce balls are typically made of metal, wood or various types of plastic. The large balls have a diameter of 4 1/5 inches, a circumference of 13 1/2 inches and weigh 2 lbs. 2 oz., according to ModarUniversity.org. The smaller ball, known as the pallino or jack, is about the size and weight of a golf ball. It is easy to set up a game of bocce in your backyard.
Step 1
Section off an area of your backyard to serve as the bocce court. An official bocce ball court measures 76 feet by 12 feet, but you won't likely have that much space, so just play in the area you have. There are no special markers that need to be laid down.
Step 2
Divide the larger bocce balls between the number of players so each one has the same number of balls. Choose who is to go first by coin toss or some other method.
Step 3
Toss the pallino out into the area you have designated as the court. The player who won the coin toss throws the pallino and throws the first bocce ball.
Step 4
Throw, bounce or roll the bocce ball out toward the pallino. The object is to land your bocce ball as close to the pallino as possible. Hitting the pallino is allowed within the rules. Each player takes turns throwing their bocce balls to the pallino until all the balls are on the court.
Step 5
Walk to the pallino and tally up the scores. The player whose ball is closest to the pallino is considered "inside" and is awarded one point for every ball that is closer to the pallino than any of the opponents' balls.
Step 6
Gather up the bocce balls and begin a new frame, with a new player tossing the pallino. Bocce ball games can be played to 11, 13 or 15 points.
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