Bocce developed from a similar game played by the Egyptians as early as 5000 B.C. using polished stones. The game eventually spread throughout the Roman and Greek empires. The first official modern bocce clubs were formed in Italy in the mid 1940s, and only golf and soccer enjoy more participants worldwide, according to the United States Bocce Federation.
Players and Equipment
Tournament bocce games are played as singles, doubles, triples or with four-person teams. Each team needs a set of four balls of different colors, and one team must provide a target ball, called a pallino. In triple play, each team uses six balls instead of four. Official tournament courts sanctioned by the USBF measure 86.92 feet by 13.12 feet.
Game Start
Before the game, the team winning a coin toss chooses which side of the court to start on and the color of its balls. The winning team also begins with the pallino. A player from the team must toss the pallino past the center line without the ball touching the back wall on the opposite side of the court. After a failed attempt at playing the pallino, the opposite team will have a chance to toss it into play. The pallino toss alternates between teams until one team successfully puts it in play.
Continuing Play
A member of the team that successfully played the pallino plays the first ball. The same team continues to toss or roll until it scores a point by putting the ball into play without touching the backboard or going out of bounds. The next team tosses until they place a ball closer to the pallino. Play continues until all balls have been played.
Ties
Balls may be measured at any time by one team member with the other players remaining on their end of the court. The official makes the final call in case of near-ties. In the event of a tie, where two balls sit an equal distance from the pallino, the last team to toss should toss again to break the tie. If a tie remains after all balls have been played, no points will be awarded in the frame, and the most recent team to score starts a new frame by tossing the pallino from the opposite side of the court.
Dead Balls
A ball that hits the backboard without first making contact with another ball is considered dead and should be removed from the court. If a dead ball strikes another ball after hitting the backboard, the struck ball should be returned to its original position. A frame is voided with no awarded points if the pallino is knocked out of play or rolls back in front of the center line. The same team who started the voided frame will toss the pallino again from the other side of the court.
Scoring
In each frame, the team with a ball closest to the pallino after all balls have been played scores one point. The USBF suggests playing regular tournament games to 12 points and final tournament games to 15 points.
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