Backyard Bocce

Bocce ball is a game somewhat similar to outdoor bowling.  According to wikipedia, bocce originated in Italy and bocce is the plural of the Italian word boccia, which translates as "bowl".  Bocce is commonly played across most of Europe, and around the world where Italian immigrants have settled.  We all remember that Sopranos episode where Tony Saprano puts a hit on Sammy Junior after a heated bocce ball defeat.

Here in good ole' Missouri, we don't take the game quite as seriously, but my friends and I enjoy playing and have gotten pretty competitive about it.  In the United States, it's a little more difficult to find actual courts like the ones in the second picture of this step (a public domain image from wikipedia) that would be used for tournament play, so my friends and I mostly play in each other's backyards.  When we first began playing, it was difficult to find good instructions and information on how to play, so I thought I would attempt to document our process a bit.

Step 1: The Bocce Balls

The Pallino- The small ball, often colored white or yellow, which is roughly half the size of the rest of the bocce balls.  The pallino (also can be called a jack) can either be thrown overhanded or underhanded.

Le Bocce- The eight larger balls, there are usually 4 red and 4 green in most sets (blue in these pictures).  The different colored balls are thrown by the different teams.  The like-colored balls are often subdivided into stripes and circles or other markings to determine not only team, but individual(s) who threw them.  Bocce can be thrown or rolled, however they must be released underhanded.

Comments

[bocceballfan]

Some interesting information here. I have just started playing bocce and have been learning a lot from

[Osquar]

This game is known to me as boule, it's quite popular we even had the swedish championships in august :)
There is even a bar called Boule Bar, highly recommended if you ever get to Stockholm =)

[cory.smith]

Very good instructable! There are a lot of courts in Minnesota, and there are even clubs! That's where I was introduced to the game, and I brought it back to Missouri and my family loves it! And as mentioned in the other comments, we use string or some other measuring device (a stick).

[andycyca]

Oh, I see! It's very similar to Petanque. You could use it as a reference.

[yokozuna]

Yes, the main difference is that Petanque uses metal balls, while Bocceuses some sort of resin balls.  Petanque is mainly played inFrance, the French term for Bocce is Boule Lyonnaise.

[andycyca]

I didn't know that. I've always played Petanque because there are manyFrench where I live. Thanks for correcting me

[yokozuna]

I did some further research on this, and apparently I wasn't entirely correct.  Petanque requires metal balls, and bocce normally uses resin balls, but bocce can also be made of metal (or wood in olden days).  The only real differences I can find is that high level bocce players run towards the court as they throw instead of standing still as Petanque requires.  Also, Petanque balls are generally slightly smaller.  That being said, only the pros really seem use running throws, most bocce players just stand at the foul line the same as Petanque players.

[okoshima]

i say, good show 5*

[yokozuna]

Domo Arigotou Gozaimes, Okoshima-san. :)

[okoshima]

would be great if i spoke Japanese...
I'm English through and through...  nothing I enjoy more than fish chips and a cup o tea...

[caitlinsdad]

I think some players just use a string to measure since it is justrelative to the marker.  I was expecting a "BocceMadness" clip.

[papernfire]

This game is even more fun if you play in the dark with glowing Boccesets.  You can't see the terrain very well but you can see theballs.  Check out the glowing sets at www.playaboule.com for a great source and videos of the glowing Bocce sets.

[Ninzerbean]

 Let's just say that I have side yard that gets no sun and it'salways just a bit of grass and dirt, it is lined on both sides by a walland a house (mine and mine), my question is could I install fake grasshere for a bocce court? I mean I know I could but I would like to put ina surface that is just right, it gets so much shade real grass won'tgrow. I have been thinking about this for about a year now but don'tknow who to ask - perfect 'ible. 5*'s  My all time great score at ayard sale were antique bocce balls that were the guy's grandmother'sfrom like 1901. $5, wooden with big "X"'s on half. They sit onmy mantle.

[yokozuna]

http://www.bocce.org/court.html

It tells the exact specifications for a good court! :)  Ofcourse, you can modify their instructions to fit your alloted space andany other special considerations you may have.

[V-Man737]

"Resistance... Is... Not... Futile!"

"Shut up and eat your transistors, Hugh!"

[ItsTheHobbs]

Cool. Although I personally prefer all terrain bocce. This is funto play in woods.

[Lithium Rain]

Awesome!