🎯Rules Pétanque

Pétanque is a boules game that originated in Provence and is played on most stabilized gravel surfaces. Players throw metal balls to land them as close as possible to a small wooden target ball called the jack (cochonnet). It can be played as singles, doubles, or triples.

Place your boules closer to the jack than the opposing team's, throwing with both feet together inside a circle. The team that reaches the required points total first wins the game.

• •The jack is thrown 6 m minimum and 10 m maximum from the circle (seniors category).
• •Throw your boules keeping both feet on the ground and entirely inside the circle.
• •The team that does not hold the boule closest to the jack throws next, until it regains the advantage or runs out of boules.
• •You can 'point' (place a boule close) or 'shoot' (knock away an opponent's boule).
• •Depending on the format: 3 boules per player in singles and doubles, 2 boules per player in triples.
• •At the end of an end, only the team with the closest boule(s) scores points.

At the end of each end, the closest boules to the jack are compared. The team with the closest boule scores 1 point for each boule placed better than the opponent's best boule. Only one team scores per end (from 1 to 6 points depending on the format). Points accumulate until the winning score is reached.

Pétanque is not timed but played in successive ends. A game is usually played to 13 points; some competitions (qualifying rounds, pools) are played to 11 points. The number of ends is not fixed: play continues until one team reaches the required total.

The first team to reach the agreed points total (13 points, or 11 depending on the competition stage) wins the game.