History of Bocce T Ossing the Pallino

1 Official Rules & Regulations USBF Bocce Open Rules F or Compet itive Bocce Bocce Teams A Compr e h ensive Set of Open R u l e s Teams will be comprised of four players. Two players from each team will be permanently stationed at each end of the court, throwing two bocce balls each. At the end of each frame, the game resumes at the opposite end of the court.

Begin the match with the flip of a coin between the captains of each team. The winner of the coin flip may have the first toss of the pallino (small target ball), or choose the color of the bocce balls.

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History of Bocce Tossing the Pallino Throwing balls toward a target is probably the oldest game known to mankind. As early as The play of the pallino is legal if it passes 5200 B.C. the Egyptians played a form of bocce the center line of the court, is at least 3 with polished rocks. feet off the back board and at least a foot from the side wall. If a player fails to toss The early Romans were among the first to play a game resembling what we know as the pallino properly, the opposing team bocce today. From the early Greek physician will toss the pallino and put it into play. Ipocrates to the great Italian Renaissance man If the opposing team fails to properly toss Galileo, the early participates of bocce have the pallino, the pallino reverts back to the noted that the game’s athleticism and spirit of original team. Any time a player is rolling, competition rejuvenates the body. opposing players must remain outside According to legend, Sir Francis Drake refused the court. to set out to defend England against the Spanish Armada until he finished a game. He proclaimed, “First we finish the game, then Centerline Back Wall we’ll deal with the Armada!”. Thanks to many Italian immigrants at the turn of the century, bocce has come to flourish in the United States. So, cheers to bocce. Throw out a pallino and become part of the long heritage of the game from great thinkers such as Galileo and Da Vinci, to the noble Sir Francis Drake and even America’s own George

Washington. Enjoy the world’s oldest sport, a ossing the Pallino History of Bocce sport known to revive the body and mind. T 5 4

Scoring Foul Lines StartingtheGame Bocce Scoring Foul Lines Starting the Game b o The firstba u u f appro the playandreturnallbocceballstotheir all ballsasisorremovetheillegalballfrom than twoballs,theotherteammayleave If aplayerrollsoutofturnorplaysmore the correctcolorwhenitcomestorest. wrong colorbocceball,simplyreplaceitwith side wallsatanytime.Ifaplayerrollsthe the optionofplayers.Playersmayuse alternating throwsbyteammatesshallbeat to beginthenextframe.Consecutiveor The teamthatscoredlastthrowsthepallino team roll. ball closer b t r h tha equal distancefromthep the closestbocceballofeach teamisat opposing team.Ifattheend ofanyframe p tournament hostmaychange thisnumber is givenforeachballthat Only oneteamscoresinaframe.Onepoint are Players maysteponbutnot bocce ball. l r a a s n i o alli i ne beforerel r ed a l l g t m t l h l o i . T i t l t w normally playedto12or15 points.The n n w ximate position. i a s u h h h o t l l t s t l as throw i e c ey h l t s c y t h n h h , itstepsasideandletstheother an t o t e o e b o i l u i a l i n l w s r b r v F s t o t be t a a h e ab ed t eas u i l n c a Line i e l n fir k boa u l n l bet l closest i a e s d t n h . Wheneverateamgets t s u a g e p s ( l st ge thepallinoortheir h l i r n h n e t a d n p t o r l bocceballofthe , t i o l t e l bo ts th i w a n h la a i m is cl o n b e b e y l . I t s l . T i h t ) t e poin over th n a f t y t oser tothe o h u l h e l i , e o h s theball e o a h t r a s r m e t t bo t t p o h s h . Games e foul e e p l m e l a a osi r t c m t a o c g v v e e n a e ed a g i h m n . a t 7 6 Measuring Pallino Fencing Back Wall Balls LeavingtheCourt Bocce BallsHittingtheBackBoard Measuring &Disputes Pallino HittingtheBackBoard b replaced toitsappr a b t t court, theframeisrestarted. court, hitsthefencingorrollsbackpasthalf should bereplaced.Ifthepallinoleaves touched bytheballafterre-enteringcourt and shouldberemovedfromplay fencing andfallsbackintothecourtitisdead If abocceballleavesthecourt,hits r a A ballhittingthebackboardwithout the tournamenthost. at anytime.Alldisputeswillberesolvedby T the pallino. of thecourt,withsameteamtossing and playwillresumefromtheoppositeend front ofthecenterline,framewillend knock the game.However play evenifithitsthebackboardduring Once thepallinoisinplay hro h e sta n all isr all andhitsthebackboardandthenstr eam captainsmaymeasureanybocceballs m e backboard, y oth oved w tionar n boc ed outofthecourt,orisknock emoved er ballfir fromplay y ce ball b all, th frompl a st isd l l o d boc . Ifith ximate position. at stationar oes notfirsttou , ifthepallinois ce ba ead a y . its aball

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Late Arrivals & Substitutions Bocce Glossary Bocce - The name of the game and also the name of the ball the A team not showing within ten minutes teams try to get close to the pallino. of the scheduled starting time, loses two Pallino - The small ball that is used as the target. Sometimes points, and an additional two points for referred to as the jack or pauline. each five minute increment thereafter. Punta - A point shot where a person rolls their bocce to get close A team not showing up within thirty to the pallino. minutes of the scheduled starting time Raffa - Also known as a spock or hit. It is where a player attempts forfeits the game. to knock either a bocce or the pallino out of position by throwing a ball hard at the target. A team missing Volo - Used mainly in international rules. A shot where the player attempts to hit the target ball without contacting the ground first. players at the start Open Rules - A common version of the game where the only of the game may disallowed shot is when a bocce touches the back wall without play, however, touching any other balls on the playing surface. each player may International Rules - A more complicated form of bocce where only roll two shots must be called and stricter rules governing play are in effect. bocce balls. (A These rules are used in the national and world championships. player arriving Rule of Advantage - When an illegal play is called the other team can decide whether to let the ball stay as it lies or put everything late may enter a back to the way it was before the illegal shot took place. game, but only after Brass Balls - A variation of bocce that uses hollow brass balls. Late Arrivals the completion of the game.) A team CBI - (Confederatione de Bocce Internacional) This is a major may make one substitution per game. governing body of bocce worldwide. They run the world Substitutions may only be made championships of bocce. Bocce Glossary between frames. USBF - (United States Bocce Federation) This is the major governing body of bocce in the U.S. They run the national championships of bocce.

Court Dimensions

A & A1 - The back walls of the court. B & B1 - The foul line for point (punta) shots and hitting (raffa) C & C1 - Not used for open rules. In international rules it is the foul line for hitting a volo shot. D & D1 - The furthest a person can walk after a point shot. In international rules a raffa shot must not hit the ground before this line. E & E1 - The midpoint of the court and the furthest a person can run after a hit.

Special Circumstances Valid pallino toss - must be between E and B1 (or E1 and B if coming from the other direction.) Volo shots - In international rules a ball between E and D1 (or E1 and D) must be hit in the volo style only.