In the Circle

THE TALK ALL THEOF TALK THE OF THE IN TERRAINTERRAIN THE CIRCLE Follow us on This newsletter is also Edition No 19 available on our website @ JsyPetanque www.thejpa.co.uk August 2020 Salvaging the rest of the season There will be no Island pétanque champion this year – nor will there be any winners of the JPA Doubles or Triples competitions. The intervention of the coronavirus has led to this year’s pétanque calendar being decimated. However, all is not lost and many club competitions in particular will be played. The JPA management committee didn’t take long in deciding that all this year’s Island championships should be cancelled. It was agreed that instead the clubs should be allowed to play as much of their programmes as possible and with a new Competitions Officer, Tom Le Sueur, in post that the planning of next year’s events diary should begin as early as possible. However the Island championships have not been the only casualties. The Inter Insular has been cancelled for the second the wishes of those players who did not September. League administrator Dave time in its history. The Sarnians were keen want to continue, so it was agreed to Ibitson has advised that there are at least for this year’s event to go ahead. However abandon this year’s competition. It was 17 teams ready and willing to take part. because Guernsey is still effectively closed also agreed that as only three of the 22 The all-clear has also been given for the to visitors and that fact that Condor have games had been completed, the £6 fee Triple-A League to resume. stated that they will not be running day would be carried over to 2021 or, if the trips for the rest of 2020 it was decided, teams preferred, refunded. As a partial Decisions still need to be made about reluctantly, that the JPA had no alternative alternative some parishes have already several outstanding competitions but the but to give it a miss. started playing friendly matches. Liberation club has already announced a full programme of events for the The Parish League season, with only three However the JPA Winter League – in remainder of the year, with three of its rounds of matches played prior to the which most teams have only three games main open competitions set to be held at pandemic intervention, has also been to play – will be continued, with a view to the end of this month. On the other hand, called off. Parish team captains had been competition by mid-September. Entry the club’s involvement in the EuroCup has asked whether they wished to resume forms for the 2020/2021 Winter League had to be put on ice because this year’s where the season had been left off – either will go out shortly and it is hoped that the event has been cancelled. However the completing the entire schedule or just the league will start towards the middle or end JPA has agreed that Liberation PC’s win first half. Six had opted for the latter but of October, of the Inter-Club in 2019 would be in the remaining six plumped for not effect be “carried over” to 2020, thereby playing any more of this season’s games. The Parish of St Helier Lunchtime League making them the club to represent Jersey It was regarded as important to respect is also set to resume at the end of at the 2021 EuroCup. The ground rules A regular series in which Elaine Paisnel looks at some of the laws of the game that can lead to At least there was no argument about which way to headmisunderstandings from the Vic in. the Valley car park, At least there was no argument about which way to head from the Vic in the Valley car park, Standing room only With the current ‘social distancing’ requirement in place, it is the perfect time to remind all players of the right and the wrong place to stand during a game. Two things come to mind; The Coach Firstly, when you or one of your team are not in the circle and about to play a shot, you should be at least 2 metres beyond the Over the lockdown period we a match should there be the cochonnet – and not directly behind it OR at least 2 metres behind have seen many instances of demand. the circle and again to the side. You should NOT be anywhere clubs and associations organising between the thrower and the circle, unless it is your team in play. online shooting completions. I My suggestion is a grid of nine I appreciate that when ‘lanes’ are marked out it is not always easy know that several Jersey players squares throwing nine boules to keep your distance, but this is not only a rule (Article 17 have entered and have done well. starting with the square at the relates) it is also required to ensure social distancing is lower right and get three in a maintained. I watched Matt Pinel’s row then the next three in the performance, competing against middle row left to right and The second thing is the importance of ‘standing back’ when a David Plumhoff, and was finally the top section. Nine player (or an umpire) is measuring. Article 26 states that players must be at least 2 metres away when an umpire is measuring (this impressed by Matt’s shooting boule pointed - nine squares skills. filled - easy? Who is up for the applies to ALL players) and the same should apply when any challenge? player is measuring, both as a courtesy and to social distance. One of the criticisms I have of Remember, if one team has measured, their opponents are still Jersey players in general is that Surely there are some of you entitled to measure too if they wish to check. If teams can’t agree, we do not shoot enough, out there who would like to test this could be difficult when no umpire is on hand. Tthankfully particularly in Parish and your skill? There may even be a disputes rarely happen, but as a last resort get an independent Business League matches so it is prize for the highest score. person (i.e. someone not playing in this game) to measure for you. good to see precision firing But then, do respect that person’s decision! matches on line. The Coach That said, the majority of players Footnote Elaine takes up the 2.6 Challenge rely on pointing, it might be a good idea to introduce an online By the way, no rolling, only One interesting idea to emerge from pointing competition. It would high and medium lobs allowed the Lockdown was the 2.6 Challenge. be good to hear what players over a marker 2 metres from the Participants were asked to take on a think. We could organise such squares. challenge related to the number 2.6 or 26 (the day the London Marathon was due to have been run until Covid-19 stopped it in its tracks) and raise money for your chosen charity. Elaine Paisnel was one who took up the challenge. ““I hadn’t picked up a boule since we last played but thought was time I did! So, for my challenge, I threw 26 boules at a one target boule to see how many hits I could get! I put the target boule on top of an old rug on the lawn (to protect it from lots of pot holes!). Then I put a circle about 7-8 metres away and fired from there (see picture below). Elaine’s example was followed by a number of other players. There were some great scores at St Martin, Brian Harris managing a 19 while his son Paul scored 16 – as well as a remarkable eight with his left hand. Did he Carrefour cough up for both scores? There were also impressive captain Mat scores on the Carrefour Scholefield terrain, Paul Waters with 14 seems to have and Christine Eccles on 11. Less impressive was the lost the plot result from Mike Fennell’s garden – a paltry six! Emerging fromClub night hibernation: At least there was no argument about which way to head from the Vic in the Valley car park, At least there was no theargument aboutaftermath which way to head from the Vicof in the Valleylockdown car park, Carrefour member Keith Lajoie four of them on the gravelled July and all members were customary Wednesday was more determined than most to area, three on the stone-strewn issued a Covid-19 consistent afternoon session but went carry on playing the game. If he surface. At the same time Health and S afety policy. But home when they realised no- wasn’t allowed to play on the club players were advised to place as far as the leagues are one else was going to show. If terrain, he’d build his own. Which the circle in a central position concerned, rather than play had resumed in earnest it is exactly what he did. Only at both ends of the box to playing fixtures on the would have been subject to a problem though was that no soon minimise any chance of customary club nights, fairly lengthy list of restrictions had the terrain been completed intermingling with the they’re being played on an ad including a ban on the use of than he had an accident on his neighbouring game. They hoc basis to prevent too many playing circles scooter and broke his throwing were instructed to stand people attending at the same “To maintain social distancing arm! behind either the circle or the time.

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