Bridge II Sports Boccia Buzz December 2019 A Brief History of Boccia Have you every wondered where Boccia came from and Play Boccia at home over the holidays! how it got started? Share the fun of Boccia with family and friends over the The game of Bocce (with an e) started a long time ago in break. Here are some tips. Italy and is now played all over the world. Boccia (with an ia) is the version of bocce developed for people with disabilities. It was introduced at the Paralympic Games in What Balls to use playing Boccia at home 1984. Boccia was originally presented as a sport for You can use different types of balls to play Boccia at people with cerebral palsy, but is now open to any one home such as tennis balls, whiffle balls, or softballs and with a disability that impairs motor function that wants baseballs. to play it. Boccia tests several of an athlete’s abilities. It tests concentration, coordination, accuracy and their ability to strategize. There are different groups around the state and country that play the game of Boccia and host practices and competitions. Individuals can play single matches, in pairs or they can play on a team. The object of Boccia is Boccia Court Layout to throw your ball closest to the jack ball. In Bocce A regulation court is 10 x 6 meters with 2.5 meter players use wooden balls as well as clay balls. In Boccia we use official boccia balls that are softer to play on a deep throwing boxes. But you can play on any size gym floors or hard surface such as a classroom floor. court! You can play on wood, tile, or even multipur- Within the last couple of years Boccia has become one of pose carpet. I have played boccia in church fellow- the fast growing Paralympic sports. ship halls, an auditorium lobby, a school lunchroom, tennis courts, and racquet ball courts. (almost per- UPCOMING EVENTS: fect size if the door is wide enough for wheelchair access) If you are setting up your court in a smaller BIIS BOCCIA area you only need a front line. You don’t need box- Next practices: es. The V line can be estimated as can the outside Cary—Sunday January 5th 3-5pm boundaries. The goal is any space where the partici- Chapel Hill—Tuesday January 7th 4:45-5:45pm pants can toss the balls. On the Boccia Court The shaded area is the V Line The Jack has to be served register at beyond this line to be legal. www.bridge II sports.org/boccia/ Send us your pictures playing Boccia Please send us your pictures of you playing Boccia with your family so that we can share them with our readers! Editor: Karen Stallings For more information email: programs@bridge2sports .org or call 866-880-2742 .