Break out the Bocce Balls

Bocce is a fun, traditional Italian game that can be played on any level surface. It's perfect for gatherings; people of all ages and abilities can enjoy the game together, and it's versatile enough for the rules to be adapted to small or large groups. With a little creativity, you can play this game anywhere - from the backyard to the beach! Read on to see how.

Bocce pits two teams against each other, and each team may have two, four or eight players. The game requires two types of balls - the pallino ball (one) and the bocce balls (four per team, with each team's set of balls a different color). The ultimate goal of the game is for your team to roll a bocce ball that lands closer to the pallino ball than any of the other team's bocce balls. The "court" runs lengthwise, like a bowling alley, and may be any flat field. You should determine the distance to the middle of the court and mark a horizontal centerline - tape or a string works well in a pinch. You should also mark a foul line at the head of the court, and the end of the court should run up against a back wall. None of the balls thrown during the game should make contact with this back wall.

Start of Match:
The match begins with the flip of a coin between capos (team captains). The winner may either toss the pallino or choose the color of his/her team's bocce balls. If he chooses the color, then the other team first tosses out the pallino. A player may toss the pallino any distance so long as it passes the center line of the court and does not hit the back wall. If a player fails to validly toss the pallino after one attempt, the opposing team has a chance to put the pallino into play. If the opposing team also fails to toss the pallino past the center line, the pallino reverts to the original team. In any case, when the pallino has been properly put into play, the first bocce ball will be thrown by whichever team originally tossed the pallino.

Play the Game:
The team who originally tossed the pallino, whether successfully or not, throws the first bocce ball. If the ball hits the back wall, that team must roll again. Otherwise he/she steps aside and his/her team does not roll again until the opposing team has either thrown one of its bocce balls closer to the pallino or has thrown all of its balls. The team whose bocce ball lies closest to the pallino is called the "inside" team, and the opposing team is called the "outside."

Whenever a team gets inside, it steps aside and lets the outside team roll. The outside team throws until one of its balls beats (not ties) the distance between the pallino and the inside team's ball. This continues until both teams have used all their bocce balls (a total of eight balls, four per team). The team who scores last throws the pallino to begin the next frame.

Considerations:

If a player roles the wrong colored ball, simply replace it with the correct color when the ball comes to rest.
If a player rolls out of turn, the opposing team may leave everything, including the thrown ball, exactly where it is or may return any moved balls to their approximate original positions and remove the thrown ball from play.
If a ball is moved before all eight balls are played, it's good sportsmanship for the opposing team to replace the ball to its approximate original position.
Each round of bocce is called a "frame." When a team wins a frame, players exchange ends of the court and make any player substitutions. The team that won the previous frame tosses the pallino to start the next.
Practice between frames is limited to rolling a bocce ball up the court and back one time.

Dead Balls:
Should a player's bocce ball make contact with the back wall, the bocce ball is considered a dead ball on impact and is removed from play until the end of the frame.

If the thrown ball comes to rest on the pallino or another ball that is touching the back wall, that thrown ball remains in play. The ball touching the back wall is removed from play. If the pallino is touching the back wall, it remains in play.
If a bocce ball hits the back wall and then strikes another stationary bocce ball, that stationary ball should be returned to its original position. The thrown ball is removed from play.
If a bocce ball hits the back wall and, as a result, strikes a moving ball that likely would also have hit the back wall - that moving ball remains in play where it comes to rest.

Pallino:
Once the pallino has been validly put into play, it remains in play even if it subsequently hits the back wall. However, if the pallino is knocked out of the court or if it is knocked in front of the center line, the game will end and no points will be awarded. The game will resume from the opposite end of the court with the same team tossing the pallino.

Foul Line:
Players' movements must remain behind the foul line. The player may step on, but should not step over, the foul line before releasing the pallino or a bocce ball. When a player releases the pallino or bocce, both feet must be on the court. Shooting refers to lofting the ball in the air beyond the center of the court. Shooting is allowed if the thrown ball hits the ground before hitting another ball. If the thrown ball does not hit the ground first, everything goes back to its approximate original position, and the thrown ball is out of play.

Scoring:
Only the inside team scores. One point is given for each ball of the inside team that is closer to the pallino than any ball of the opposing team. If at the end of any frame the closest ball of each team is equidistant from the pallino, that frame ends in a tie and no points are awarded to either team. The game will resume from the opposite end of the court with the same team tossing the pallino. Capos of each team are responsible for keeping the score sheet. The team who first scores 12 points wins the game, but they have to win by two points.

Measurements:
All measurements should be made from the inside dimensions of the bocce ball to the inside dimension of the pallino. If both teams agree on which team has the point(s) but it is later determined that a mistake has been made, all balls played are valid. If both teams have balls remaining to play, the team that does not have the closest ball to the pallino rolls again. If all balls have been played, points are awarded based on the balls that lie closest to the pallino, in accord with the "scoring" rule.

Players:

A team consists of 6 to 10 players, but may be modified for larger or smaller groups.
Players need not alternate throws. Consecutive or alternating throws by teammates shall be at the option of the players.

Rules provided by the Martinez Bocce Foundation.