TERMS: 

Boule – Ball

Cochonnet – Target ball, also called the Jack

End – Round, during which 12 boules are thrown and points are scored.

THE GAME

  • The game is played by 2 teams of one, two or three players. In a team of 2 players each member uses 3 boules, in a team of 3 players each member uses 2 boules. In the singles game each player uses 3 boules. 
  • Players use metal pétanque boules and a wooden target ball, called the cochonnet or jack.
  • The team to throw first is chosen by tossing a coin. Any player in this team chooses a starting place and draws or places a circle on the ground in which to stand. This should be between 35-50 cm (about 13-3/4”- 19-3/4”) in diameter.
  • The player starts the end by throwing the cochonnet to any place on the court between 6-10m (about 19’8” – 32’10”) away from the circle and at least 1/2m (about 19-1/2”) from the opposite end.
  • Any player from this team then throws their first boule, trying to get it as close as possible to the cochonnet.  Both feet must remain on the ground within the circle until their boule has landed.
  • A player from the opposing team steps into the circle and throws to place their boule closer to the cochonnet than the opponent’s, or to knock their opponent’s boule away. The boule nearer to the cochonnet “holds the point” for the moment.
  • Now the team who is not holding the point continues to play until they do hold the point or run out of boules.  If they succeed in getting the point, the other team plays, and so forth.  When one team runs out of boules, the players of the other team throw the rest of their boules and try to place them as close as possible to the cochonnet.
  • When the 2 teams have no more boules, the points are counted. The winning team scores one point for each boule nearer the cochonnet than any of their opponent’s boules. The other team scores no points for that end.
  • A player from the team that scored points draws or places the circle at the spot where the cochonnet finished that end and starts a new end by throwing the cochonnet as before.  Play continues until one team’s total score is 13 and thus wins the game.

THE FUN PART

  • Players throw palm down with the boule nestled in the palm. The boule is released with the hand facing where they want the boule to land, fingers together pointing up. This puts a little natural backspin on the boule.
  • Boule can be lobbed in a low or high arc or landed closer to the player as a more rolling throw.
  • Boules can be hit out of the way or moved closer to the cochonnet. The cochonnet can also be hit and moved. Bank shots off other boules are allowed but not off court borders.   Boules that cross a border line or hit an obstacle or the side or back of a court are dead boules and should be removed from play.

DETAILS

  • Pétanque boules are between 70.5 mm and 80mm in diameter and weigh between 650 and 800 g. The cochonnet is made of wood, and must be 30 mm in diameter and weigh 10-18 g.

Check out these 2 videos for a visual explanation: