Bocce (or
Bocci, or
Boccie)
[1][2][3][4][5] is a precision
sport belonging to the
boules sport family, closely related to
bowls and
pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the
Roman Empire. Developed into its present form in
Italy (where it is called
Bocce, the plural of the Italian word
boccia which means "bowl"), it is played around
Europe and also in overseas countries that have received Italian migrants, including
Australia,
North America and
South America (where it is known as
bochas; "bolas criollas" in Venezuela), initially amongst the migrants themselves but slowly becoming more popular with their descendants and the wider community. The game is also well-known in
Serbia as
bocanje (
??????) and in
Croatia as
bocanje,
bucanje, or
balote, depending on the region. In
France the sport is known as
Boule Lyonnaise.
Bocce is traditionally played on natural soil or asphalt courts approximately 20 to 27 metres in length and 2.5 to 4 metres wide, sometimes with wooden boards of approximately 15 centimetres in height surrounding the court. Bocce balls can be made of metal[6] or various kinds of plastic. Unlike lawn bowls, bocce balls are spherical and have no inbuilt bias.
A game can be conducted between two players, or two teams of two, three, or four. A match is started by a randomly chosen side being given the opportunity to throw a smaller ball, the jack (called a pallino, or a boccino in some areas), from one end of the court into a zone about 5 metres in length, ending 2 metres from the far end of the court. If they miss twice, the other team is awarded the opportunity to place the jack anywhere they choose within the prescribed zone.
The side that first attempted to place the jack is given the opportunity to bowl first. Once the first bowl has taken place, the other side has the opportunity to bowl. From then on, the side which does not have the ball closest to the jack has a chance to bowl, up until one side or the other has used their four balls. At that point, the other side bowls its remaining bocce balls. The team with the closest bocce ball to the jack is the only team that can score points in any frame. The scoring team receives one point for each of their balls that is closer to the jack than the closest ball of the other team. The length of a game varies by region, but is typically from 7 to 13 points.[7]
