How to Play Bocce
Bocce is a throwing and targeting game for two to eight players, played with a set of large balls and one small target ball called the pallino. The aim is straightforward: get your balls as close to the pallino as possible while pushing your opponents' balls away. Rules are simple enough for children to pick up in minutes, yet the tactical depth keeps adults genuinely engaged.
It is most commonly played outdoors on a level grass lawn, a gravel court, or a dedicated compacted-earth strip, though indoor versions on hard floors work perfectly well. It travels easily, needs no fixed infrastructure, and scales from a relaxed family afternoon to a fiercely competitive tournament format.
A little history
Bocce is one of the oldest ball games in the world. Depictions of figures throwing rounded stones appear in ancient Egyptian and Greek artwork, and the Romans played a similar game they called jeu de boules across the territories they occupied. The modern codified form of Bocce developed in Italy, where regional variants remained popular through the medieval period and into the present day. Its precise early origins are unclear, but organised competitive play in Italy is well documented from at least the nineteenth century, and the game spread internationally through Italian emigration communities during the twentieth century.
Setting up
- Choose teams: two players can compete individually; three or four players split into two teams of equal numbers; with six or eight players, form two teams of three or four.
- Decide which team throws first, by coin toss or mutual agreement.
- Mark a throwing baseline at one end of the playing area. A regulation court is 27.5 m long and 2.5 m wide, but any flat open space works for casual play.
- Agree on a winning points target before you start. Common targets are 12, 15, or 21 points.
- Give each team their four balls of a matching colour. Players should be able to distinguish their own team's balls easily at a distance.
How to play
- The team that won the coin toss throws the pallino from behind the baseline. The pallino must travel past the halfway line and stop at least 30 cm from the far boundary. If it does not, the opposing team throws it instead.
- The same player who threw the pallino now throws the first bocce ball, trying to land it as close to the pallino as possible.
- The opposing team then throws one ball, trying to get closer to the pallino than the first team's ball.
- Whichever team does NOT have the ball closest to the pallino must continue throwing, one ball at a time, until either they achieve the closest ball or they run out of balls.
- Once a team runs out of balls, the other team throws all their remaining balls.
- Continue this alternating process until both teams have thrown all four of their balls. This completes one frame (also called a round or end).
- Players may aim to land close to the pallino (pointing) or to knock an opponent's ball away or reposition the pallino (shooting). Both are legal at all times.
- Balls that come to rest outside the court boundaries are dead and removed from play for that frame.
- If the pallino is knocked out of bounds during play, the frame is void and replayed. Some variations instead award the frame to the team that last had a ball closest to the pallino before it went out; agree which rule applies before you start.
- After scoring (see Winning), the team that scored in the previous frame throws the pallino to begin the next frame. Teams alternate ends: if you threw from end A this frame, you walk to the other end and throw back for the next.
- Play continues frame by frame until one team reaches the agreed winning points total.
Winning and scoring
Only one team scores per frame: the team whose ball is closest to the pallino. That team earns one point for every ball of theirs that is closer to the pallino than the nearest ball of the opposing team. For example, if the red team's three balls are all closer than any blue ball, red scores three points for that frame. If blue's closest ball ties with red's closest ball, no points are awarded and the frame is replayed. The first team to reach the agreed target (commonly 12, 15, or 21 points) wins the game.
The fine points
Measuring disputed balls is the most common source of argument. Always measure from the surface of the pallino to the nearest surface of each disputed ball, not from the centre. Use a flexible tape measure or a dedicated bocce measuring tool; eyeballing close calls is rarely reliable and often causes bad feeling. The non-throwing team has the right to request an official measure at any time during a frame, not just at scoring. Once a ball is measured and confirmed, do not move it until all scoring for the frame is complete.
A ball that strikes the backboard or boundary wall and rebounds back into the court is still live unless your house rules state otherwise; agree this before play. If a ball or the pallino is moved accidentally by a player walking through the court, the displaced ball or pallino should be returned as nearly as possible to its original position, ideally marked in advance with a small stake or chalk ring. In competitive settings, the frame is typically replayed if the original position cannot be agreed. Blocking the path between a player and the pallino by standing in the court during an opponent's throw is not permitted; the throwing team has the right to a clear sightline.
How to win more often
- Throw the pallino deep and slightly to one side of centre. This gives you a better angle for your first bocce ball and makes life harder for your opponent.
- Master pointing before shooting. Getting a ball reliably close to the pallino wins more frames than spectacular knockaway shots that land you nowhere near the target.
- When you already hold the closest ball, use remaining throws to cluster your other balls around the pallino rather than shooting. Clustering protects your lead and maximises potential scoring.
- Read the surface. Grass slows balls quickly near the edges, while hard ground carries pace much further. Adjust your weight accordingly rather than throwing the same ball every time.
- When your opponent holds two or more balls closer than yours, prioritise knocking their nearest ball away rather than trying to land on the pallino. Removing their best ball often changes the whole frame.
Variations
Volo
In the Volo style, popular in competitive Italian play, players must loft the ball through the air (similar to a petanque carreau) and land it directly near the target, rather than rolling it along the ground. This demands considerably more skill and changes the feel of the game entirely. Ground-rolling remains legal but is tactically unusual in Volo play.
Singles (Raffa)
Two players each take all four balls of their colour and compete one against one across a full-length court. The format is unchanged but the pace is faster and individual precision matters more, since there are no teammates to recover ground. It is a useful format when only two people are available or when a quick decisive contest is wanted.
Progressive Scoring
Rather than playing to a fixed points target, each game is played over an agreed number of frames (commonly eight or ten) and the team with the higher total at the end wins. This suits situations where time is limited and guarantees the game ends at a predictable point, regardless of how the scores fall.
Poison Ball
A casual variant in which a player who has used all four balls and scored zero for a set number of consecutive frames nominates one of their balls as a poison ball. That ball, if subsequently struck by an opponent's throw, immediately ends the frame and awards that frame to the poisoned player's team. It adds a risk-and-reward element suited to informal garden play.
Bocce: frequently asked questions
How many balls does each player throw?
In a two-player game each player throws four balls per frame. In a two-team game with two players per side, each player throws two balls per frame. With four players per team, each player throws one ball per frame. The total is always four balls per team per frame.
What happens if two balls from opposite teams are exactly the same distance from the pallino?
If the closest ball of each team is equidistant from the pallino, no points are scored for that frame and the frame is replayed. If balls beyond the closest are tied but the closest balls are clearly from one team, only the unambiguous balls count toward that team's score.
Can you knock the pallino with your bocce ball?
Yes, moving the pallino is legal and is often a deliberate tactic. If the pallino moves, all balls are scored from its new position. If it goes out of bounds, the frame is void and replayed under standard rules.
What is the pallino called in other countries?
It goes by various names depending on region and language: jack, boccino, or cue ball are all used informally in English-speaking contexts. For clarity, pallino is the most widely understood term in the context of Bocce.
Is Bocce suitable for young children?
Yes. Most families introduce the game from around age six, and younger children can join in with a shorter court and lighter balls. The rules are simple enough to grasp after one frame of watching, and no specialist fitness or coordination is required.
Do players have to throw underarm?
There is no universal rule requiring an underarm action. Most players roll or loft the ball underarm because it gives better control, but overarm throws are not prohibited in casual play. Competitive federations often specify a delivery style, so check the relevant ruleset if playing in an organised competition.
What is the difference between Bocce and Petanque?
Both games share the same basic objective of getting balls close to a target, but the delivery styles differ. Bocce balls are rolled or lofted from a run-up or standing position; Petanque balls are always thrown with feet together from a stationary stance. Court dimensions, ball sizes, and scoring subtleties also differ between the two.
Can Bocce be played on grass, gravel, or hard ground?
Yes, all three surfaces are commonly used. Gravel or compacted earth is closest to a traditional court and gives the most consistent roll. Grass slows balls significantly and introduces unpredictable bounces. Hard ground (concrete or tarmac) adds pace and rebound, which changes tactics noticeably. Agree on house rules for out-of-bounds rebounds on hard surfaces before you start.