Ibis Bocce League
Spring 2016
Rules for League Play
1. Each team shall have at least 4 players with alternates as
desired.
2. No player may step onto the playing surface unless they are
throwing a ball or measuring or sweeping the court.
3. No team can play with less than 4 players. A forfeiture of
the match will result if a team cannot field 4 players from its
roster at the scheduled start time.
4. A referee may be designated from captains of non-playing
teams. If there is no referee, team captains will referee. The
ruling of the referee is final.
5. Each team, during a match, or at any other time, may utilize
a substitute from its team roster, but the player who exits
may not reenter during the game. They may reenter in
subsequent games.
6. Match
a. Points - A match consists of best 2 out of 3 games.
Games will be played to 11 points. Points, if any, are
scored at the end of each frame.
b. Postponement – Any postponement of game for
weather must be agreed by both captains and
postponed games must be rescheduled by the captains
before the end of the regular season.
c. Inclement Weather or Darkness - A match in-process
that is interrupted due to weather or darkness must be
agreed by both captains and rescheduled for completion
before the end of the regular season. Matches will
recommence at the beginning of the interrupted frame.
d. A toss of a coin will determine which team will both
start the game and choose its color of balls.
7. Play
a. The winner of the coin toss may chose to toss the
pallino first or to allow the opposing team to toss the
palino first.
b. The player tossing the pallino must deliver the first
ball. The opposing team will then deliver their bocce
balls until the point is taken or they have exhausted
their four balls.
c. The “nearest ball” rule governs the sequence of played
balls. The side whose ball is the closest to the pallino is
called the “in” ball and the opposing side the “out” ball.
Whenever a team gets “in,” it steps aside and allows the
“out” team to deliver.
d. The team originally possessing the pallino will have one
attempt at placing the pallino past the center line and
between the two yellow lines (the playing area). If they
are unsuccessful, the opposing team will have one
opportunity to place the pallino. If this attempt is
unsuccessful, the referee will place the pallino in the
center of the court midway between court walls on the
last yellow line. Thereafter the original team will deliver
the first ball.
e. It is always incumbent upon the team with the pallino
advantage to establish the initial point. The pallino
advantage goes to the team that properly placed the
pallino or, if the pallino is placed by the referee, the
pallino advantage belongs to the team that won the last
frame.
f. A team has the option of rolling or banking its ball
down the court provided it does not go out-of-bounds
or the player does not violate the yellow foul line. A
player also has the option of hitting out any ball in play
in trying to obtain a point, or decreasing the opposing
team's points. A tossed ball must touch the court before
crossing the center line.
g. If the pallino is somehow knocked behind the
centerline or out of the court, the frame immediately
ends with no score, and the team that properly threw
the pallino previously will again throw the pallino at the
opposite end of the court.
h. Players are permitted to use the sidewalls and
backwalls at any time with the pallino or bocce.
8. Scoring
a. At the end of each frame (when both teams have
exhausted all balls), points will be determined as
follows:
i. Scoring points are all those balls of one team
closer to the pallino than the closest ball of the
opposing team, which can be determined by
viewing or by mechanical measurement.
ii. Measuring shall be from the closest point of the
palling to the closest point of the ball being
measured. Captains shall agree on the technique
used.
iii. The scoring team for each frame will also win the
pallino advantage for the subsequent frame.
Captains will be responsible for validity of
scoreboard. It is incumbent upon the referee to
verify the accuracy of the posted score at all times.
b. Ties During Frame - In the event that two opposing
balls are equidistant from the pallino (tied), the team
that rolled first will roll first and the teams will alternate
until the tie is broken.
c. Ties at the End of Frame – In the event that the two
balls closest to the pallino belong to opposing teams
and are tied, no points will be awarded, and the pallino
returns to the team which delivered it.
9. The winning team captain shall e-mail the final match results
to [email protected] within 24 hours of completion of
the match.
PENALTIES
1. Specific Fouls
a. Foul-Line Fouls – The foul-line will not be surpassed by
any part of the foot before the ball leaves the player's
hand. All fouls must be called by the opposing team side
captain or the referee and verified by the referee as a
result of witnessing the foul. One official warning may
be granted each team after which penalties will be
prescribed. The penalty for a team committing a second
foul-line infraction will consist of the following: the
team fouled against will be awarded points as they were
immediately preceding the foul, and the frame will end.
The team committing the foul will be awarded no points
for the frame. b. Illegal Movement of a Ball Belonging to Your Own
Team – If a player moves one or more of his/her team's
balls “in contention,” they are removed from the court
and considered dead and play continues. Balls not
immediately “in contention” may be replaced as close as
possible to their original position. “In contention” is
herein defined as a ball(s) close enough to the pallino to
require measurement to determine whether a point may
be awarded. c. Illegal Movement of an Opponent's Ball – If a player
moves one or more of his/her opponent's balls “in
contention,” those balls will be awarded one point each
and play continues. Only the team fouled against can be
awarded points for that frame unless the penalty is
declined. d. Illegal Movement of the Pallino by a Player – If the
pallino is moved by a player, the team fouled against
may be awarded as many points as the number of live
balls that were “in contention” plus the number of balls
yet unplayed by that team during the frame in which
the foul occurred.
e. Declination of Penalties – The team fouled against shall
retain the privilege of declining any of the prescribed
penalties and completing the game.
2. Interference with a Ball in Motion
a. By One's Own Team – If a player interferes with his/her
team's ball in motion, team automatically forfeits the
ball and play continues. b. By Opponent's Team – If a player interferes with an
opponent's ball in motion, the team fouled against has
the option of : i. playing the ball over
ii. declaring the frame dead
iii. declining the penalty, accept the lie of the touched
ball and continue play 3. With No Disruption of Position – If a spectator, animal, or
object interferes with a ball in motion and it does not touch
another ball already in play, it must be played over by the
same player.
4. With Disruption of Position – If a spectator, animal, or
object interferes with a ball in motion and that ball touched
another ball already in play and “in contention,” the frame is
dead.
5. Other Disruption of Play–Any action which interferes with
the position of the pallino or the ball of each team closest to
the pallino, renders the frame dead. In the event balls other
than the pallino or the two opposing balls closest to it are
moved, they may be replaced as close as possible to their
original position by the referee. Such disruptive action may
be the result of e.g., a dead ball from another court, foreign
objects, spectators or animals entering the court and
changing the position of a ball(s) in play.
6. Wrong Color Delivery
a. If a player delivers a wrong color ball, the ball may not
be stopped by another player or the referee. The ball
must be allowed to come to rest and replaced with the
proper ball by the captains.
b. Unidentifiable – If a player delivers a wrong color ball
which cannot be identified by the referee as a result of
hitting or scattering of balls, the frame will be
considered dead and no points awarded.
7. Wrong Rotation of Play
a. Initial Roll – If a team wrongly delivers the pallino and
its first ball, the side captain will return both pallino
and ball and begin frame over from same end. b. Subsequent Rolls of Proper Color in Improper Sequence
– If a player delivers his/her ball when his team is “in”
and the other team still has balls left, the ball in
question remains where it come to rest, is considered
“live,” and play continues. This ruling holds true
regardless of who indicated which ball was “in” since it
is the responsibility of each team to request a
measurement when an “in” point is questionable. 8. Unsportsmanlike Conduct a. Disqualification – Players shall act in a sportsmanlike
manner at all times. Any act which is deemed as poor
sportsmanship; e.g., insulting language or gestures or
actions or words which engender ill-will, if flagrant,
may result in disqualification. 9. Attire a. Footwear – Players will not be permitted to wear shoes
which may damage or disrupt the court surface. Also,
players will not be permitted to play without shoes.