Bocce
Teams – Each team’s roster may include 4 – 10 players. Matches during the regular
season may be played by 2 – 4 members from each team. Matches during the
tournament, however, must be played by 4 members from each team. Within each
team, players must alternate throwing (one player may not throw all balls during a
frame). A team must forfeit if it cannot field at least 2 players during a regular season
match, or 4 players during a tournament match.
Equipment – A bocce set consists of 8 balls (4 red & 4 green), and 1 pallino (a small,
white target ball). Matches are played on a field – marked by cones – measuring
roughly 60 ft. x 18’ ft.
Match – A match is made up of multiple frames (minimum of 4). The match ends when
one team has scored 16 points and has a lead of at least 2 points.
Frame – A frame consists of both teams throwing their 4 balls. A frame ends once the
pallino and all 8 balls have been thrown
Scoring – Points are determined after each frame and are only awarded to one team
per frame (minimum of 1 point & maximum of 4 points). One point will be awarded to
the team whose ball lies closest to the pallino. One point will be awarded for each
additional ball (thrown by the scoring team) that is closer to the pallino than the
opposing team’s closest ball. Points are not awarded for balls that are thrown/knocked
out of bounds.
Restarts – A restart occurs when the previous frame is nullified. Restarts are initiated
on the same end of the field as the previous frame.
Measuring – Balls may be measured at any time, however, only one player may cross
the center line at a time from each team. The rest of the players must remain on their
end of the court.
Game Play
1. The captain from each team will participate in a coin toss. The winner of the
coin toss chooses the end on which to begin play and is granted control of the
pallino. The loser chooses the color of ball its team will use.
2. The pallino must be thrown across the halfway line and must stay within the
field’s boundaries. A throw is ruled a foul if the pallino does not cross the
halfway line, the pallino crosses out of bounds, or the throwing player’s entire
foot crosses into the field of play before releasing. The throw is repeated
following a first foul. After a second foul, the opposing team is granted control
of the pallino and restarts the frame.
3. Once the pallino has been established, that same team will throw the first ball.
4. The second team will throw next. If second team’s ball is closer to the pallino
than the first team’s ball, the first team will throw next. If the second team’s ball
is not closer to the pallino than the first team’s ball, the second team will throw
again until it has either: a) thrown a ball closer to the pallino than the first team
or b) thrown all if its balls.
5. Play continues in this manner until all eight balls have been thrown (completing
a frame). Following the completion of a frame scoring is determined.
6. If the pallino is knocked out of play at any point during the frame, however, that
frame is restarted. A frame is also restarted if all 8 balls have been thrown and
all 8 lie out of bounds.
7. The next frame will be played on the opposite end of the field as the previous
frame. The team that scored during the previous frame will have control of the
pallino at the start of the next frame.