How To Play

1. The game is played singles, doubles or triples. In singles and doubles each player uses three boules. In triples only two boules. The starting team is decided by a toss of a coin.

2. One member of the team chooses the starting place and draws a circle 35 to 50cms across on the ground. Both feet of the thrower must remain inside the circle until the boule lands.

3. The first thrower throws the jack between 6 and 10 metres away, not nearer than one metre from any obstacle, (wall, tree etc).

4. Then throws a boule trying to place it as near as possible to the jack.

5. A player in the other team then comes into the circle and tries to throw a boule nearer to the jack or knock away the leading boule. The boule nearest the jack leads.

6. Then it is up to a player in the team not leading to throw until the team gets a leading boule, and so on...

7. When a team has no more boules the players of the other team throw theirs and try to place them as close as possible to the jack.

8. When both teams have no more boules the points are counted. The winning team gets as many points as it has boules nearer the jack than the best of the losing team.

9. A player of the winning team throws the jack from where it is, and the game starts again until one team reaches 13 points.

Borrowed from B.P.A. leaflet "An Introduction to Petanque"