BOCCE is coming to the Town of Dillon in summer 2010.
Bocce is without a doubt one of the most exciting and enjoyable sports. You may be interested in playing bocce ball competitively, or you might just want to play a friendly game at the town park. No matter your level of competition, the rules of bocce are relatively basic, and allow you to start playing and enjoying this wonderful game within minutes.
Open Bocce
Bocce Ball Set
Open Bocce is the most popular form of bocce by casual players. The great thing about open bocce is that it can be played almost anywhere there is open space. This includes grassy surfaces such as a front lawn or back yard, dirt surfaces, sandy surfaces such as the beach, and even paved surfaces like parking lots. The places that you can play bocce are only limited to your imagination. Try playing bocce on a surface with hills or slopes to add a new element of strategy to your game.
Bocce is played with eight large balls and one smaller ball (called the pallino). The game can be played with 2, 4, or 8 players. Divide the bocce balls evenly between the number of players. You will notice that your bocce ball set has balls with several different colors or designs. Ideally, each bocce player will use balls from the set that are unique in design or color from all the other balls in play. This is helpful in distinguishing your bocce balls from those of another player.
Bocce Balls and Pallino
At random, choose a player to throw the pallino. After the pallino is thrown, the same player will throw his first bocce ball. The purpose of the game is to get your bocce balls as close as possible to the pallino. After the first player has thrown his first bocce ball, he is considered "inside" because his ball is closer to the pallino than any of the competitors balls. All other players are considered "outside." Whenever a player is considered "inside," he will forfeit his turn throwing bocce balls. All "outside" players will take turns throwing their bocce balls until they until one of theirs gets closer to the pallino than the "inside" player.
After all players have thrown their bocce balls, the player that is "inside" will be awarded points. One point will be awarded to this player for every ball that is closer to the pallino than his closest competitor's ball. After the points are awarded, the frame is completed. Start a new frame by electing a new person to throw the pallino and to throw the first bocce ball. A game is won when a player reaches 13 points. Play as many frames as necessary until a player reaches this point level. Of course, this point level can be be decreased or increased depending on time constraints between players.
The following are the rules for BOCCE according the United States BOCCE Federation:
Teams
Teams will be comprised of four players. Two players from each team will be permanently stationed at each end of the court. Throwing two balls each. At the end of each frame, the game resumes at the opposite end of the court. Begin the match with the flip of a coin between the captains of each team. The winner of the coin flip may have the first toss of the pallino (small target ball), or choose the color of the balls.
Tossing the Pallino
A player may toss the pallino any distance, so long as the pallino passes the center line of the court, and does not hit the back wall. If a player fails to toss the pallino properly, the the opposing team will toss the pallino and put it into play. If the opposing team fails to properly toss the pallino, the pallino reverts to the original team. Any time a player is rolling, opposing players must remain outside the court.
Starting the Game
The first ball will be thrown by the team who originally tossed the pallino. If that bocce ball hits the back board, the team must roll again, Otherwise, you step aside and that team does not roll again, until the opposing team has either rolled one if its bocce balls closer to the pallino, or has thrown all of its balls. Whenever a team gets a ball closer, it steps aside and lets the other team roll. The other team throws until it beats (not ties) the opposing ball. This continues until both teams have used all their bocce balls. The team who scored last throws the pallino to begin the next frame. Consecutive or alternating throws by teammates shall be at the option of the players. Players may use the side walls at any time. If a player rolls the wrong color ball, simply replace it with the correct color when it comes to rest. If a player rolls out of turn or plays more than two balls, the other team may leave all balls as is or remove the illegal ball from play and return all balls to their approximate position.
Foul Lines
Players may step on but not over the foul line before releasing the pallino or their ball.
Scoring
Only one team scores in a frame. One point is given for each ball that is closer to the pallino than the closest ball of the opposing team. If at the end of any frame the closest ball of each team is equidistant from the pallino, no points are awarded to either team and the game resumes from the opposite end of the court, with the same team tossing the pallino. Games are normally played to 13 points. The tournament host may change this number.
Balls Hitting the back wall
A ball hitting the back board is dead & must be removed from play unless it first hits another ball in which case all balls are valid. If a thrown ball does not first touch another ball and hits the back board and then strikes a stationary ball, that stationary ball shall be replaced to its approximate position. The thrown ball is removed from play.
Pallino hitting the back wall
Once the pallino is in play, it remains in play even if it hits the back board during the game. However, if the pallino is knocked out of the court, or is knocked in front of the center line, the frame will end and play will resume from the opposite end of the court, with the same team tossing the pallino.
Shooting Volo
Volo shooting is lofting the ball in the air beyond the center of the court. The tournament host may disallow volo shooting for safety considerations.
Measuring and Disputes
Team captains may measure any balls at any time. All disputes will be resolved by the tournament host.
Late Arrivals and Substitutions
A team not showing within 10 minutes of the scheduled starting time, looses two points, and an additional two points for each five minutes increment thereafter. A team not showing up within 30 minutes of the scheduled starting time forfeits the game.
A team missing players at the start of the game may play, however, each player may only roll two balls. A player arriving late may enter a game, but only after the completion of the frame.
A team may make one substitution per game. Substitutions may only be made between frames.