All About Bocce

What is Bocce?

Bocce is an ancient game, dating back to before the days of the Roman Empire. It has endured over the centuries because it is fun, easy, and relaxing, while still being competitive. the object of the game is to roll one or more of your team's calls closer than any of your opponents' balls to the small target ball.

Why Do We Play Bocce?

Bocce is simple and fun. Anyone can play- all ages and skill levels- and still have a chance to win. There are lots of highly competitive sports tournaments out there, and they certainly have their place in the world. But ours in mellow and focused on friendly fun and light competition. People who have come to play bocce in the past tell us it is moving and wonderful to see the diversity of folks playing. Everyone plays to the best of their ability and most people leave here smiling and feeling good inside whether they win or not.

Bocce Boot Camp

"But I don't know how to play, and I'm not very good at things like this anyway," Never played? That's okay! We offer a Bocce Boot Camp before the tournament begins! You will quickly find out how easy bocce is to learn! While you practice and get tips to raise your skills and confidence level, you'll see how easy and fun bocce is. Anyone can learn to play, and before you know it you'll be playing with the best of them!

How to Play

The Players

• Each team has up to four players stationed at the same end of the court.Players switch ends after each complete frame during a game.
• Each team will have a captain who will participate in the coin toss.
• The match begins with a coin toss between the two captains. The winner of the coin flip is the first to throw the pallino and chooses the color of the team's bocce balls.

Throwing Rules

• A player may toss the pallino any distance as long as it crossed the in play line at the opposite end of the court and does not come to rest against the back wall.If the thrower fails to toss the ball properly, the referee will drop the pallino approximately in the center of the in play area at the opposite end of the court.
• The pallino may be knocked anywhere on the court except back over the center line or out of the court, in which case the frame would end and restart.
• The first bocce ball will be thrown by the player who originally tossed the pallino. All balls are thrown underhand.
• For a bocce ball to score points, it must be thrown from behind the in play line.
• After a team throws the first ball they will step aside and that team does not roll again until the opposing team has either gotten one of its bocce balls closer to the pallino or has thrown all of its balls. A team whose ball ties the opponent's closest ball must throw again. Team members can throw in any order.
• Once a bocce ball leaves the court, it is considered a dead ball and is removed from play for that frame.Balls short of the in play line will be removed by the referee.
• Shooting (lofting the ball in the air beyond the center line of the court) is not allowed. This is sometimes called "volo shooting.”
• Players may step on but not over the proper foul line before releasing the pallino or a bocce ball. A player's toe may not go beyond the width of the foul line before a ball is released. After one warning, this action will result in a voided pallino throw and a thrown bocce ball will be removed from the court.
• Balls may be bounced off or played against sideboards. If a player, at any time during the game, rolls the wrong color of ball, simply replace it with the correct color when it comes to rest. If a player rolls out of turn, the other team has the option to return the thrown ball and replace any moved balls to their original position or leave all balls as thrown.

Scoring

• Only one team scores in a frame. The official score of the frame is determined after all 8 balls have been played and measured to the captains' satisfaction. One point is awarded for each ball of a team that is closer to the pallino than the opponent's closest ball (1 to 4 points). All measurements should be made from the center of the pallino to the edge of the bocce ball.
• The team that scores in the last frame throws the pallino in the next frame. If no team scores, then the team who scored in the last frame will throw the pallino again.
• The team that first scores 7 points wins the game

Timing

• Each round will be 30 minutes. A sound will ring at the 25 minute mark indicating the final point.
• At this time whatever point a team is on will be the last.