Bocce ball is a game that has been played for centuries. Although the information is hard to verify, it is thought that the Egyptians played bocce ball around 5000 years ago. There are depictions of bocce ball being played inside tombs and tales of emperors, philosophers, and other scholarly men playing bocce ball in their leisure time.
You may have seen people at the park playing a game with eight balls in two different colors, rolling them as close as possible to a smaller white ball on a narrow, narrow field. If you witnessed this activity, you were watching a game of bocce ball. If you want to know how to play bocce ball, continue reading below.
The Set Up
To set up the field to play bocce ball, you will need a flat surface with grass or artificial turf to not damage the balls on a hard surface. Using eight large colored balls and one small white ball called a pallino, mark off your court with six stakes on the edges and the middle for half court. For recreational play, this court should measure approximately 60 feet long by 12 feet wide for plenty of space to play the game.
The Basics Of Bocce
For solo play, each member gets four balls. For team play, each member receives two balls. If by chance you are playing four to a team, each player receives one ball each. Now, you are ready to play the game. For more on how to play bocce ball, see the following rules.
After deciding on your team’s rotation, a coin toss is initiated, with the winner getting the first choice of tossing the pallino and choosing the color of their team’s balls. The first team tosses the pallino into the court, at least past the half-court line. The Pallino must land in a legal playing area to continue, or the other teams will get a chance to make the toss. The player who successfully tosses the pallino into the field will be the first to toss their bocce ball.
All team members must stay behind the foul line on the court or be considered out of bounds and penalized. If it happens twice, the frame ends with only the unoffended team being able to gain points. Additionally, if the pallino is moved out of bounds by a bocce ball, the frame ends with neither team scoring points. After everyone on the team has tossed their bocce ball onto the field, that particular frame is over. The team with the bocce ball closest to the pallino won the frame. The game continues until one team reaches 16 and is declared the winner.
Fun For All Ages
Learn to play bocce ball for a relaxing afternoon of casual competition with friends. Although the game has been around for centuries, it is still played and treasured by many worldwide. For information on playing the game competitively, search online for ” how to play bocce ball. ” Bocce ball is easy to play and suitable for backyard barbecues and picnics in the park with friends and family. Complete sets are available at sporting goods stores or can be purchased online.