🏟️ The Court
FOUL
LINE
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pallino
FOUL
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LINE
Standard court: 60–90 ft long × 10–13 ft wide
1
The court is a long narrow rectangle, typically 60–90 feet long and 10–13 feet wide, with solid side and end walls.
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Each end has a foul line — the thrower must release the ball before crossing it.
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Informal games can be played on grass, sand, or any flat surface without strict size requirements.
🎯 Basic Play
1
Teams of 1, 2, or 4 players compete. Each side uses 4 bocce balls of a single color.
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A coin toss determines who goes first. The winning team throws the pallino (small target ball) from behind the foul line to start the frame.
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The pallino must pass the center line and not hit the back wall to be valid. If invalid, the other team throws it.
4
The team that threw the pallino rolls first. They must try to get as close to the pallino as possible.
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After each throw, the team whose bocce ball is farthest from the pallino throws next — until all balls are thrown.
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Players may hit (spock) opponent balls or the pallino to change positions. All balls stay where they land.
🏆 Scoring
Who Scores
Only one team scores per frame — the team with the bocce ball closest to the pallino.
How Many Points
1 point for each ball closer to the pallino than the opponent's nearest ball.
Winning the Game
First team to reach 12 points wins (some leagues play to 15 or 16).
Ties
If the closest balls are equidistant, no points are awarded — play a new frame.
⚠️ Fouls & Special Rules
1
Foul line: Stepping on or over the foul line while throwing is a foul. The ball is removed from play.
2
Out-of-bounds: A ball that comes to rest outside the court boundaries is removed from play.
3
Pallino out of bounds: If the pallino is knocked out, the frame is void and replayed.
4
Measuring: A tape measure is used to determine the closest ball when it's too close to call by eye.
5
Next frame: The team that scored last throws the pallino to start the next frame.