While these are the official rules, we’re a not-so-official type of league. We like keep things friendly and fun, but if you want to know the basics, here’s a quick rundown of how we play.
Getting Started
Each game needs two teams, and you’ll need at least two players on each team (3 players needed for playoffs!). Every team gets to throw four balls per round.
To kick things off, the team captains will do a coin toss or a game of rock, paper, scissors. The winner gets to choose: either they throw the pallino (that’s the small target ball!) first, or they pick their favorite bocce ball color.
Let the Game Begin!
The team that starts will toss the pallino. It needs to land somewhere between the halfway line and the far end of the court. You can take up to two steps onto the court when you throw. If the pallino isn’t easy to see, we can mark it with a flag.
The player who threw the pallino then throws one of their team’s bocce balls. After that, they step aside. The other team then takes their turn, trying to get their ball closer to the pallino. After both teams have thrown 1 ball, the team that is farthest away is the one that throws next, until they get closer, or have run out of balls.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
If you have four or fewer players on your team, everyone needs to throw at least once each frame, and you’ll still alternate throws.
When your team gets a ball closer to the pallino than the other team, you step aside. The other team then throws until they “beat” your closest ball (no ties!). This continues until both teams have thrown all their balls, and that’s the end of the frame!
Oops! Did the Pallino Go Rogue?
If the pallino gets knocked out of bounds don’t worry! That frame is called “dead,” and we just restart. The same team that originally threw the pallino will get to throw it again. No points are given for a “dead” frame.
Scoring: How to Win!
A frame is complete when all eight balls and the pallino have been thrown. The goal is simple: get as many of your team’s balls closer to the pallino than the other team’s balls.
Only one team scores per frame. For example, if you have three green balls closer to the pallino than the closest red ball, the green team gets 3 points! The most points you can get in one frame is 4.
The team that scored in the last frame gets to throw the pallino to start the next one.
Scoring Snapshot
One team scores per frame.
You get one point for each of your balls that’s closer to the pallino than the opposing team’s closest ball.
If the closest ball from each team is the exact same distance from the pallino, no points are awarded, and the same team that tossed the pallino last frame gets to toss it again.
The maximum score a team can reach in a match is 16 points.
We don’t play “win by two” – once a team hits 16, that’s it!
If a team forfeits, the score will be 16-0.