La Petanque

            

LA PETANQUE



 La petanque is a form of boules where the goal is throw hollow as close possible to a small wooden ball called la cochonet or jack. While standing inside a stating circle with both feet on the ground. The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but it can be played on grass, sand or other surfaces.

Petanque is played by two teams. Each team consists of one, two or three players. In the single and doubles games each player has three boules; in triples each player has only two. A coin is tossed to decide which side goes first. The first player throws the jack 6-10 meters away. For tournaments play, a marked terrain is a rectangle at least 4 meters wide and 15 meters long.

A player from the team that threw the jack then throws their first boule. A player from the opposing team the makes a throw. Play continues with the team that is not closest to the jack having to continue throwing until they either land a boule closer to the jack than their opponents or run out of boules.

If the nearest boules from each team are en equal distance from the jack, then the team that played last plays again. If the boules are still equidistant then the teams play alternately until the position changes.

If the boules are still equidistant at the end of the game they not points are scored by either team. The game continues with a player from the team that won the previous end drawing a new circle around where the jack finished and throwing the jack for a new end.

Plays ends, and points may be scored when both teams have no more boules, or when the jack is knocked out the play. The winning team receives one point for each boule that it has closer to the jack than the best placed boule of the opposition. The first team to reach 13 points wins.