official sizes & distances
Pétanque Court Size, Throwing Circle & Boule Dimensions
In pétanque you toss the jack 6 to 10 meters from a small throwing circle; a competition lane is 4 by 15 meters. Here is the layout to scale, with the boule and jack sizes.
| Throwing circle | 35 to 50 cm diameter; both feet stay inside it until the boule lands |
|---|---|
| Jack distance | Jack (cochonnet) thrown 6 to 10 m from the circle, at least 1 m off any obstacle |
| Competition lane | 4 m wide by 15 m long (marked terrain); casual play needs no lines |
| Boules | 70.5 to 80 mm steel boules, 650 to 800 g, 2 or 3 per player |
| Players | 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, or 3 vs 3 |
Marked lanes are for tournaments. In the backyard you just need a circle, a thrown jack 6 to 10 meters out, and reasonably firm ground; gravel and packed dirt beat soft grass.
keep playing
Set it up, then play
Now that the court is marked, here is everything else for pétanque, the full rules, the gear we recommend, and the master chart of every game's distance.