how to play

How to Play Petanque: Throwing, Scoring & the Cochonnet

Petanque is the French cousin of bocce, played with small steel balls you throw rather than big balls you roll. The whole game happens from a fixed circle with your feet planted together, which is where the name comes from (pieds tanques, or feet together). You toss a little wooden target ball out, then try to land your boules closer to it than the other side. It is relaxed enough for a glass of wine and sharp enough to start arguments over a measuring tape. Here is how to set it up and score it like you mean it.

2 to 6 (1v1, 2v2, or 3v3) PLAYERS AGES 8+ 1 min SETUP About 13 to 50 ft of flat ground
Gear check

What you need

  • A set of 6, 8, or 12 steel boules (split evenly by side, usually marked with different groove patterns)
  • 1 cochonnet (the small wooden target ball, also called the jack or piglet)
  • A patch of flat gravel, dirt, or short grass
  • Optional: a circle to throw from (a hoop, chalk ring, or scratched line about 14 to 20 inches across)
  • Optional: a tape measure for close calls
The playbook

How to play petanque: throwing, scoring & the cochonnet

  1. Draw the circle and split sidesScratch or place a throwing circle about 14 to 20 inches across on the ground. Divide players into two sides and share out the boules so each side has the same number. Flip a coin to see who throws first.
  2. Throw the cochonnetA player from the first side stands in the circle with both feet on the ground and tosses the small cochonnet out to a spot roughly 20 to 33 feet away (about 6 to 10 m). It needs to land clear of obstacles and at least a foot and a half (about 50 cm) from any boundary.
  3. Throw the first bouleThe same side throws the first boule from inside the circle, feet together and flat, trying to land it as close to the cochonnet as possible. Your feet cannot leave the circle until the boule lands.
  4. The losing side throwsNow the side that is NOT closest to the cochonnet throws. They keep throwing until they get a boule closer than the other side, or run out of boules trying. Then the other side throws, and so on, always the side that is losing the point.
  5. Point or shootYou can lob a boule gently to sit near the cochonnet (pointing) or fire one flat and hard to blast an opponent's boule out of the way (shooting). Knocking the cochonnet to a new spot is fair game and a real tactic.
  6. Finish the end and scoreOnce every boule is thrown, measure and award points to the closest side. Then a player from the side that just scored draws a new circle around where the cochonnet ended up and throws it out to start the next end.
  7. Race to 13Keep playing ends and adding up scores. The first side to reach 13 points wins the game.
Keeping score

Scoring

  • Only one side scores per end, the side with the boule closest to the cochonnet.
  • That side earns 1 point for every boule that is closer to the cochonnet than the opponent's nearest boule.
  • So a single end can be worth 1 to 6 points depending on the set size.
  • Games are played to 13 points. There is no win-by-two requirement, 13 ends it.
  • If the two closest opposing boules are exactly tied, neither side scores for that pair. If everything is tied and nobody is closer, the end is replayed.
Set it up right

Distance & setup

set it up rightYou throw from inside a small circle about 14 to 20 inches across, with both feet on the ground inside it until your boule lands. The cochonnet is tossed out to between roughly 20 and 33 feet (6 to 10 m) from the circle. There is no fixed court size for casual play, just pick a flat lane of gravel, dirt, or hard ground. A regulation competition pitch is about 13 ft wide by 50 ft long, but the backyard does not need lines.
House rules

Fun variations

  • Singles or doubles: 1v1 and 2v2 use 3 boules each; triples (3v3) use 2 boules each. Match the boule count to the format.
  • Pointing vs shooting: lobbing a boule to nestle by the cochonnet is pointing; firing one to knock an opponent out is shooting. Good players do both.
  • No-circle casual play: skip the throwing circle and just throw from behind a scratched line for a looser backyard game.
  • Play to 11 for a faster game, or 21 for a longer one, agreed before you start.
The rulebook desk

Petanque: Throwing, Scoring & the Cochonnet rules FAQ

What is the difference between petanque and bocce?

Petanque uses small steel balls that you throw through the air from a fixed circle with your feet together. Bocce uses larger balls that you roll along the ground and you can take a step. Petanque boules are also smaller and the target ball is the little wooden cochonnet rather than the pallino.

How do you score in petanque?

Only the side closest to the cochonnet scores. They earn 1 point for each of their boules that is closer than the opponent's nearest boule, so 1 to 6 points per end depending on how many boules each side throws.

What score do you play petanque to?

Games are played to 13 points. Unlike some games there is no win-by-two rule, the first side to reach 13 at the end of any end wins outright.

How far do you throw the cochonnet in petanque?

The little cochonnet is tossed out to roughly 20 to 33 feet from the throwing circle (about 6 to 10 m). It should land clear of obstacles and not right up against the boundary.

Do your feet have to stay together in petanque?

Yes. You throw from inside a small circle with both feet flat on the ground and together, and they cannot leave the circle until your boule has landed. That feet-together stance is literally where the name petanque comes from.

Can you knock the opponent's boule or the cochonnet?

Absolutely. Firing a boule flat and hard to blast an opponent's boule out of the way is called shooting, and knocking the cochonnet to a new spot is legal too. Both are core parts of petanque strategy.

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