Bocce Ball Rules
- Players
- 2 to 8 (1v1, 2v2, or teams)
- Ages
- 6+
- Setup time
- 1 min
- Space
- approx 10 ft to 60 ft of flat ground
What you need
- A set of 8 bocce balls (two colors, 4 each)
- 1 pallino (the small target ball, also called the jack)
- A stretch of flat grass, dirt, or gravel
- Optional: string or chalk to mark a court
Set it up
A regulation bocce court is 13 feet wide by 91 feet long, but you do not need one. In the backyard, just pick a flat lane roughly 10 to 60 feet long. The pallino must be rolled past the center line and not touch the back boundary. There is no fixed throwing line, players roll from behind the starting (foul) line at the near end.
Scoring
- Only one team scores per frame, the one with the ball closest to the pallino.
- That team earns 1 point for every ball that is closer to the pallino than the opponent's closest ball.
- So you can score 1 to 4 points in a single frame.
- Games are typically played to 12 points (some leagues play to 7, 15, or 16). Agree on the target before you start.
- If the closest opposing balls are tied after all eight balls have been played, the whole frame scores 0-0. Do not discard that pair and count farther balls.
How to play
- Split into sides. Two players or teams divide the 8 balls, 4 per side, by color.
- Toss the pallino. A player from the first team rolls or tosses the small pallino out to start the frame. It needs to land past the halfway point and clear of the back line.
- Roll the first bocce. The same team rolls one bocce ball, trying to land it as close to the pallino as possible.
- Other team rolls. The opposing team rolls their balls until they get closer to the pallino than the first team, or run out of balls trying.
- Closest team waits. Whichever team is NOT closest keeps rolling. You can knock the pallino or your opponent's balls around, that is fair game and good strategy.
- Finish the frame. Once all 8 balls are thrown, measure and award points. Then play the next frame from the other end.