free printable
Pétanque Rules Card
A one-page pétanque rules card: how to play, how to score, and how to set it up. Hit print, fold it, and keep it with your set. Want the full walkthrough? See the Pétanque rules.
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rules card Pétanque
Players2 to 6 (1v1, 2v2, or 3v3)
Ages8+
Setup1 min
SpaceAbout 13 to 50 ft of flat ground
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
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.
How to play
- Draw the circle and split sides. Scratch 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.
- Throw the cochonnet. A 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.
- Throw the first boule. The 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.
- The losing side throws. Now 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.
- Point or shoot. You 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.
- Finish the end and score. Once 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.
- Race to 13. Keep playing ends and adding up scores. The first side to reach 13 points wins the game.
Set it up
You 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.