Pétanque

Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is to throw metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (piglet). The game is normally played on hard sand or gravel, but can also be played on grass or any other surface. Similar games are bocce and bowls. Pétanque is generally associated with southern France, particularly Provence. It is the most played sport in Marseille. The casual form of the game of Pétanque is played by about 17 million people in France (mostly during their summer vacations). There are about 480,000 players licenced with the Fédération Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FFPJP). The FFPJP is the 4th-largest sporting federation in France. These licensed players play a more competitive form of Pétanque known as Pétanque Sport.

History

Pétanque is reputed to have been invented around 1910 as a less physically-demanding form of jeu provençal. Physical effort was reduced by shortening the length of the pitch by roughly half and replacing a moving delivery with a stationary one. The name is derived from the French pieds tanqués, "fixed feet", because in Pétanque the feet have to remain together within a (small) circle. Pétanque is also known as Jeu de Boules, "the game of balls". Many French villages have a special stadium for the game called a Boulodrome.

The international Pétanque federation Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal was founded in 1958 in Marseille and has about 600,000 members in 52 countries (2002).

The first World Championships were organized in 1959. The most recent championships were held in Faro, Portugal (2000), Monaco (2001), Grenoble (2002), Geneva (2003), Grenoble (2004), Brussels (2005), and Grenoble will host 2006. Fifty-three countries participated in 2004 and the number is growing every year.

Rules

The game is always played in teams. In competitions there are three different configurations:

• three players per team (two boules per player), called triples
• two players per team (three boules per player), called doubles
• one player per team (three boules per player), called singles

The boules are made of metal and weigh between 650 g and 800 g, with a diameter of between 71 mm and 80 mm. The jack is made of wood or synthetic material and has a diameter of between 25 mm and 35 mm.

The playing area should be at least 15 meters (49 ft) long, by 4 meters (13 ft) wide.

A player from the team that wins the toss starts the game by drawing a circle on the playing field (35 to 50 cm in diameter). Both feet must be inside this circle, touching the ground, when playing. The player then throws the jack to a distance of between 6 and 10 metres from the starting circle. The jack must be visible and at least 1 metre from any obstacle or boundary, otherwise it must be thrown again.

A player from the team that wins the toss then plays the first boule, trying to place it as close to the jack as possible. Then the opposing team must get closer to the jack and keeps playing until they succeed. When they do, it is back to the first team to do better, and so forth. When one team runs out of boules the other team plays their remaining boules.

A player may choose to 'place' a boule (get it as near as possible to the jack) or 'shoot' it (attempt to displace another boule). A point is scored for each boule that is nearer to the jack than the opposing team's nearest boule. The team that wins a round starts the next one and a new circle is drawn where the jack was in the previous round.

One game is usually played up to 13 points.

Equipment specifications

General specifications

• Boules: made of steel with diameters ranging from 70.5 to 80 mm.
• Jacks: made of wood with diameters ranging from 25 to 35 mm.

Competition boules Competition boules must meet the following specifications (according to the International Federation of Petanque and Provencal Game):

• forged of metal.
• have a diameter between 70.5 and 80 mm.
• weight between 650 and 800 g.
• bear engravings indicating the manufacturer's name and the weight of the boule.
• may bear an engraving of the player's first name or initials.

Choice of boule The diameter of the boule is chosen based on the size of the player's hand. The weight and hardness of the boule depends on the player's preference and playing style. "Pointers" tend to choose heavier and harder boules, while "shooters" often select lighter and softer boules.

Leisure boules These boules do not meet competition standards but are often used for "backyard" games. These boules are designed to suit all ages and sexes.

Glossary of special terms

Like any sport, petanque has its own special vocabulary. The following are a list of common phrases with explanations.

• To have the point: to have one or more boules placed closer to the jack than those of the opponent(s).
• Pointing: to throw one's boule with the intent of stopping near the jack (also know as placing).
• Shooting: to throw one's boule at one of the opponent's boules to knock it out of play. This is often done when the opponent has pointed his/her boule very close to the jack.
• Lob: to throw one's boule in a high arc so that when it lands it only rolls minimally.
• A carreau: a special feat in which the shooter knocks the opponent's boule out while leaving his boule at or very near the point of impact (pronounced car-o).
• To fanny: to beat one's opponents 13 to 0.
• To do the bec: intenting to stop the boule near the jack by targetting another boule and hitting it.

This article is licenced under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pétanque".