Are Bocce Balls Weighted on One Side?

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Bocce ball is an entertaining game for all to enjoy. Fans and players alike from around the world may be wondering if bocce balls are weighted on one side or if they’re weighted at all.

While bocce balls are weighted, they’re not weighted on one side only. Bocce balls are perfectly round and have even weight distribution throughout. Moreover, official rules dictate that official bocce balls weigh about 900 to 920 grams and have a diameter of about 106 to 107 mm.

A game very similar to bocce ball, down to the balls used in the game, is lawn bowls. In lawn bowls, the balls used were traditionally weighted on one side only, which some may confuse with bocce balls.

Are Bocce Balls Weighted on One Side?

If you’ve had your fair share of watching several games of bocce, then you might have tons of questions regarding the balls and equipment used to play a game.

How big are the balls used? How much do they weigh and are the bocce balls used in games even weighted? All these questions might come across your mind, whether you’re only watching others play or are playing the game yourself.

Another query that is frequently being asked is whether bocce balls are weighted on one side.

Bocce balls are weighted, but not on one side only. The United States Bocce Federation (USBF) states that regulation bocce balls for officially sanctioned games weigh about 900 grams to 920 grams (or about two lbs).

So while bocce balls are indeed weighted, their weight is evenly distributed and not only on one side.

The official standards for bocce ball

The USBF also released other standard regulations regarding the bocce balls used for official games.

Official bocce balls are typically 106 mm to 107 mm (or about 4.2 inches) in diameter and weigh about 900 grams to 920 grams (which is about two lbs).

The size range of 106 mm to 107 mm is to give women players a chance to opt for a smaller and lighter ball if they see that it would be a better advantage to them when they play bocce ball.

Of course, a casual bocce ball game can get away with a whole lot of other varieties of bocce ball weights and sizes.

If you find yourself searching for your bocce ball set for casual play, then you will notice that there are several sizes to choose from.

Some common bocce ball sizes include 90 mm, 107 mm, 110 mm, and 114 mm.

Bocce Ball and Lawn Bowls: Similar but Different Games

The common query of whether bocce balls are weighted on only one side comes from the confusion between the games of bocce ball and lawn bowls.

These two games may seem similar and even the same to someone who isn’t familiar with either game. After all, both games can start with a simple coin toss. Even the goal of both games are similar: get your team’s ball closer to the target than the other team’s balls.

On the surface, they do seem similar and the same but a deep dive on both games with tell you they’re different in quite a lot of facets.

Below, we’ll go over the key differences (and similarities) between playing bocce ball and lawn bowling:

Balls in Bowls vs Bocce

Both games of bocce and bowls, also known as lawn bowls, have the players use eight balls and one target ball to get the game rolling.

This is where the biggest difference between the two games lies.

Bocce balls are perfectly round and evenly weighted. This gives them the ability to travel straight down the bocce ball court.

Lawn bowls are elliptical and are not perfectly round. This shape allows the balls to travel in a curved path as opposed to a straight line. Originally though, lawn bowls allowed players to insert weight in one side of the ball to create a weight bias so the ball rolls in a curved path.

But due to the modern official rules the game now follows, official games don’t allow this anymore. Instead, the players now rely on the shape of the bowls to get their team’s ball closer than the other team.

If you can’t already tell, this close similarity between the balls used in both games may be what causes the confusion and people asking whether bocce balls are weighted on one side.

Conclusion

If you’re one bit curious about the game of bocce ball, then you might also find yourself curious about the ever-present playing equipment in each game. You might find yourself wondering if bocce balls are weighted on one side.

Bocce balls are weighted, yes, but not on one side only. Instead, bocce balls are perfectly round and are evenly weighted on all sides so they travel straight down the bocce court. Additionally, official USBF regulations state that official bocce balls in official games are about 900 to 920 grams (or about two lbs each) and are about 106 mm to 107 mm (or about 4.2 inches) in diameter.

The confusion on the weight of bocce balls may stem from their similarity to lawn balls, which were traditionally weighted on one side.

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