Bocce Raffa

Bocce Raffa featured photo

Bocce is a widely-beloved game around the world, whether it’s in official or casual game settings. If you want to upgrade your playing skills for your next game, you should look into practicing the bocce raffa throw.

The raffa throw (also known as hitting or spocking) is an overhand throw that puts more spin into the ball. The goal is to hit and displace another ball on the field. The player must first declare the intention and the intended target before making the shot. All items within a 13 cm distance or less become part of the target.

Of course, you are in no way required to implement these strict throwing rules when you’re only playing for fun. Still, it would be nice to get to know these techniques the pros use.

What is a Raffa Throw in Bocce Ball?

When you’re out there playing a casual fun game of bocce with friends and family, it’s understandable that you, like most bocce ball players, don’t bother with professional specifications and technicalities.

But if you’re serious about taking up bocce as a sport, even as a more casual player, then you should consider getting to know and learning various techniques and strategies the pros use.

One of these common techniques you can use when you play bocce ball is the raffa bocce ball throw, one of the main methods to throw a bocce ball. It’s also a great way to up your skills and improve your gameplay come your next game.

A raffa throw, also known as hitting or spocking, in a bocce game is an overhand throw (with an overhand grip) with more spin to it intended to hit, move, and displace another ball on the field, whether that’s the opponent’s ball, the pallino, or even your own team’s ball. This is contrary to the gentle underhand throw known as punto played with an underhand grip.

Not all games would need players to deploy a raffa shot. The technique is best used when your team needs to cover a great distance to get your ball to be the closest ball to the pallino at the end of the frame, contrary to the opponent’s bocce ball already on the field.

The technique can also be used to move a close ball to the pallino out of the way and take its place instead.

The raffa bocce ball throw is definitely a more advanced skill set, but it can be a key for your team to win the game. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt for you to appear more like the professional bocce ball players you cheer on, even in casual game settings.

The advantage rule in playing bocce ball

Before we proceed, there’s another important concept you should know about – the advantage rule.

The advantage rule states that the opposing team can consider all irregular and void bocce balls to be valid if they decide that the new positions of the balls, including the thrown ball, are to their advantage.

How to play the bocce raffa throw

In order for a raffa throw to be valid, the player making the shot must first declare the intention and what item they intend to hit. The player must also wait for the referee’s nod or approval before making the shot, otherwise, the ball is void, except for the rule of advantage.

To play the bocce raffa throw, the player must throw behind the throwing or foul line. A player can only go beyond the line after throwing the ball, even if it hasn’t touched the ground yet. Throwing the ball beyond the foul line would deem the ball void, except for the advantage rule.

A thrown ball using the raffa technique must land beyond the raffa line. Any ball that lands short of this line or even on top of it is void, except for the advantage rule.

The 13 cm target area

All items within a 13 cm (or less) distance from the declared item to hit become part of the player’s target. The referee will let the player know what items fall into this category before they throw the ball.

The ball is void if it misses the target or any item within the target area, except for the advantage rule.

Additionally, a raffa throw that hits the backboard, or the sideboard and then the backboard, without hitting any of the targets first is void, except for the advantage rule.

Volo vs. Rafa Throws

The volo throw is another common throwing technique used in a bocce game. Both the raffa and volo throws would require players to declare their intended throw and target before making the shot. Both are overhand throws and both apply the same 13 cm target rule.

What makes them different is that the rafa throw is an overhand throw with a spin to it to displace another object. The volo throw is an aerial shot whose goal is also to displace another object on the court.

Conclusion

The bocce raffa throw is one of the common throwing techniques in the game. Though technically you aren’t required to use this in more casual games among friends and family, it wouldn’t hurt to learn it in hopes of upping your game.

The raffa throw, also known as hitting or shocking, is an overhand throwing technique that has more spin to it to hit to displace another object on the field. To do this, the player must first declare the intention and intended target. All items within 13 cm or less distance of the declared item become part of the player’s target.

Bocce ball is enjoyed as a more casual game all around the world. Of course, you are not expected to strictly follow official tournament rules if you would prefer not to.

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