How Do You Score in Bocce Ball?

How Do You Score in Bocce Ball featured photo

Bocce is a fun social game and getting competitive can be exciting, but how do you score in bocce ball? There are a few basic strategies for racking up points in bocce, and we’ll explain them in this post. 

You can win a frame (round) in bocce by getting your team’s bocce ball closer to the pallino than the opposing team. You score one point with each ball you get closer than the other team’s closest ball. 

Each bocce ball player has their own method and technique of playing. Below, learn the basics of bocce including the basic rules of play. 

We’ll also go over a few tips and tricks on how to help you score points in the game using techniques like spocking, blocking, banking, and bumping.

What is Bocce?

Bocce is a ball sport game that has gained popularity and love from millions of fans and players from around the world. The game is largely similar to other famous games like lawn bowling and the French game pétanque.

Bocce is played all around the world. It’s a game that’s easy to pick up and play for casual fun games with friends and families.

Though there are official tournament rules and guidelines, the game is highly versatile for fun, casual games. This means players can adjust the rules according to their preferences.

What is the Goal of Bocce Ball?

The goal of a game of bocce is simple: get your team’s bocce balls closer to the pallino than the opposing team’s bocce balls.

The goal of the game of bocce can be summarized into three points:

  1. Get your team’s bocce ball closer to the pallino,
  2. Move the pallino closer to your team’s bocce ball, and
  3. Move the opposing team’s bocce ball away from the pallino.

Only the team with the closest bocce ball to the pallino gets to score any points for each frame or round.

Bocce Ball Equipment and Players

Bocce ball can be played with these three essentials:

  • Bocce balls: These are the larger, weighted balls played with and tossed during the game. Bocce ball sets typically come with eight bocce balls to get a game going. These balls also usually come with different colors, designs, patterns, and lines to help teams and players differentiate what’s theirs versus the other team’s.
  • Pallino: This is the smaller ninth ball that is the target of the game. Once tossed into the court, this is where players throw their bocce balls with the goal of getting closer to it than the other team’s balls.
  • Measuring device: Though not a necessity, many bocce ball sets come with some sort of measuring device, measuring tape, or measuring string to be able to call close-call games.

Bocce is a game played by two teams. Each team can have one, two, or four players.

Where to Play Bocce Ball?

According to the United States Bocce Federation, official courts are 86.92 feet in length and 13.12 feet in width. Unofficial courts can be smaller.

Leisure and casual games don’t even need to have courts. You only need to mark off a court and make sure the area is flat for fair gameplay.

How to Play Bocce Ball: Basic Rules, Regulations, and Scoring

A game of bocce consists of several frames or rounds. The game starts with a coin toss to decide which of the two teams delivers the pallino into the court and gets to throw the first bocce ball of the game.

The two teams in play will take alternate turns throwing their four bocce balls toward the pallino, with the goal of being the “in” team.

One frame ends when all eight balls have been played into the court, then the scores are determined.

Only the “in” team or the team with the closer ball to the pallino than the opposing team gets to score points in one frame. The scoring team earns one point for each of their balls closer to the pallino than the other team’s closest ball.

And when a ball is “kissing” the pallino, the scoring team earns two points for it.

How Do You Score in Bocce Ball?

And now that we’ve got all the basic rules out of the way, you might be wondering how you can score in a game of bocce ball.

First, it’s important that you have a strong stance when throwing bocce balls. Keep both your feet planted on the ground with your knees slightly bent. This will give your throw the force it needs. 

Grip the ball with your fingers spread across it. Swing your arm and bring your arm forward to release the ball.

You can also choose to play one of these throwing techniques:

  • Spock: Spocking is a technique that moves your opponent’s ball away from the pallino.
  • Block: Blocking involves setting up a defensive perimeter around the pallino with your own team’s bocce balls, preventing the opponent’s balls from getting close.
  • Bank: This is banking your ball off the side rails to try to get your ball near the pallino when your opponent is using the blocking technique.
  • Bump: Bumping is moving the jack away from your opponent’s ball and towards your own team’s ball instead.

Conclusion

Bocce is a beloved game with fans and players across the world. If you fell in love with the game only recently, you might be wondering how you can score in a bocce ball game.

You can score in a game of bocce by being the “in” team in a frame or round. This means you have your team’s ball closer to the pallino than the other team.  You gain one point for every ball closer to the pallino than the other team’s closest ball. You can ensure this by taking a strong stance and secure grip when throwing your bocce ball.

And that has been our detailed guide on the query, “How do you score in bocce ball?”. Hit us up below for any more of your questions!

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