How To Play Bocce Ball On Grass

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I’m kind of the resident game master and have always been in charge of coming up with fun ideas for games and activities.

As I’ve been doing it for a few years now and at every family and friends get-togethers, I’m at the point of running out of game ideas.

For our next party, I wanted something new and different. I want us to learn and play a game not one of us has played before. That’s how I thought a friendly Bocce ball would be perfect. The space available for us to use is a huge yard and I’m just determined to make it work!

If you’re also wondering how you can Bocce ball on grass, simply read on below!

What is the Bocce Ball Game?

The word bocce finds its roots from the Italian word boccia, which means bowl. Bocce is the plural form of the word and means bowls.

Bocce is one of the world’s oldest games, with roots way back to the Roman Empire. It’s closely related and pretty similar to the also popular game of lawn bowling and to the French game of pétanque.

Bocce Ball is played with a small ball together with larger balls. The objective of the game is to get the large playing balls as close to the small ball as possible. The team whose ball is closest to the small ball earns more points.

Bocce is extremely customizable, adaptable, and flexible. This means you don’t need an official court or follow exact court measurements to play a round of the game, as long as you have a Bocce set to use. Any level surface can be used as a court and you can easily play the game with friends and family in a park or in your own yard.

Playing Bocce Ball

If you haven’t heard of Bocce Ball and how it’s played before this, all the rules and terminologies might feel intimidating. But I assure you, once you read through this (plus visualize the playing field), Bocce is a very easy and fun game to play.

For this playing guide, we will be walking through only the basic rules for a leisure game.

Equipment

To play a game, you would need a Bocce set with the following:

  • Boccino/Pallino/Jack: Boccino or pallino or jack is the small ball that is the target ball at which the players roll the larger bocce balls to.

And just for the fun of it, boccino means little bocce or little bowl and pallino means little bullet.

  • Bocce balls: Bocce balls are the larger balls players use to play with in the game. There are eight of these. There are usually two sets of four balls with either a different color or a different pattern to differentiate between teams.
  • Measuring device: Though not much of a necessity, any measuring device like a ruler or a measuring tape comes in handy when there is a close call between teams. Others simply use a string or even their feet to measure, but an actual measuring device provides a more accurate result.
  • Bocce court boundary kit: If you’d like a boundary for your game of bocce, you can buy a ready-made kit or buy supplies for your own bocce court.

Some bocce ball game sets come with a measuring device as well to make things easier.

Teams

Two teams play and compete in a Bocce game. Each team can have one, two, or four players each. Two to eight people can start a game.

The number of players would dictate how many balls each player gets to play.

A one vs. one game has four balls each. A two vs. two game has two balls for each player. And a four vs. four game has one ball for each player.

Official rules only allow for two teams with no more than four players in each team. But for a fun social game, you can change up this rule. Of course, more teams and players would mean you need more balls.

Once teams have been determined and the eight larger Bocce balls distributed, you can start playing.

Game play

Setting up the Bocce ball court

Official Bocce ball courts are 90 feet long by 13 feet wide. If you’re playing for pleasure, it’s okay not to have this exact measurement but for the best playing experience, try to get as close as possible. Mark this space with a physical barrier so everyone stays within the playing field.

You need to set a throwing line or foul line. Each player must throw their ball behind this line, never crossing it. Add a centerline on the Bocce court as well.

Starting the game

The game begins with a coin toss. The winner of the toss gets to throw the boccino. The boccino can be thrown at any distance as long as it passes through the centerline but within the bounds of the playing field.

If the winning team fails the throw, the other team gets a chance to do it. And if they also fail, it’s automatically placed in the far end center of the field.

Playing the game

Wherever the pallino ends up in, this will be the target. The winner of the coin toss also throws the first ball. Each team will take turns throwing, one player of another team to another player of the other team.

Hitting the pallino or the opponent’s balls is allowed. Also keep in mind that you can only bowl the ball aka with underhand tosses only.

Scoring and winner

Once all eight balls are thrown and in the field, it’s now time to score the game.

The team which has a ball closest to the small ball/pallino wins the round. The winning team also scores a point for every additional ball they placed closer to the pallino than the nearest ball the opposing team placed to the pallino.

If the winning ball is touching or “kissing” the pallino, that gives the winning team two points.

If, even with a measuring tape, both teams are equidistant from the pallino, then no one receives a point for that round.

Starting the next round

The winner of that round gets to throw the pallino and start the game.

The game ends when a team reaches the set goal point, usually anywhere between 9-16 points. The winning team must win by at least two points.

Can Bocce Be Played On Grass?

While official Bocce courts are usually made from crushed stone or oyster shell blend, any level surface can be a good playing field, including grass. You can definitely set up a game of Bocce right in your yard or at a nearby park!

How To Play Bocce Ball On Grass

Playing Bocce on grass might require a little bit more consideration and effort on your part. At least it’s not as hard as beach bocce ball.

First, you need to find a level and flat spot on your lawn. You can also mow the area so the grass isn’t too tall and wouldn’t be an obstacle. Remove any obstacle, garden décor, and other objects in the way.

Once you’re satisfied with the area you’re playing on, set up the playing field, mark the perimeters, and start the game!

Conclusion

Bocce Ball is a social game you can play with friends and family.

Though there are official rules and guidelines, Bocce is a very flexible game. You can freely adjust them and still get a game going.

Official courts are usually made from crushed stone or oyster shell blend but can easily be played on any level surface, including grass. In your yard or a nearby park, simply set up the playing field, including a throwing line and centerline.

After tossing the pallino into the playing field, players will take turns to bowl their balls to try and get as close as possible to it.

After all eight balls are in the field, scores are tallied and the next round begins. Set goal points can be anywhere between 9-16 points. The winning team must win by at least two points.

And that has been our guide on how to play Bocce on grass!

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