What Is Indoor Bocce Ball? 

What Is Indoor Bocce Ball featured photo

Nothing is more frustrating than having a game of competitive bocce interrupted by rain or snow. If you live in a cold or rainy climate, or you’re just plain unlucky with bad weather, one way to get around these is to just play bocce indoors.

Indoor bocce ball is a variation of the popular bocce sport. It involves playing bocce on a covered indoor court typically at a local bocce club, gym, or community center with a large indoor space.

Indoor bocce ball allows you to play bocce anytime, regardless of the weather conditions. It also offers other benefits, which we will explore in this article. We will also teach you how to play bocce ball indoors to enjoy the sport fully.

What Is Indoor Bocce Ball?

Indoor bocce ball is a version of the classic bocce game. It allows you to enjoy the sport indoors rather than outside in clay, grass, or sand bocce courts.

Playing indoor bocce ball is ideal if you live in an area where it often rains or snows. It can save you time and frustration when the weather is not cooperating. 

Indoor bocce ball is also a popular game option for a night out with your friends. It can even serve as a fun activity for special events or occasions.

A Brief History

Bocce ball underwent various changes throughout history. We will briefly touch on the history of bocce to help you understand how it evolved into a popular indoor sport.

Bocce ball has its origins in ancient Rome. The first players were Roman emperors and soldiers alike. 

The sport eventually spread to other parts of Europe, South America, and worldwide. Each country or location has developed variations of the classic bocce game.

In recent times, bocce ball started becoming popular as an indoor game. It is common in areas where outdoor space is limited, or rain is prevalent.

Most people play indoor bocce ball on a traditional court built indoors. However, one can also find a court in sports clubs and community centers.

view of an indoor bocce court

How to Play Indoor Bocce Ball?

Playing indoor bocce ball is generally the same as outdoor bocce ball. Below, we will teach you the basics of indoor bocce ball, from the game objective and equipment to the rules and regulations.

Bocce Ball Objective

The main objective of bocce is to throw the bocce balls as close as possible to the target ball, known as the pallino. The team or player with their balls nearest to the pallino will receive points. The team or player that first scores a fixed number of points (usually 13 or 15) wins the game. 

Bocce Ball Equipment

close up view of green and red bocce balls with white pallino

It is essential to learn bocce ball equipment if you want to know how to play the fun indoor sport of bocce.

Bocce ball equipment includes eight large balls, a small target ball, and optionally a measuring device.

The eight balls are commonly referred to as bocce balls. They are available in different sizes, ranging from 90 to 144 millimeters (mm) in diameter. Bocce rules state that a regulation-size bocce ball must have a diameter of around 107 mm or 4.2 inches. However, players can use smaller or larger than regulation-size balls when playing casually.

Besides the diameter, bocce balls also come in various colors (red, green, and blue) and materials (plastic, cast resin, or metal).

The target ball is known as the pallino or jack in bocce matches. It is smaller than bocce balls. It also has a white color to stand out from the other balls in play.

Finally, the measurement device is typically a tape measure or ruler. It enables you to determine the closest bocce ball to the pallino.

A bocce ball set includes these essential pieces of bocce equipment. Some models also come with a carrying bag to help you transport the gear to the sports club or bars.

Bocce Ball Rules

The rules and regulations for indoor bocce ball are mostly similar to the traditional bocce ball sport played outdoors. However, there are a couple of changes to suit the different playing surfaces and smaller field areas.

You may also want to review the rules and codes of conduct of a specific playing venue. Most sports clubs, community centers, or entertainment bars have their own set of regulations to follow when playing indoor bocce.

Before anything else, choose whether you will play solo or with a team. Playing indoor bocce with a team is more fun, and recommended to maximize the court area.

Toss a coin to determine who will be playing first. The team who won the coin toss will serve the pallino. Ensure it crosses the half-court line without touching the back wall.

Next, throw the bocce ball. Aim close to the pallino or jack ball to score points. 

Alternate turns until all bocce balls are in the court.

You must throw the bocce ball past the half-court line. If it does not reach this area, another team player can knock it into play. Once all members miss the chance, the ball is already out of play and will not score points.

Avoid hitting the back wall of the court. If you throw a ball without touching the pallino or another bocce ball first, it is out of play. However, a ball remains in play when you knock it into the back wall with another ball.

Finally, calculate the final score of each team after every round. The player or team with balls nearest to the pallino earns a point. The first one to reach 13 or 15 points wins the game.

Where to Play Indoor Bocce Ball?

players standing on an indoor bocce ball court during a game of indoor bocce

The most obvious place to play indoor bocce ball is your home. You can build a bocce court in your living room or covered garden. If you do not have enough space, you can also use a mini indoor bocce set with lightweight balls. 

You can also consider playing bocce at several indoor locations other than your home. These include your local sports club, restaurant bars, community centers, and other entertainment venues.

We have also searched a few more places with indoor bocce courts in North America. You might want to visit the following places if you are up for a game of bocce:

  • Cue Club Of Wisconsin – Wisconsin, U.S.
  • Rhein Haus – Colorado and Washington states in the U.S.
  • SF Italian Athletic Club – California, U.S.
  • Spartaco Club – Pennsylvania, U.S.
  • Ciociaro Social Club – Ontario, Canada
  • The Factory – Ontario, Canada

What Are the Benefits of Playing Indoor Bocce Ball?

There are several advantages to playing bocce ball indoors.

First, it allows you to enjoy the sport even when it is raining or snowing hard outside. Unlike traditional outdoor bocce, indoor bocce does not affect your performance during bad weather conditions. Plus, it offers a more comfortable playing experience since you will not get wet from the rain or snow.

Another benefit of playing indoor bocce is the exercise you get. So if you want to become more physically active or lose a few pounds of weight, consider playing bocce. 

Finally, indoor bocce ball enables you to work on your teamwork and social skills. You will likely play with a team and coordinate your moves together to win the game. Overall, bocce is a great sport that lets you meet people from every walk of life. 

Can you Play Indoor Bocce in a House?

You likely don’t have enough space for a length court in your house to play bocce ball. However, if you do decide to play bocce in the house with the kids, pick up a set of soft bocce balls and make sure your furniture doesn’t get damaged.

Conclusion

Indoor bocce is a popular variation of the centuries-old bocce sport. It allows you to play the game year-round without worrying about weather conditions and other external factors. 

Indoor bocce ball generally has the same rules and regulations as traditional bocce. Refer to our tips above to learn how to play indoor bocce successfully.

Are you curious to learn more about this indoor sport? Send a message through our website’s contact page to get more information.

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