Petanque Game Rules: How to Play Boules, Scoring & Court Size

What is this game?

Petanque (pétanque) is a boules-style throwing game that originated in Provence, France in the early 1900s. Players take turns tossing palm-sized metal balls (boules) toward a small wooden target ball (cochonnet). The team whose boule lands closest scores points.

The name comes from the Provençal phrase pieds tanqués ("feet planted"), referring to the standing posture: both feet stay inside a small circle during the throw.

The game grew out of jeu provençal, an older boules game in which players take a running approach before each throw. According to the usual account, around 1907 (some sources say 1910) in the harbour town of La Ciotat, the pitch was shortened and players began throwing from a standing circle so that a former jeu provençal player whose rheumatism stopped him from running could keep playing. The international federation, the FIPJP, was founded in Marseille in 1958.

Figure: Green arrow for length (15 m), dark grey arrow for width (4 m), orange band for the valid landing zone of the jack (6 to 10 m from the circle). The circle and jack are drawn slightly larger than scale.

Petanque vs bocce vs lawn bowls

"Boules" is a collective name for games in which you throw or roll heavy balls as close as possible to a small target ball. Petanque, bocce, and lawn bowls all belong to that family and score the same way (only the side nearest the jack scores, one point for each ball closer than the opponent's best), but the balls, the delivery, and the playing area are quite different.

	Petanque	Bocce	Lawn bowls
Origin	Provence, France, around 1907	Italy, from games played in Ancient Rome	England; already played in the 13th century
Balls	Hollow metal, 70.5–80 mm, 650–800 g	Synthetic, about 107 mm, 900–920 g	Biased (not perfectly round), 112–131 mm, up to 1.59 kg
Target ball	Cochonnet, 30 mm	Pallino, 40 mm	Jack, 63–67 mm
Delivery	Thrown, usually in an arc, with both feet inside a circle	Mostly rolled, from behind a throwing line	Rolled along the green from a mat; the bias makes it curve
Playing area	Any surface; marked lanes 15 m × 4 m (12 m × 3 m minimum)	A flat court enclosed by boards, 26.5 m × 4 m	A closely mown green 31–40 m long, divided into rinks
Game length	13 points	12 points (CBI)	Singles to 21 shots; team games over a set number of ends

Figures come from the FIPJP rules, the CBI and USBF bocce rules, and the World Bowls laws (see the Bocce and Lawn Bowls articles). The Paralympic sport boccia is a separate game derived from bocce.

Equipment & setup

Petanque needs very little gear, and setup takes almost no time. All you really need are the balls, a target ball, and a few metres of flat ground.

• Boules — 2 per player in triples, 3 per player in doubles and singles. Competition boules are hollow metal, 70.5–80 mm in diameter and 650–800 g. The right size and weight depend on your hand and throwing style
• Cochonnet — the small target ball, made of wood or an approved synthetic material, 30 mm across (plus or minus 1 mm). It is also called the "jack" or "but"
• Tape measure — for close calls. Under the official rules, each team must carry its own measuring instrument
• Something to mark the circle — chalk, a stick, or a drop-down plastic throwing ring makes life easier
• Ground — grass, dirt, gravel, or sand all work. A flat strip about 12–15 m long and 3–4 m wide is plenty

Leisure sets with plastic or inexpensive metal boules are affordable and more than enough for casual games on the lawn. To enter a competition you need FIPJP-approved metal boules, which cost considerably more. Start with an inexpensive set to get a feel for the throw, then upgrade once you're hooked. Pick a spot — a park lawn, an open field, or the beach — where balls can be thrown safely away from other people.

Court and equipment dimensions

The figures below come from the FIPJP Official Rules for the Sport of Pétanque (approved December 2020, in force from 2021). Petanque can be played on any surface; minimum sizes only apply when a competition uses a marked terrain.

Item	Regulation value	Tolerance and notes
Terrain (marked lane)	at least 15 m long by 4 m wide	Minimum for national championships and international events. For other events a federation may allow smaller lanes, but never below 12 m by 3 m
Throwing circle	35–50 cm across if drawn	A ready-made rigid circle is 50 cm inside diameter (plus or minus 2 mm). Keep it at least 1 m from any obstacle
Jack throwing distance	6–10 m from the inside edge of the circle	For juniors and seniors. Shorter distances are allowed in events for younger players
Jack to obstacle	at least 50 cm	Also at least 50 cm from the end line of the lane
Boule diameter	70.5–80 mm	Metal and hollow. Filling with lead, sand or anything else is forbidden
Boule weight	650–800 g	In events for players aged 11 or under, approved 600 g boules of 65 mm may be used
Cochonnet	30 mm (plus or minus 1 mm), 10–18 g	Wood or approved synthetic. Must not be picked up by a magnet

Players & ages

Format	Players	Boules each	Boules per team
Singles (tête-à-tête)	1 vs 1	3	3
Doubles (doublette)	2 vs 2	3	6
Triples (triplette)	3 vs 3	2	6

The FIPJP recognises only these three formats. Anyone can play: use lighter plastic boules for kids and full metal for adults. The official rules even provide lighter boules for players aged 11 and under, and exceptions for wheelchair users and players with lower-limb disabilities.

Rules

Petanque is all about getting your boules closer to the cochonnet than your opponent does. Learn the minimal rules below and you can play the same afternoon.

How a round works (minimal rules)

1. Choose the first team (a coin toss works) and draw a 35–50 cm throwing circle on the ground
2. A player from that team stands with both feet inside the circle and throws the cochonnet 6–10 m away
3. Any player from the same team then throws the first boule, aiming to land it right next to the cochonnet
4. The other team then throws
5. From here on, the team whose nearest boule is farther away keeps throwing until they get closer; the leading team waits
6. Once every boule has been thrown, count the score: the team with the closest boule scores one point for each of its boules that beats the opponent's best one
7. That is one "end" (mène). Play more ends until a team reaches 13 points and wins

At first, just focus on landing close. Once that feels natural, add the techniques below.

Standard rules (adding skill)

• The throw — palm-down underhand is standard. A little backspin helps the boule stop instead of rolling away
• Pointing vs. shooting — "pointing" gently rolls a boule close, while "shooting" slams into an opponent's boule to knock it out of the way. A clean shot can swing the whole end
• Foot position — both feet stay on the ground inside the circle until your thrown boule lands. Stepping out or lifting a foot is a foul
• Starting the next end — the team that scored draws a new circle around the spot where the jack finished and throws the jack from there
• Formations — in doubles (2v2) or triples (3v3), splitting into pointers and shooters makes play far more tactical

Official competition rules

The International Petanque Federation (FIPJP) sets exact figures: the throwing distance for the cochonnet (6–10 m), the size of the circle, how out-of-bounds boules and cochonnets are handled, and the precise measuring procedure. Each player has one minute per throw. The team entitled to throw the jack gets only one attempt; if the jack does not land in a valid position, the opponents place it by hand in a valid spot. Games go to 13 points, although league and qualifying games may be played to 11. In Japan the Japan Petanque Boules Federation (JPBF) is the FIPJP member and runs official tournaments.

Scoring examples

Only the team with the boule closest to the cochonnet scores in an end. It earns one point for every boule that is closer than the opponent's best boule. The most you can score in one end is 3 points in singles and 6 in doubles or triples.

• Example 1 (left of the figure): green boules sit 12 cm and 20 cm from the jack; grey's best boule is 30 cm away. Both green boules beat grey's best, so green scores 2. Green's third boule (42 cm) is outside grey's best and does not count
• Example 2 (right of the figure): the closest boule is grey (11 cm), then green (22 cm), then grey again (32 cm). Grey's second boule is behind green's best, so grey scores only 1
• Example 3 (dead jack): a shot knocks the jack out of bounds while green still has 2 boules in hand and grey has none. Green scores 2, one for each boule still to play. If both teams still have boules, or neither does, the end is void and nobody scores

Figure: Each dashed circle shows the distance to the opponent's best boule. Every boule inside it (ringed in green) scores one point: green scores 2 on the left, grey scores 1 on the right.

Common fouls and tricky calls

These are the rulings under the FIPJP Official Rules.

• Feet leaving the circle — feet must be fully inside the circle, not on its line, and must neither leave it nor be lifted until the thrown boule touches the ground (Article 6). Penalties escalate from a warning (yellow card) to disqualification of the boule (orange) and exclusion (red) (Article 35)
• A boule on the line is still live — a boule straddling the boundary is valid. It is dead only when, viewed from directly above, it has completely crossed the line (Article 19)
• When the jack is dead — for example when it goes out of bounds, cannot be seen from the circle, or is moved more than 20 m or less than 3 m from the circle (Article 9)
• Measuring with your feet — forbidden (Article 26). A team that moves the jack or a contested boule while measuring loses the point (Article 28)
• Boule stopped by a teammate — a thrown boule accidentally stopped or deflected by a player on its own team is dead (Article 20)
• Equal distance — if the two closest boules belong to different teams and are the same distance away, the team that played last throws again, then the teams alternate. If they are still equal when all boules are played, the end is void (Article 29)

Figure: The top row shows foot position in the circle; the bottom row shows a boule and the boundary line. A green ring means correct or live; a red cross means a foul or a dead boule.

Tips for enjoying the game

Throwing styles: pointing and shooting

According to the Japan Petanque Boules Federation, the basic delivery is underarm, palm down, with backspin. Throws fall into two families: pointing (placing a boule close to the jack) and shooting (knocking an opponent's boule away).

Throw	Family	How it travels
Roulette	Pointing	Thrown low and rolled up to the jack
Demi-portée	Pointing	Lands about halfway, then rolls the rest of the way
Portée	Pointing	Lofted high and lands close to the jack
Tir (shot)	Shooting	Hits an opponent's boule to knock it away

The JPBF notes that a single shot can win several points, which makes shooting essential for winning. Besides pointing and shooting, you can also push one of your own boules closer to the jack, or move the jack itself.

Common beginner mistakes

• Don't throw hard. A high arc that lands gently rolls less and stays put
• Read the ground. Grass slows boules; gravel makes them roll. Adjust
• Compare distances every throw. If yours is closer, the opponent throws next

Basic tactics

• Keep boules in hand. If only your team has boules left late in the end, you can build points calmly
• Use the jack distance. The team throwing the jack chooses anywhere from 6 to 10 m, so put it at the distance your team likes

How to make it more fun

• 13 points takes a while. Try 8-point games for casual play
• True French style: long, lazy games next to a BBQ or picnic

Age variations

• Kids: plastic boules, 4–5 m throws, simplified "closest wins" rules
• Seniors: sitting or wheelchair throwing is fine (the official rules include a wheelchair exception)
• Competitive play: a ready-made 50 cm ring and a proper tape measure

Playing petanque in Japan

• An affordable leisure set is plenty to start. Look at FIPJP-approved boules once you begin entering tournaments
• Some parks have rules on ball games. Check the posted rules and leave plenty of space so boules never reach other people
• The Japan Petanque Boules Federation (JPBF) runs the Japan Petanque Championship and other events, has prefectural federations and clubs, and publishes beginner guides

Frequently asked questions

Q. How big does a petanque court need to be?

For marked lanes at national championships and international events the minimum is 15 m long by 4 m wide. Other competitions may use lanes as small as 12 m by 3 m if the national federation allows it. For casual play, you just need enough length to throw the jack 6 to 10 m.

Q. How do you pronounce petanque?

In English it is usually said "puh-TONK" (/pəˈtɒŋk/). In French it is closer to "pay-TAHNK", with a nasal vowel in the second syllable (/pe.tɑ̃k/). The French spelling is pétanque, from the Provençal for "feet planted together".

Q. Is boules the same as petanque?

Not exactly. "Boules" is the umbrella name for the whole family of games in which balls are thrown or rolled toward a jack, and petanque is one of them, alongside jeu provençal, boule lyonnaise, and bocce.

Q. How many points do you need to win?

Official games go to 13 points. League and qualifying games are sometimes played to 11. For casual play, 7 or 8 points is fine.

Q. Can you play petanque on grass?

Yes. The FIPJP rules say petanque can be played on any surface. Grass stops boules quickly, so throw a little harder than you would on gravel.

Q. How old do kids need to be to play?

The official rules set no minimum age, and events for players aged 11 and under may use lighter 600 g boules. Heavy metal boules can hurt if dropped on a foot, so start small children with light plastic boules and short distances, with an adult nearby.

Q. What can I use if I don't have a set?

Any small ball can stand in for the jack, and a loop of string or a line scratched in the dirt makes a circle. For boules, a matching set of balls of the same size and weight for each player works fine.

Learn more

• FIPJP Official Rules for the Sport of Pétanque (PDF)
• Japan Petanque Boules Federation (JPBF, Japanese)
• JPBF: an introduction to petanque (Japanese PDF) — throwing styles and how a game runs
• Boules on Wikipedia — the family of games the name covers
• pétanque on Wiktionary — pronunciation and etymology
• Related: Bocce, Lawn Bowls, Mölkky, and Kubb