Bocce Rules!

There are many variants to the game of bocce, depending upon space, level of play, customs, mutual agreement or other factors.  Thus there is no one set standard of rules in the game of bocce, and differences will change style and competitiveness of play.

The Auburn Bocce Club uses the United States Bocce Federation Open Rules as its basis, and extends them for its tournaments using the Order of the Sons of Italy in America, Northwest chapter rules (last major revision in 2004).

These are the basics for most games of bocce played in the world today:

1. The game of bocce (pronounced BAH-chee or BO-chay) is played with 2 sets of 4 large wood, plastic or metal balls, with each set a different color.  There is also a smaller ball, known as the jack or pallino (pronounced pal-LEE-no).  Each match will have two teams of one, two four or eight players each.  One-player and two-player team members will play from both ends of the court.  For these rules, “Team” and “Player” are interchangeable.

2. The bocce court is a rectangular area minimum 60 feet long and 10 feet wide.  The court surface must be very level, have no obstructions, and be made of ground oyster shells, clay, dirt, low-cut natural or artificial grass or low-pile carpet.  The surface must be hard but remain porous.  The court is enclosed with a 4” wall of concrete, wood or other solid material.  Foul lines are at least 5 feet from each back wall. 

3. Courts, however, could be “open”, or have no walls, so side and end lines represent the walls for the purposes of the rules.  There is also a centerline equidistant from the back walls.  Lines are marked on the wall or flags stand at foul lines, court corners and centerline locations.

4. Throws are made from behind each foul line, with both feet on the ground until the pallino or ball passes the centerline. 

5. A frame is defined as the play from one end of a court.  A match is decided based upon the first team to score a prescribed number of points.

6. A coin flip will determine the team to make the starting toss for the first frame.  The coin flip winner will select a preferred color of bocce balls and will toss the pallino from one end of the court.

7. A frame starts with the first toss or roll of the pallino past the centerline.  The pallino must stay within the court, within 12” of the court sides and cannot cross the side or back walls.  If the starting team fails to place the pallino in play, the opposing team gets to place it into play.  If neither side can put the pallino in play, the pallino is placed in the center of the opposite half of the court and the starting team throws the first ball.

8. The team successfully tossing the pallino in play will also throw the first ball.  The second team will throw the second ball whether or not the first ball is in play. The pallino remains in play unless it is knocked out of the court or in front of the centerline.  Each ball must touch ground before the centerline or it is removed from play.  A ball which hits the back wall without touching another ball or pallino is a dead ball and is removed from play.

9. Each team tries to score points by trying to get its ball(s) closer to the pallino than the other team.  A thrown ball may get closer by placement, or deflecting its or another of the same color ball closer, or knocking the other team’s ball away from the pallino, knocking the pallino closer to a ball of the same color, or any combination of these tactics.  The interior wall may be used for deflections.  If successful, the team has the advantage, or “point”, and the other team must toss a ball until the team gets closer to the pallino with its play.  If a team runs out of balls, the other team may continue to get closer to the pallino with its remaining ball(s).

10. Any ball leaving the court will be out of play and is ineligible for scoring.  Any ball thrown short of the centerline but on the court will be left where it lies, and is ineligible for scoring except when knocked forward over the center line.  Any ball touching ground over the foul line is considered thrown. Only a ball whose base touches or passes the frontmost part of the centerline in the court at the end of the frame is eligible for scoring.

11. At the end of each frame, the team with the ball closest to the pallino, or “final point”, will be awarded one point.  If the same team also has the second closest ball, it gets another point, and the same applies for the third and fourth balls.  A maximum of four points per frame can be awarded to a team.  Only one team is awarded points in a frame.  That team will also throw the pallino for the next frame from the opposite end of the court.

12. If the pallino is the only ball left on the court at the end of a frame, no points are awarded for the frame, and the team that threw first in the frame will start the next frame from the other end.

13. If the pallino is knocked out of play directly or indirectly by the throwing team, the ball is placed in the center of the opposite half of the court, the “point” is redetermined, and play continues.

14. A team shall not step over the foul line before or after releasing the pallino or the ball until the ball has cleared the centerline or stopped motion.  Both feet must remain on the ground within the throwing motion.

15. If a team has clinched the match with a winning margin and the opposing team cannot overcome the margin with any further play, all balls still need to be thrown to complete the frame.

16. No substitution is allowed during a game.  A substitute not already in the tournament may be used at the start.

17. Volo, or aerial shots, are allowed as long as a ball makes contact inside the court and before it crosses the centerline, making no overhead or side contact with anything.  On any violation, the frame ends, the opposing team will receive one point for each ball not thrown or in play, and a new frame starts from the opposite end.

18. The team tossing the ball has to BEAT the “point”, NOT TIE IT. Balls will be measured from the closest point to the pallino to the top of the pallino for the most accurate determination.  If this isn’t possible, a telescoping wand or compass may be used on the closest point of all balls in question and the pallino.  If all measurements are inconclusive in deciding the “point”, the team having the “point” before the last toss will retain the “point”.

19. If the player throws the wrong colored ball, simply replace it with the correct color when the ball comes to rest.  At no time during the game should any ball on the court be touched or moved in any way, by any individual, except in this situation or at the end of a frame.

20. Balls for a frame are allocated evenly for each player throwing in a frame or rolloff.  If a player rolls out of turn or delivers more than the allotted balls, the ball(s) will be declared foul and removed from play, balls reset to where they were prior to the throw, and play will continue.

21. If a spectator interferes with play, balls may be reset based upon mutual agreement.  If there is no agreement, then the frame is declared null and is replayed as though the frame hadn’t started.

22. Any measurements must be taken with a ruler, tape measure, telescoping wand, compass or marked string.

23. A player having the throw may walk outside the court before the throw to observe ball placements, but only up to the centerline.  The player will lose the throw if he carries a ball in the court over the foul line.  All other players and spectators must stay out of the court area.