What is petanque called in English?

pétanque in American English

(peiˈtɑːŋk, French peˈtɑ̃ːk) noun. a form of lawn bowling originating in France, usually played on rough ground using steel balls. Also called: boule.

What is another name for pétanque?

boules, French Jeu De Boules, also called Pétanque, French ball game, similar to bowls and boccie. It is thought to have originated about 1910, but it is based on the very old French game of jeu Provençal.

Is pétanque the same as bocce?

The main difference between bocce ball and petanque is the playing technique. Bocce ball is a bowling game where you bowl the boule. Whilst petanque is more of a tossing game where you throw the boule. Bocce ball players also take some steps before throwing, just like bowling.

What do Americans call pétanque?

In the USA, many more people play bocce than pétanque, so the quickest way to describe petanque to an American is to call it “French bocce”. (If that doesn't work, “horseshoes with balls” usually does.) In the USA the best-selling book about bocce is Mario Pagnoni's The Joy of Bocce.

What do the French call bocce ball?

The game of boules, otherwise known as pétanque , is perhaps the sport that is closest to French hearts. Similar to British lawn bowling or Italian bocce , the French version is traditionally played with metallic balls on a dirt surface beneath plane trees, with a glass of pastis at hand.

The Rules of Pétanque (Boules) - EXPLAINED!

What is the Italian version of bocce?

bocce, also spelled bocci, Italian bowling game, similar to bowls and boules. Bocce is especially popular in Piedmont and Liguria and is also played in Italian communities in the United States, Australia, and South America.

Is bocce ball Italian or French?

Bocce is the Italian version of the well-known French ball game boules. It works like this: each team has four balls, which the team members throw on the ground as close as possible to a smaller setting ball, known as the pallino, or shoot the opposing balls away from the pallino.

Does petanque exist in the US?

There are now (2022) around 50 clubs, part of FPUSA - the Federation of Petanque USA, the official USA organization affiliated with the International Petanque Federation. FPUSA counts around 2100 members, organizes regional and national tournaments, as well as the qualifiers for the US National Team.

What is the small ball in petanque called?

Pétanque is a French (Provençal to be precise) outdoor game played by two opposing teams trying to throw boules (metallic spheres the size of an orange) as close as possible to a but (little wooden sphere the size of a plastic bottle cork, also called a cochonnet, meaning piglet).

Is petanque played in the US?

In 1973, the Federation of Pétanque USA (FPUSA) organized. It evolved into the official U.S. affiliate of the international governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FIPJP). In 1982 the first U.S. National Championship was played in Washington DC on the national mall.

What is petanque called in Italy?

History. Having developed from games played in the Roman Empire, Bocce developed into its present form in Italy, where it is called bocce, the plural of the Italian word boccia which means 'bowl' in the general sporting sense, it spread around Europe and also in regions to which Italians have migrated.

Can petanque be played on grass?

It sounds obvious but the ground where you play pétanque should be more or less flat. It is not played on grass, but usually on hard sand or gravel. Note, a beach is too soft and sandy. The ground must measure a minimum of 3 x 12m long (10 x 40ft), but the ideal terrain for a competition is around 4 x 15m (13 x 49ft).

How many balls do you need to play petanque?

To play pétanque you will need metal 'boules' which are the balls you will throw, and one smaller, wooden target ball known as the 'jack' or 'cochonnet'. There should be six 'boules' per team, and only three if playing 'tête à tête'.

What country invented petanque?

The current form of Petanque originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, France in what is now called the Jules Lenoir Boulodrome.

What is a fanny in petanque?

According to legend, the original Fanny was an obliging café waitress who allowed losers at pétanque to kiss her on the cheek. On one occasion, the village mayor lost a match.

What French game is similar to petanque?

Boules (French pronunciation: ​[bul]) is a collective name for a wide range of games similar to bowls and bocce (In French: jeu or jeux, in Croatian: boćanje and in Italian: gioco or giochi) in which the objective is to throw or roll heavy balls (called boules in France, buće in Croatian and bocce in Italy) as closely ...

What is the Jack called in petanque?

Also known as a cochonnet, a jack is the wooden target ball, which players have to throw or roll their boules towards. The closest boule to the jack gains the player's team a point. This loosely translates to 'the end', which refers to a round or innings that make up part of a game of petanque.

What happens if you hit the jack in petanque?

- Unusual situation: If the jack is hit and bounces back to within 3m of the circle it is dead. - If both teams have boules in hand the last team plays again because they didn't actually win that point. - If only one team has boules in hand it plays them all. - If no team has boules it's a dead end.

Can you throw overhand in petanque?

You are not allowed to throw underarm (palm up).

It is not true. The rules say nothing about how a boule must be thrown, so it is legal to throw a boule any way you want.

Which four countries are the best in the world at petanque?

The four top countries so far are: France, Thailand, Belgium and Madagascar as per total world medal in 2018.

Where is petanque most popular?

The heartland of the sport is southern France, particularly Provence, and the popular image is of elderly men playing it. And while plenty of retired men enjoy a game of Pétanque, possibly accompanied by a glass of Pastis, statistics show that more and more women are taking part.

What is the difference between boule and petanque?

“Petanque” and “boules” are two different names for the same game. In French, the word “boule” means “ball” and in France people often refer to the game simply as boules (pronounced BOOL). Outside of France the game is usually referred to as “petanque” (pronounced pay-TONK).

How do you say bocce in English?

The correct pronunciation is more like buh-chee. It has an "uh" sound, as in "bug." If an Italian hears you saying bocce balls, and you're pronouncing it bah-chee, that Italian might think you're saying something else altogether. So be careful when you say bocce.

What is the yellow ball called in bocce?

The game starts with a small white or yellow ball called a “pallino” and is also know as a “boccino” or “jack.” It has to be thrown across the middle to start play.

What is the white ball in bocce called?

A coin flip decides which team throws the Pallino (small white ball) first. Game Objective: The object is to throw your bocce balls closer to the Pallino or Jack, than your opponent. The first team to reach 12 points wins the game (must win by 2).