Outdoor & pub games
Pétanque
- players
- 2–6
- minutes
- 30
- years
- 6+
In the box
Boules: 2 or 3 per player depending on the format · 1 jack (the cochonnet)
Official rules (PDF, federation's site)
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- DexterityTeam-Based
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
Place your boules closer to the jack than your opponents' boules, end after end, until you reach 13 points. The team that throws the jack plays the first boule, then the team that does not hold the point always plays, feet in the circle, until it runs out of boules. Once all the boules are played, only the better-placed team scores, one point per boule ahead of the opponents' best, and the first team to 13 points wins.
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 or 3 boules per player, Circle of 35 to 50 cm, Jack between 6 and 10 m
- In triples, three players per team with two boules each. In doubles and singles (tête-à-tête), three boules per player.
- Draw a throwing circle 35 to 50 centimetres in diameter.
- The jack (cochonnet) is thrown to a distance of between six and ten metres.
How to play
Feet in the circle, Team without point plays
- The team that throws the jack plays the first boule.
- After that, the team that does not hold the point always plays, until it runs out of boules.
- Your feet must stay inside the circle and on the ground throughout the throw.
- When all the boules have been played, the end is over and the points are counted.
Scoring
Only 1 team scores, 1 per boule ahead
- The team whose boule is closest to the jack scores one point for each of its boules that is better placed than the opponents' best boule.
- Only one team scores per end.
- If the two best boules are exactly level, the end goes on: the team that has just played throws again, then the other, alternating until one side holds the point.
- Only if both teams have no boules left is the end dead: nobody scores, and the jack goes to the team that led at the previous count.
End of the game
13 points, Sometimes 11 or 15, Scoring team throws jack
- The game is played to 13 points. Some tables play to 11 or 15.
- The team that scored throws the jack for the next end, from a circle drawn where the jack lay at the end of the previous one.
House rules and pitfalls
Fanny: losing 13-0 traditionally means buying the next round of drinks.
- Fanny: losing 13-0 traditionally means buying the next round of drinks.
- If the jack leaves the playing area, the end is dead, unless only one team still has boules to play.
Going further
Variants · Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Variants
Format
Singles (3 boules)
Doubles (3 boules)
Triples (2 boules)
Game to
11 points
Allowed by the rules for pool and play-in games; anywhere else, a house rule.
13 points
15 points
House rule: the rules only provide for 13 points, or 11 in pool and play-in games.
choose them when you start a game: the scorer adapts
Frequently asked questions
How many boules per player?
Three in singles and doubles, two in triples. That way the number of boules in play stays the same: six per team.
How far is the jack thrown?
Between six and ten metres from the circle, and at least one metre from any obstacle and from the edges of the playing area. The thrower must keep their feet in the circle.
Who plays the next boule?
Always the team that does not hold the point, meaning the one with no boule closest to the jack. It keeps playing until it takes the point back, or runs out of boules.
How many points can you score in an end?
Only one team scores: one point for each of its boules that is better placed than the opponents' best boule. Six at most, which almost wins the game on its own.
What happens if the two best boules are level?
The end goes on: the team that has just played throws again, then the other, alternating. If nobody has any boules left and the tie holds, the end is dead, nobody scores, and the jack goes to the team that led at the previous count.
Can you lift a foot when throwing?
No. Both feet stay on the ground, inside the circle, until the boule has landed. It is the most common fault, and the least punished among friends.