Game rules : Breton puck
The essential rules of each game, available offline.
The board-and-puck game from Brittany: you aim at the board, and the best team scores.
Overview
Breton palet is played with brass pucks thrown onto a wooden board (often poplar) set on the ground a few metres away. The principle echoes petanque: you must place your pucks as close as possible to the master, a small central puck used as the target.
It is a sociable game, very common in western France, played in teams. The target score varies by regional variant, which makes it a flexible game, easy to adapt to the length of game you want.
Origin and history
Palet is an old game from western France, found in Brittany, the Vendee and the Maine. There are two main families: board palet, played on a raised wooden board, and ground palet, played straight on a beaten-earth surface.
Long a game of village bars and local fairs, Breton palet has kept a strong regional identity. There is no single national rulebook, which explains the variety of target scores and distances from one club or area to the next.
Goal
Be the first team to reach the chosen score (13 by default).
Equipment
- Brass pucks (usually 2 per player).
- A small central puck called the master.
- A wooden board set on the ground, a few metres from the throwing line.
How a game unfolds
- Set the board on the ground and place the master on it.
- Each team throws its pucks in turn to bring them close to the master.
- As in petanque, the team that does not hold the best-placed puck keeps playing to take back the advantage.
- When all pucks are thrown, you count the points: that ends the round.
- You play round after round until the target score is reached.
How to score
Throw the pucks at the board. Each round, only the best-placed team scores: 1 point per puck closer than the opponent’s best puck (1 to 6 points).
Scoring in detail
- At the end of each round, only the team whose puck is best placed relative to the master scores.
- It earns 1 point per puck placed better than the opponent best puck, so 1 to 6 points depending on the number of pucks.
- Points add up round after round.
- The first team to reach the target score (13 by default, sometimes 11, 12 or 15) wins the game.
Two teams of two players have thrown their pucks onto the board. You rank the pucks from closest to the master to furthest.
| Puck | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Green | Touching the master |
| 2nd | Yellow | 5 cm away |
| 3rd | Green | 8 cm away |
The green team has the best-placed puck, but the next yellow puck stops the tally. Green therefore scores only 1 point on this round. It would take two green pucks better placed than every yellow one to score 2 points.
Winning
The first team to the chosen score wins the game.
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PlayFouls and special cases
- A puck that falls off the board does not count for placement.
- Knocking the master off usually means the round is replayed (local rules).
- Throwing while crossing the playing line voids the puck under local custom.
Tips to play well
- Lay your first puck flat on the board, in the centre near the master: a steady puck is a base for the next ones.
- Play to nestle up to the master rather than to knock the opponent away: on a board, a well-placed puck is hard to shift.
- Adjust your throw to the board: a dry board makes the puck slide, a damp board holds it back.
- Set the target score before you start (11, 13 or 15) so everyone plays the same game.
A bit of strategy
- As in petanque, the team that does not hold the best-placed puck keeps playing: save pucks to take back the advantage at the end of the round.
- A puck placed just in front of the master protects your point by blocking the incoming opponent pucks.
- Count the pucks each side has left: that tells you whether to secure a point or try to double it.
Variants
- The target score is set by region and desired length (11, 12, 13 or 15 points).
- Board palet differs from ground palet (or palet laitonne), played directly on the ground.
- Some variants use a heavier leaded board to steady the pucks.
Key points
- Only one team scores per round.
- The target score is adjustable (11, 12, 13, 15…).
- Regional variants exist, hence the adjustable target.
Frequently asked questions
How do you score in Breton palet?
At the end of each round, only the team whose puck is best placed near the master scores. It earns 1 point per puck placed better than the opponent best puck, so 1 to 6 points. The first team to the target score wins.
How many points to win at Breton palet?
The target score is adjustable by regional variant: 13 points by default, but also 11, 12 or 15 depending on the region and the desired length of game.
What is the difference between board palet and ground palet?
Breton board palet is played on a wooden board set on the ground. Ground palet (or palet laitonne) is played directly on a beaten-earth surface, with no board.
What is the master in Breton palet?
The master is the small central puck used as the target. The goal is to place your pucks as close as possible to the master, like the jack in petanque.