Game rules : Petanque

Overview

Petanque is played with metal boules thrown underarm, feet together inside a circle, towards a small wooden target called the jack (or cochonnet). The goal is simple: place your boules closer to the jack than your opponent does.

It is an accessible game for all ages, playable on any firm ground, from family gardens to competition. A game is won at 13 points and rewards both skill and tactics: should you point to get closer, or shoot to knock away an opponent boule?

Origin and history

Petanque was born in La Ciotat, near Marseille, in 1907. It is an adaptation of the older Provencal game (jeu provencal), in which players took a three-step run-up before throwing. Legend has it that a player who could no longer run because of his rheumatism decided to throw with his feet together inside a circle.

The name comes from the Provencal pes tancats, meaning anchored feet, fixed feet. That detail is the whole essence of the game: you do not move, you aim. Petanque then spread across France and abroad, with world championships and a dedicated federation.

Goal

Be the first team to reach exactly 13 points.

Equipment

• A set of 2 or 3 boules per player (6 boules per team in doubles).
• A jack (the small wooden target, also called the cochonnet).
• A throwing circle (drawn on the ground or a plastic ring) from which you play feet together.
• A flat, firm playing area about 12 to 15 metres long.

How a game unfolds

1. Draw a throwing circle and toss to decide which team starts.
2. A player places the circle, stands feet together inside it, and throws the jack 6 to 10 metres away.
3. The first team throws a boule to bring it close to the jack.
4. The team that does not hold the point plays next, and keeps playing until it takes the point back from the opponent.
5. When a team has no boules left, the other team plays all of its remaining boules.
6. Once all boules are played, you count the points: that ends the end (the round, or mene).
7. The team that scored throws the jack again from where it lay, and a new end begins.

How to score

Each end, only the team with the best-placed boule scores. It gains 1 point per boule closer than the opponent’s best boule, so 1 to 6 points.

Scoring in detail

• At the end of each end, only one team scores: the one whose boule is closest to the jack.
• It earns 1 point for every boule placed better than the opponent best boule. So a team can score 1 to 6 points in a single end.
• Example: if both of your boules are closer than any of the opponent boules, you score 2 points.
• Points add up end after end. The first team to reach exactly 13 points wins the game.
• Unlike some other games, no 2-point margin is required: exactly 13 is enough to win.

Winning

The first team to 13 points wins the game.

Fouls and special cases

• Throwing without feet together inside the circle, or leaving the circle before the boule lands, is a fault.
• A boule that goes outside the boundaries of the area is dead (no longer counts).
• If the jack is knocked out of bounds, the end is usually replayed (local rules vary).

Variants

• Singles (1 against 1): 3 boules per player.
• Doubles (2 against 2): 3 boules per player.
• Triples (3 against 3): 2 boules per player.
• Petanque differs from the Provencal game (where you take a run-up): in petanque you play with fixed feet.

Key points

• Only one team scores per end.
• Played one-on-one, doubles or triples.
• No 2-point gap needed: 13 exactly is enough.

Frequently asked questions