Bocce Ball
MANUAL
Scoring Examples
The Rules
Bocce is played with eight large balls and one smaller target or object ball called a pallino.
There are four balls per team, and they are made of a different color or pattern to distinguish
the balls of one team from those of another. For multiple player teams, a playing rotation is
determined at the start of a game and is maintained throughout the game.
1. Singles, Doubles, or Quad Play
Individuals - Singles Play
Player 1 competes against Player 2
• Each player throws 4 balls
Teams - Doubles Play
Team 1 competes against Team 2.
Each team is comprised of two people.
• Each player throws 2 balls
Teams - Quad Play
Team 1 competes against Team 2
Each team is comprised of four people.
• Each player throws 1 ball
2. The Court
While regulation Bocce courts are normally around 13 feet wide and 91 feet long, the
dimensions of home courts can be whatever size fits your playing space. To create your own
court, establish a perimeter of the playing area on a level surface, a foul line from which balls
will be thrown, and a mid-court line. You’ll want to make sure there are no obstructions in the
court that would interfere with a straight-line delivery of a ball from any direction (excluding
grade variations or terrain consistency). A suggested backyard court size is 12 feet wide and
60-70 feet long. Suggested placement of the foul line is 10 feet from the perimeter edge.
3. The Play
• A game begins with a coin toss. The winning team gets the first toss of the pallino and
chooses the color of balls they will use.
• From the foul line, the pallino is tossed any distance as long as it passes the centerline of
the court and stays within the boundaries of the court.
If the starting player fails to toss the pallino properly into play, a member of the opposing
team will toss it into play. If the opposing team fails to properly toss the pallino into play,
the toss reverts to a member of the original team.
• The team that first attempted to place the pallino delivers the first ball. Once the first
throw has taken place, the other team has the opportunity to throw. From then on, the
team that does not have the ball closest to the pallino has a chance to throw, up until
one team has used all four of their balls. Once this happens, the other team throws its
remaining balls.
• After both teams have exhausted all their balls, a frame is over, and points are awarded.
• The team with the closest ball to the pallino is the only team that can score points in any
frame.
• The game resumes by teams throwing from the opposite end of the court. The team that
was awarded points in the previous frame begins the next frame by tossing the pallino
into play.
RESULT 1
RESULT 2
RESULT 3
RESULT 4
White Team is the closest to the Pallino. The next closest ball is Brown Team’s
Ball. White Team has won this frame and receives 1 point. The brown ball
serves as defense scoring 0 points but prevents the White Team from getting
more points. The other balls do not aect the score.
White Team has the closest 2 balls to the Pallino. White Team wins this frame
and receives 2 points. Brown Team scores 0 points. The other balls do not
aect the score.
Brown Team has the closest 3 balls to the Pallino, winning this frame with 3
points. The white ball serves as a defense, scoring 0 points but prevents the
Brown Team from scoring a fourth point.
Brown Team has the closest 4 balls to the Pallino, winning this frame with 4
points. The white ball does not serve as a defense and does not score any points.