How to Play
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PÉTANQUE |
TEAMS |
OBJECT |
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| Is played: • with metal boules and a jack • from a circle drawn on the ground |
TRIPLES: 2 boules each DOUBLES: 3 boules each SINGLES: 3 boules each |
To get your boules closer to the jack than your opponents’ boules. |
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TO START |
CONTINUE |
EITHER POINTING |
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| A player from the first team: • draws a circle • throws the jack • they or a team member throw the first boule. |
Next a player from the other team has their turn, trying to do better. |
Trying to get their boule closer to the jack. |
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OR SHOOTING |
IF SUCCESSFUL |
NOT SUCCESSFUL |
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Trying to hit an opponents’ boule out of the way. |
Then a player from the first team plays again. |
The players from their team play their boules until either they get closer or they have no more boules. |
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NO MORE BOULES |
WINNING AN END |
WINNING THE GAME |
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When one team has no more boules, the other team plays their remaining boules. |
One team scores a point for each boule closer to the jack than the nearest opponents’ boule. The team that wins the end throws the jack for the next end. |
The first team to reach 13 points after several ends is the winner. |
Translated and adapted from the FFPJP poster.
Official Rules
Full rules are available from the English Pétanque Association.
If you’re playing in competitions, you should read and be reasonably familiar with the official rules – many players think they are but often aren’t!
99% of players play in a ”friendly but competitive” spirit.
Friendly Rules
If you’re playing a ‘friendly’ 99% of players will play ‘friendly rules’ rather than always insisting on the letter of the law.
Some common examples:
• If the jack is thrown a bit too short or too long, simply move it, rather than insisting on a rethrow, or move the circle.
• If players really don’t have the ability to shoot at longer distances, play a shorter game.
• If somebody genuinely plays out of turn, it’s sporting to let them have the throw again.
• Although anything hitting a boundary is out-of-play, the French usually play ”anything goes” in friendly games, i.e. nothing is taken out-of-play and boules can be bounced off boundaries!
In a competition you should, of course, follow the official rules.
Have fun 
