TEAMS
Each team must consist of a minimum of 2 players and a maximum of 4 players, 21 years of age or older. Teams may consist of all males, all females, or co-ed. Teams who have more than 2 players may rotate players between rounds. If a teammate is absent, one substitute can be recruited to play (only during regular session games) or the player may play alone. A team playing with only one player will start each game with a 0-5 score.
COURT LAYOUT
The Bocce court is approximately 60 feet long and 12 feet wide.
EQUIPMENT
FXA provides all the equipment. This consists of 8 Official FXA Bocce balls and 1 pallino (smaller target ball) 4 balls are one color and 4 are a different color.
OFFICIALS
There will be a referee managing game play and questions; however, each game and match will be self-scored and then reported to the referee. Team captains must be cordial and agree on scores.
GAME RULES:
- League shirts will be provided and are your team’s uniform. They must be worn during league play.
- For honors (the team that tosses first), Rock, Paper, Scissors will be played (best 2 out of 3 shoots).
- To start the game, have a player from the starting team stand behind the foul line (which is 10 feet from the throwing end of the court) and throw the small ball, or “pallino” toward the opposite end of the playing surface.
- The same person who tossed the Pallino then throws their Bocce ball trying to get it closest to the Pallino without touching it.
- The next team then throws one ball trying to get closer than the first team. If team two gets closer, then it is Team one’s turn. If Team two’s ball does not come closer, then they continue to throw until they get a ball closer to the Pallino or until they are out of balls. Then Team one throws the remainder of their bocce balls. REMEMBER: You can knock your opponent’s balls away from the Pallino to increase your score.
- The team with the closest ball gets one point for each of its balls that are closer to the Pallino than the other team’s closest ball.
- Keep in mind that if the two teams’ closest balls are an equal distance from the pallino, no points are awarded.
- End the frame after all eight balls have been thrown and appropriate points have been awarded. The scoring team begins the next frame. If no team previously scored, the team that threw the pallino last begins the next frame.
SCORING
When all balls have been thrown, the teams shall proceed to measure the distance of the bocce balls from the pallino. Each team’s ball that is closer to the pallino than the nearest ball of the opposing team, scores 1 point. Games are played to a set point, in this case 15.
FOULS & ZERO POINTS
- If the thrower crosses the foul line and tosses, they lose that toss, and the ball is removed from the court.
- If someone tosses out of turn, they lose that toss, and the ball is removed from the court.
- If a player moves one or more of his team’s balls, it or they are removed from the court and considered dead and play continues.
- If a player moves one or more of his opponent’s balls, those balls are removed and awarded one point each and play continues. Only one team is awarded points, so only the team fouled against can be awarded points.
- If a player illegally moves the pallino during the frame, the team fouled against will be awarded as many points as the number of balls that team has already played that frame, and the frame will be ended at the point.
FORFEITS:
Teams forfeiting two nights of play in one season are eligible to be removed from the league with no refund. Teams that forfeit their third night of play will automatically be removed from the league with no refund. Teams are encouraged to send at least one player or contact FXA’s office to inform us you will be forfeiting.
TIEBREAKERS:
- Head to head results.
- The least amount of forfeits.
- The least amount of games lost.
- Rock, Paper, Scissors, best 2 out of 3 shoots.