Added: 07/30/2007 |
How Do You Play Petanque?In the last few years a very popular British pub game, that uses a lot of French terms, and is based on an Italian game is becoming quite popular in America as well. The game is called Petanque and people all over the world are starting to play Petanque. With its wide appeal as an easy game to play, and a game that transcends any age or gender barriers, Petanque is catching on all over the world.
Petanque actually has its roots in France where a lawn bowling ball called a boule was first created. To play Petanque you first need to know the object of the game and how to win. You can play Petanque in either a team or single format and you can also play Petanque any time of day or night. Many British pub leagues have also been known to play Petanque in the freezing cold and they have also been known to play Petanque in a driving rain. While it really is not necessary to expose yourself to the elements to play Petanque it is the kind of a game that can be played under any conditions.
The first thing you need to play Petanque is a playing surface approximately 10 meters long and about 4 meters wide. Remember that you will be rolling the boules on the court so you don’t want something too hard, like asphalt, but you also do not want something too soft, like sand. Probably the idea surface is a compacted piece of ground with either very short grass or no grass at all. Some people like to throw a little sand down to offer some friction to the metal boules as they roll around. While many people can confuse Petanque with bocce because of the similar playing surfaces, there are many differences between the two games that allow Petanque to stand out as its own type of competition.
The object of Petanque is very similar to horseshoes in that the goal is to get your boules as close as possible to the scoring target. The scoring target is a little wooden ball called a jack. The game begins with a coin toss and the winner of the toss will begin the game. Like horseshoes the players must remain within a predetermined playing area and either throw, or roll, their boules at the jack. Usually a circle is drawn and that is the boundary within which each player must stand. The player then launches their boule at the jack and the winner is the person, or team, that winds up with their boule closest to the jack. The main difference between Petanque and horseshoes is where the horseshoe targets are mounted into the ground, the Petanque jack can be moved by hitting it with a boule. Just when you think you may be winning your opponent may hit the jack with their boule and move it away from your boule. This, to many that play Petanque, is the most exciting aspect of the game.
Petanque does not require any great athletic skill, it can be played by competitors of any age or gender, and it is also involves a great deal of luck to go with any skill. Because it is a game that does not exclude anyone from playing it is becoming extremely popular as a British pub game. As more and more people begin to play Petanque in the United States there is a very good chance that the game of Petanque will catch on in America as well.
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