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Boules

Boules is an umbrella term for target-ball games such as petanque, boule lyonnaise and other boules disciplines. The common core is placing balls tactically closer to a target ball; exact court, throwing action and scoring depend on the variant.

LevelMain sport FamilyPrecision Sport CategoryPrecision sport

Representative sports image for Boules — steve lodefink · CC BY 2.0 · Image source

Classification

Category Precision sport

Family Precision Sport

Level Main sport

Getting started

Kurzbeschreibung Umbrella term for ball target games with a small target ball and proximity scoring.

Geeignet für Suitable for people who like social precision, simple equipment and tactical rounds.

Cost Low if you start with borrowed boules on a park or club terrain. Set of boules, measuring aid, club fee or event fee depending on variant. Petanque/boules club, park group, casual event or sport-boules venue. Clarify the variant before starting: petanque, lyonnaise, bocce/raffa and casual boules have different detailed rules.

First progress Basic play immediately; consistent length and tactics take practice.

Fitness level low

Was du brauchst

boules
target ball
level playing surface
measuring aid
variant rule

First steps

choose variant
point over short distance
place target ball
measure closeness
practise tactical shooting later

Petanque/boules club, park group, casual league or sport-boules venue.

Keep the throwing zone clear and never throw heavy balls toward a group.

Weitere Angaben

Tags individual, team, einzeln, boules, target-game, precision, umbrella, precision-sport

Rules and format

Die Grundlagen

Ziel

Place balls closer to the target ball than the opposing side.

Teilnehmer

Singles, doubles or teams.

Teamgröße

Variant-dependent.

Spielfeld

Park, gravel, sand, earth or sport-boules lane depending on variant.

Dauer

To target score or by event format.

Wertung

Proximity scoring to the target ball; shooting formats may exist by discipline.

Gewinnbedingung

Reach target score or better match score.

Ausrüstung

balls/boules
target ball
measuring aid
playing surface

Wichtige Regelpunkte

wrong throwing order
line/circle breach
unsafe throw
measuring rule breach

Regelquellen

Federations and sources

Federations

Confederation Mondiale des Sports de Boules (CMSB)

Boules Sports International World Games Association · multisport-guide · high
History FIPJP · federation-history · medium
The rules of Boules The Good Life France · blog-guide · medium
How to: tips for beginners All About Petanque · community-guide · medium