by Angie Haggstrom

Created on: March 21, 2008   Last Updated: April 15, 2008

1. All balls are thrown either on or behind the foul line without going over.

2. The first person to throw the pallino is the first to throw a bocce ball.

3. The pallino remains in play until the frame is over or it hit out of play.

4. After the first ball is tossed, the opposing play takes their turn until they have a bocce ball closest to the pallino or they have thrown all four balls.

5. Hitting or shooting is allowed but it must hit the court before it contacts with another ball or the pallino. If it misses, the ball is taken out of play and everything is moved back to where it was before the shot was taken. A player doesn't have to "hit" from behind the foul line.

6. If a ball is moved, it is to be placed back to where it was.

7. If a ball is thrown out of turn, it can be removed from the court and everything returned to its original position, unless both sides agree to leave everything as it is.

8. Bocce balls that touch the back wall are taken out of play.

9. The winning team will score one point for each ball they have closest to the pallino or jack.

10. Balls that are a similar distance from the pallino can be measured. If the two balls are the same distance, it can either be called a tie with no points awarded, or a tie breaking shot can be taken with the player closest to the pallino winning the point.

11. The game ends when all balls have been thrown, the pallino has been knocked onto the wrong side of the centerline, or it was hit off of the court.

Learn more about this author, Angie Haggstrom.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.