by Sal Kenny

Created on: March 25, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Bocce, an Italian game typically played between two to four players, combines elements of bowling and horseshoes and can be played on a number of surfaces. Players use two sets of four large heavy balls for throwing and one small white ball, called the pallino, serves as the target. I love playing bocce because it is social, chaotic and offers new a challenge every time.

The game lends itself well to backyard barbecues or picnics in the park. It can be played anywhere one can find open space on grass or packed dirt. The most devoted bocce players will even play on gravel or pavement. I prefer to play on grass.

A bocce match is inherently social. Players talk, tease, and even taunt when there's a tough shot to be made, but this quickly changes to gloating if the shot succeeds.

But playing on grass is tricky. Obstacles hidden beneath the green blades can change a perfectly conceived shot into an embarrassment. Sometimes it goes the other way with a hidden rock correcting an otherwise errant shot. It all balances out in the end.

The variable nature of the game, with its unpredictable placement of the pallino, makes bocce unique. Unlike horseshoes or bowling, where you place your bocce shot will vary with each and every throw. Sometimes you're shooting for placement of your own ball. Other times, you're shooting to move your opponent's ball. I love the shots that alter the entire game landscape by moving the pallino.

Like Italian culture, bocce is as much about the socializing with friends and family as it is about the event itself. It's about laughing. It's about a shared experience. It's about fun and that's why I play.

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