Click Here to download a copy of these rules
BOCCE LEAGUE GUIDELINES - Updated 08-29-22
Welcome to Grand Harbor Bocce! All club members are welcome to play in the bocce league. We have created league guidelines to help you better understand the rules on playing bocce. In some cases, our rules may differ from that of the Bocce Standards Association. Please familiarize yourself with the terminology used when playing bocce along with the rules for participating in a game. If you have any questions regarding the Grand Harbor Bocce League Guidelines, please direct them to the Bocce Committee.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - HAVE FUN!
TERMINOLOGY
Pallino |
One small white ball |
Bocce balls |
Eight large colored balls - four green and four red |
Giro (frame) |
Scoring after each team throws their four balls |
Game |
First team to score 10 points wins a game |
Match |
Two games |
Team |
Four players and alternates from team roster |
Foot Fault |
Person throwing the pallino or bocce ball crosses the second white fault line |
Pallino (throwing) |
The pallino is “seated in play” when the initial throw comes to rest completely past the center white line and does not completely cross the last white line |
Pallino (during Giro) |
The pallino is in play anywhere on the court after it is “seated in play.” If a bocce ball moves the pallino it is still in play, even if it crosses the last white line. |
Bocce is “in” |
The closest bocce ball to the pallino is declared to be “in.” The opposing team is then up and attempts to get their bocce ball closer to the pallino. |
PLAYING THE GAME
1. The sport is played with one small ball (pallino) and eight larger balls (bocce balls) – four for each team.
2. Teams will consist of four to ten registered players. More than four players on a team will ensure the team will have at least four players available for every match. Teams may replace players with other players from their team at the end of the first game. [Note: Each player must be an active Grand Harbor Club member and cannot be on more than one team.]
3. In each Giro (scoring period), only one team may score points.
4. A team receives one point for each ball that is closer to the pallino than the opponent’s closest ball. After all balls are thrown, if each team’s closest bocce ball is equal distance from the pallino, neither team receives any points.
5. For the first game in the match the “Home” team will throw the pallino first as well as choose the color bocce balls, they want to use.
6. Two players from each team will be located at each end of the court. They may play the entire match from the end where they started, or they can switch ends at the conclusion of the first game.
7. Each player rolls two bocce balls in any order. Team members can rotate the throws or throw both balls in their turn.
8. To start the match, the home team has the honor and selects a player on their team to throw the pallino and first bocce ball.
9. The throwing player must have both feet inside the court walls. A player may not cross the second white fault line with any part of their foot during the throwing of the pallino or bocce ball. A foot fault occurs when a player’s foot crosses the second white fault line during a throw. The first foot fault results in a warning to the player. A subsequent foot fault by the same player negates the throw and the other team rolls the pallino. The bocce ball thrown by the faulting player is removed from the court and any bocce ball or pallino moved by that throw is returned to its previous position.
10. If a player throws a ball out of turn, that ball is removed from play. It cannot be replayed. Moreover, if a player throws the wrong color bocce ball, the ball is removed from play and returned to the correct team. The offending team forfeits (takes out of play) one bocce ball from their remaining pool of bocce balls. In either instance, any bocce ball and/or pallino moved by that throw, is returned as close as possible to its previous position.
11. To be “seated in play,” the pallino when thrown must completely cross the center white line but not cross the last white line. If the pallino is touching the last white line, it is in play. If the pallino is not seated in play, the player loses their turn, and the other team rolls the pallino. Once the pallino is seated in play, it remains in play regardless of any subsequent location it is moved to on the court (e.g., if the pallino is knocked by the bocce ball across the last white line, it remains in play.)
12. With the pallino seated in play, the team that threw it rolls their first bocce ball. That ball is then deemed closest to the pallino or “in” and the other team now throws their first bocce ball. If their bocce ball is closer than their opponent’s ball, their ball is “in,” and play reverts to the opposing team. If that team’s bocce ball is not closer than the first ball rolled, they continue to throw until they get one closer than the opponent’s ball or until they have rolled all four of their balls. If two opposing bocce balls are of equal distance from the pallino, the last team to roll continues to roll until they get a ball closer or they have rolled all four bocce balls.
13. At the end of the Giro (all eight bocce balls are thrown), points earned are posted on the scoreboard. Each bocce ball closer to the pallino than the other team’s bocce ball earns one point (max four points). If the opposing team balls are too close to call, only the team captains or the captain’s appointee will come on the court to determine which team is closest to the pallino. If the team captain or appointee’s ball is in question, another team member conducts the measurement. Only the measuring tape provided by the league, should be used.
14. For each succeeding Giro (frame) and after the first frame, the team that scored points shall throw the pallino and first bocce ball. Team members rotate rolling the pallino. If there are no points scored after a Giro, the team that threw the pallino last continues to go first.
15. Play continues until one team at the end of a Giro reaches ten points. That team will be considered the winner. If it is the first game, the second game will be played with the winning team going first.
16. Teams will play two games per match. Each game will be played to ten points. The winning team of each game will receive one point (max two points per match).
17. The team winning the 2nd game is responsible for reporting the scores by logging in to the TeamLinkt website (http://bocce.grandharbor.com). Scores must be posted within 24 hours from the end of match play. Any scoring discrepancies should immediately be brought to the attention of the Bocce Committee.
Additional notes:
• If someone moves a bocce ball before a frame is completed, that bocce ball is returned to its previous position and play continues.
• A team that does not show within 10 minutes of their scheduled time will result in a match forfeit and loss of two points for that team. The winning team should post the score as 5 to 0 for each game forfeited.
• If a team can only provide three players, it may compete by having the three-person team rotate players so that they have two players for each Giro. No one player throws more than two balls in a Giro. Once the Giro is over, a member of the three-person team will join the single teammate on the other side of the court and play in the next Giro. The three-person team continues to rotate the players. If a team cannot field at least three players, they must forfeit.
• If a game is suspended due to inclement weather each team should immediately leave the court after a completed frame. Both teams should make note of the score at the time of stoppage. The make-up game must be scheduled asap and completed before the next match. When you resume the game, you will continue from the previous frame and score with the same players.
• If you need to measure, there are two acceptable methods. Measure from the side of the pallino to the side of the bocce balls in question. Make sure not to disrupt the location of the balls when measuring. The other acceptable method is going from top (center) of the pallino to the top (center) of the bocce ball. The measuring should be done by just one person (i.e., team captain or “appointee”) from each team. Please do not have multiple players involved in measuring the balls.
• If a team throws the pallino out of turn, retrieve the pallino and start the frame over. There is no penalty. However, if the pallino and one or more bocce balls are thrown out of order, the pallino should be picked up and thrown by the correct team and, the bocce ball(s) thrown out of turn are removed from play.