Pétanque, the Ancient Sport of France

The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent. Pétanque, otherwise known as ‘boules’, is a version of bowls that is very popular in France and in French speaking countries. It’s played similarly to other forms of bowls but with a few significantly differences. Firstly, the balls – known as boules are made of metal that weighs up to 800g each. And players must use boules with a different pattern to their opponent. Players have three boules each in singles, three boules each in doubles and two boules each in teams of three.

The idea is to throw them as close to the jack (known as a cochonnet) as possible, and is usually made of wood or painted in a very bright color. The beauty of Pétanque is its flexibility. It can be played on any flat surface of any size that you can find, but loose gravel is usually best. There’s no standard size for recreational play, but competition areas are a maximum of 4m x 15m. To start the game, a player will draw up to a 50cm circle in the floor. In competitions, pre-formed plastic circles are used instead. Whilst stood with both feet in the circle, they will throw the jack, down the pitch. This jack must travel between 6m and 10m for it to be valid, and once it comes to a stop, the match begins.

That same player will start from the circle and try and get one of their boules, as close to the jack as possible. They can use any technique, but both feet must be inside the circle, and your feet cannot leave the floor whilst you have possession of the boule. In general, they throw the boule underhand with the palm facing the floor to impart backspin. This is the most effective way of controlling a boule on a loose surface. Once they have completed their shot, it’s their opponents turn to do the same. But here’s the catch. The idea is to have one of your boules closest to the jack.

This is known as having the point, or having the best shot. If you are not the best shot, you must carry on throwing until one or more of your boules is closest to the jack, or until you run out of boules to play. Remember, the idea is to get your boules as close to the jack as possible, because failure to do so gives your opponent the advantage. Once all the boules have been played, you get one point for being the closest to the jack, and then score one additional point for every boule that is closer to the jack than any of your opponents.

Once all the boules have been played, the score is recorded. This is known as a mene, or in English, and end. The player or team who wins the end, then draws a circle around the jack, picks it up, and then throws it to begin a new end, usually in the opposite direction. A game is played up to 13 points. The first player or team to reach 13 points … wins. There’s a lot of strategy involved in this game and it requires a great deal of skill, dexterity and strategy. And that’s basically it, but there’s a few other things you’ll need to understand before playing or watching a game.

For example: Types of shot; There’s a few types of shot that players will use. A pointing shot is a strategically placed boule, where the player plays the boule to a specific spot, usually in front of the jack. A shooting shot is where a player throws a boule to knock an opposing boule out of play. A lob shot is thrown high in the air and is used to go over other boules, usually with no movement once the boule lands. And a carreau shot is where a player will try and take out an opponent’s boule whilst leaving their own boule in that exact same spot.

Circle and jack rules; Both the jack and the circle must be at least 1m away from any obstacle or out of bounds line. If either land within a meter of this, the player may move the circle or jack until it is 1m away from any obstacle. If a jack is thrown out of bounds, the player must restart the end. Dead; If a player’s boule lands out of a marked playing area, this is known as dead and it is eliminated from play. If a jack is hit out of bounds, this is known as dead and one of three things can happen. If both players have boules left to play or both players have no boules left to play, the end is void and must be replayed in full.

However, if only one player still has boules to play – they are awarded one point for any boules that they have left. This is to prevent and punish an opposing player that is behind on points, intentionally playing the jack out of bounds. measure If players are unsure which boule is closer, they can ask for a measure. An official (or 3rd party) will measure the distance between both sets of boules and the jack - and they will indicate which is closer by pointing at them. Fanny; If an opponent loses a match without scoring a single point, this is known as a fanny. Traditionally, the loser or losing team are called ‘a fanny’ and must then kiss the bottom of a girl called fanny.

There are numerous paintings and statues of a bare bottomed woman called Fanny. But in modern times, the fanny generally buys the winner a round of drinks. It’s an easy game to pick up and play anywhere, and if you’re good at this game, you can earn a decent living from it as it’s now a professional televised sport in France.