Rules of Pétanque
PLAY (Articles 5-15)
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Article
5 – Terrain Regulations
The game of Pétanque is played on any ground. However, by a decision of
the organising committee or the Umpire, the teams may be asked to play on a
marked terrain. In this case, for National Championships and International
Competitions, the minimum dimensions must be 4m wide and 15m long.
For other competitions the Associations may allow variations down to 12m x 3m.
If the terrain is surrounded by solid barriers these must be a minimum of 30 cm outside the dead ball line. The dead ball line will encircle the exterior of the terrain at a maximum distance of 4 metres.
These arrangements also apply to the area on which the finals are played.
The game is played up to 13 points, though leagues and qualifying heats may be played to 11 points.
Article
6 – Start of Play – Rules Regarding the Circle
The players must toss up to decide which team will choose the terrain and throw
the jack.
If the terrain has been designated by the organisers the jack must be thrown on that terrain. The team must not play on a different terrain without the Umpire’s permission.
Any member of the team winning the toss chooses the starting point and traces a circle large enough for any player to stand with both feet fully inside it. However, it may not measure less than 35cm or more than 50cm in diameter. It must be drawn at least 1m from all obstacles, and at least 1m from the boundary of an out of bounds area and, for competitions on open terrains, at least 2m from another throwing circle in use
The team that throws the jack must wipe out all throwing circles near the one in use.
The area within the circle may be completely cleared during the end but it must be restored when the end is finished or, at the latest, before the start of the next end.
The circle is not considered to be out of bounds.
The feet must be entirely on the inside of the circle without touching it, and they must not leave the circle or be lifted completely off the ground until the thrown boule has touched the ground. No other part of the body may touch the ground outside the circle. The exception is that those who are disabled in a lower limb are allowed to place only one foot inside the circle.
A player throwing from a wheelchair must place it so that the circle is in the middle of the wheels with the foot-rest above the edge of the circle.
The throwing of the jack by one member of the team does not imply that he or she must play the first boule.
Article
7 – Valid Distances for the Thrown Jack.
For the thrown jack to be valid, the following conditions apply:
(i) The distance from it to the nearest edge of the circle must be between –
- 4m min. and 8m max. for Minors.
- 5m min. and 9m max. for Cadets.
- 6m min. and 10m max. for Juniors and Seniors.
(ii) The throwing circle must be a minimum of 1m from any obstacle and from the boundary of the playing area.
(iii) The jack must be a minimum of 1m from any obstacle and from the nearest boundary of the playing area.
(iv) The jack must be visible to the player whose feet are entirely inside the circle and who is standing absolutely upright. In cases of dispute, the Umpire will decide if the jack is visible and there can be no appeal.
At the following end, the jack is thrown from a circle drawn around the point where it finished at the previous end, except in the following cases:
The circle would be less than 1m from an obstacle or the boundary of the playing area.
The throwing of the jack could not be made to all regulation distances.
In the first case the player will draw the circle in the nearest valid position from the obstacle or the boundary.
In the second case, the player may step back, in line with the previous end’s line of play, until he or she is able to throw the jack any valid distance up to the maximum distance allowed, and not beyond. This may only be done if the jack cannot be thrown in any other direction to the maximum distance.
If after 3 consecutive throws by the same team, the jack has not been thrown correctly, it is then passed to the opposing team who also has 3 tries and who may move the circle back as described above.
After this, the circle cannot be moved again even if this team has not succeeded with its three throws.
In any case, the team who lost the jack after the first three tries keeps the right to play the first boule.
Article
8 – For the Thrown Jack to be Valid
If the thrown jack is stopped by the Umpire, a player, a spectator, an
animal or any moving object, it is not valid and must be thrown again without
being included in the three throws to which the player or the team is entitled.
After the throwing of the jack and the first boule, an opponent still has the right to contest the validity of the jack’s position. If the objection is valid, both the jack and the boule are replayed.
If the opponent has also played a boule, the jack is deemed valid and no objection can be accepted.
For the jack to be thrown anew both teams must have accepted the throw as being invalid or the Umpire must have declared it so. Any team continuing otherwise would lose the benefit of throwing the jack.
Article
9 – Dead Jack
The jack is deemed dead in the following six cases:
(i) When, after having been thrown, it is not within the limits as defined in Article 7.
(ii) When, during an end, it is moved outside the boundary of the playing area, even if it comes back onto the playing area. A jack on the line of the boundary is valid. It only becomes dead after having completely crossed the boundary that is to say, when it lies entirely beyond the boundary when viewed from directly above. A puddle on which a jack floats freely is considered to be out of bounds.
(iii) When, still on the terrain, the moved jack is not visible from the circle, as defined in Article 7. However, a jack hidden by a boule is not dead. The Umpire may temporarily remove a boule to declare whether the jack is visible or not.
(iv) When the jack is displaced to more than 20m for Seniors and Juniors, or 15m for Cadets and Minors, or less than 3m from the throwing circle.
(v) When the moved jack cannot be found after a 5 minute maximum search time.
(vi) When there is an out-of-bounds area between the jack and the throwing circle.
Article
10 – Removal of Obstacles – Penalties
It is strictly forbidden for any player to remove, move or crush any obstacle
whatever, found on the playing area. However, the player about to throw
the jack is allowed to test a landing point by tapping it no more than 3 times
with one of his or her boules. Furthermore, the player who is about to
play or one of his partners may fill in the hole which was made by the last
boule thrown.
For not observing the above rules, the players incur the following penalties:
(i) Warning.
(ii) Disqualification of the boule played or about to be played.
(iii) Exclusion of the guilty player for one end.
(iv) Exclusion of the guilty player for the game.
(v) Disqualification of the guilty team.
(vi) Disqualification of both teams in the case of complicity.
Article
11 – Jack Obscured or Moved
If, during an end, the jack is accidentally masked by a leaf or a piece of
paper, these objects are removed.
If the stationary jack is moved by the wind or slope of the terrain for example, it is put back in its place on condition that it had been marked.
The same applies if the jack is moved accidentally by the Umpire, a player, a spectator, a boule or jack from another game, an animal or any moving object.
If the jack is moved by a boule played in this game it is valid.
To avoid any argument, the players must mark the jack’s position. No claim can be accepted regarding boules or jack whose positions have not been marked.
Article
12 – Jack Moved into Another Game
If, during an end, the jack is moved into an area where another game is in
progress, either on a marked or unmarked terrain, the jack is valid subject to
Article 9.
If necessary, the players using this jack will wait, if there is room, for the players in the other game to finish their end before completing their own.
The players concerned must show patience and courtesy.
At the following end the teams continue on the terrain allotted to them.
Article
13 – Actions to Take if the Jack is Dead
If, during an end, the jack becomes dead, one of three cases can apply:
(i) If both teams have boules to play, the end is void.
(ii) If only one team has boules left to play, then this team scores as many points as it has boules to play.
(iii) If neither team has boules to play, the end is void.
Article
14 – Positioning the Jack after it has been Stopped
(a) If the jack, having been
hit, is stopped by a spectator or by the Umpire, it remains
where it stops.
(b) If the jack, having been hit, is stopped by a player, his opponent has the choice of:
(i) leaving the jack in its new position.
(ii) putting it back in its original position.
(iii) placing it anywhere on the extension of a line from its original position to where it is found up to a maximum distance of 20m (15m for Cadets and Minors) and such that it is visible.
Paragraphs (ii) and (iii) can only be applied if the position of the jack was previously marked. If it was not marked, the jack will remain where it lies.
If after having been struck, the jack travels into an out-of-bounds area before returning, finally, on to the playing area it is classed as dead and the rules defined in Article 13 apply.
Article
15 – Throwing the Jack after it is moved outside the designated playing area.
If, during an end, the jack is moved outside the designated playing area,
the next end is started at the point from which it was displaced providing (see
Article 7):
(a) The circle can be drawn 1m from any obstacle and from the boundary of the playing area.
(b) The jack can be thrown to all valid distances.
[Next: "Boules" - Articles 16-24]
