Nothing quite says summer like the clink of pétanque balls. Lager and Gallic shrugs optional
Pétanque (or boules) is played in two teams with two sets of differently marked boules. You can play in teams of two (3 boules each); three (2 each) or one against one (3 each).
1 Draw a circle on the ground (or use a coiled rope), 50cm in diameter.
2 A player from team one stands in the circle and throws the jack (the wooden boule) to land 6-10m from the rope, a metre away from any other object. Team one throws a first boule as close as possible to the jack.
3 A player from team two tries to get a boule closer. If successful they ‘have the point’ and play returns to team one. If not, they continue to throw until they do and play passes back.
4 Play continues until one team has played all their boules. The other team then throws the rest of their boules.
5 The team with the closest boule to the jack wins and gets a point for each of their boules closer to the jack than the other team’s nearest boule.
6 The winning team draws a new circle round the jack and throws it to start the next round. Play ends when one team reaches 13 points.
You will find lots more fun for outdoor gatherings in our July ‘Embrace’ issue. It’s in shops now.
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