Bocce Ball - The Oldest Yard Game of All
Bocce ball is an ancient yard game played with heavy balls. It is perfect for the beach as bocce ball is best played on a softer surface that will stop balls. At Tiki House we offer the use of a great Bocce Ball set. The large grassy yard and the fine Pensacola Beach sand are the perfect place to play a great Italian past time, just like the Romans did!
Set Up:
Mark off the bocce court. (76 feet long and 10 feet wide.) Choose your ball color, as each team of 1, 2 or 4 people, gets 4 of the same colored larger balls. The pallina is the target ball. Starting from the end of the bocce court, play will alternate. Decide who goes first with a coin flip.
Play:
The winner of the coin flip pitches underhand, the smaller ball, the pallina, into the center of the court from the end of the court. If the pitch doesn't land in bounds, re-pitch the pallina. If that fails, the other team gets one turn to try. And the pitch will alternate until the pallina is correctly in play.
The same player who set the pallina pitches underhand a team ball to get as close as possible to the pallina. The first pitch of a play ball can be re-pitched if it doesn't land in play. If they miss, they step aside and allow the other team to pitch first. The other tema will pitch their balls until one of the Bocce balls is closer to the pallina or they run out of balls.
The nearest ball is “in” and the other side is the “out” ball. Once a team gets an “in” ball, they allow the other team to pitch. The other team will pitch until they become the “in” team. Play continues until all balls are played. Once all balls are played, it is a frame and points are awarded.
The game resumes by teams throwing from the opposite end of the court. The team that was awarded points in the previous frame begins the next frame by tossing the pallina into play.
You can roll, toss, or bounce your balls, as long as it is underhand. Teams take turns pitching balls to get close, or to knock the other team away, or knock the pallina into your own ball, until all balls are pitched.
Scoring and Winning:
Only one team scores in each round.
Points are awarded by the number of balls closer than the other teams closest ball – 1 point/ball Number of balls touching the pallina – 2 points/ball
Additional rounds are played until one team reaches 16 points.
Alternate Play:
Play to a lower decided total.
Play with up to 8 people on a team, half tossing from opposite sides.
Shorten the court or allow out balls to be re-pitched for younger players.
Bocce Ball is a serious game in some communities in the U.S. and in countries around the world. Tournaments are common, with high stake prizes awarded. Start your own Tiki House Tournament and have fun!
Tiki House offers so much for families visiting Pensacola Beach. Better than a hotel, better than home! The BEST vacation rental home on the Beach!
Add Your Place to Houfy
Report this post
