Bocce Ball Rules: How to Play Bocce and Keep Score

These bocce ball rules will get you playing in minutes, whether you have a proper court or just a flat stretch of lawn. Bocce is an old Italian lawn game that is easy for kids, relaxed enough for grandparents and surprisingly competitive once a match gets close. Two teams take turns rolling or tossing large balls toward a small target ball called the pallino, and only the team closest to it scores. Below you will find how to play bocce ball step by step, the standard bocce scoring, common fouls and a few strategy tips for your next backyard game.

Quick rules

• Two teams, each with four balls of one color. Teams can be one, two or four players.
• One team throws the pallino, then throws the first bocce ball as close to it as possible.
• The other team then throws until one of its balls is closer, or until it runs out of balls.
• Whichever team is farther away always throws next.
• When all eight balls are thrown, only the closest team scores: one point for each ball closer than the other team's best ball.
• The team that scored throws the pallino in the next frame.
• The first team to 12 points wins.

What you need

• A bocce set: eight large balls in two colors (four per team) and one small pallino.
• A playing area. Official courts are roughly 76 to 91 feet long and 10 to 13 feet wide, but any flat lawn, gravel drive or beach of about 60 feet works.
• A tape measure or string for close calls.
• A way to mark the throwing line, such as a rope, a stick or a chalk line.

Setup

Split into two teams. In singles each player throws four balls; in doubles each player throws two; with four per side each player throws one. Mark a foul line at each end of the court; players must release the ball from behind it. Flip a coin: the winner chooses either to throw the pallino first or to pick their ball color.

How to play

Starting a frame

1. A player from the starting team stands behind the foul line and throws the pallino down the court. It must pass the center of the court (or travel a fair distance in the backyard) and stop short of the far end.
2. If the throw is not legal, the other team gets a chance to place it. Possession of the first bocce ball stays with the team that won the toss.
3. The same team then throws its first bocce ball, trying to stop as close to the pallino as possible.

Taking turns

1. The other team now throws. They keep throwing, one ball at a time, until one of their balls is closer to the pallino than the opponent's closest ball, or until they have thrown all four.
2. Once they are closer, the first team throws again. The rule is always the same: the team that is "out" (not closest) throws next.
3. When one team has used all its balls, the other team throws its remaining balls one after another.
4. You may roll, toss or bounce the ball. You may also hit other balls, including the pallino, to knock them into better positions.
5. If two opposing balls are exactly the same distance from the pallino, the team that threw last throws again, then the other team, until the tie is broken.

Ending the frame

A frame ends when all eight balls have been thrown. Walk down, measure if needed, and score. Do not move any ball until both teams agree on the result. The next frame is played toward the opposite end of the court.

Scoring

Bocce scoring is simple: only one team scores in each frame.

Example: your team's balls are 6 and 14 inches from the pallino, and the other team's nearest ball is 10 inches away. You score one point, because only your 6 inch ball is closer than their best. If your balls were at 6 and 9 inches you would score two.

How to win

Most groups play to 12 points, which is the standard in American tournament play. Other common targets are 13, 15 or 16. Agree the target before you start, and keep the score with the scorekeeper.

Fouls

• Stepping over the foul line while throwing: the ball is removed from play. In casual games, take a warning first.
• Throwing out of turn: the ball is removed, and any balls it moved are put back.
• Moving balls before scoring is agreed: the other team may claim the frame.
• A ball that leaves the court or hits the back wall without touching another ball is usually dead.

Variations

• Open bocce (backyard style): no court, no boundaries. The pallino can go anywhere, which makes each frame a new challenge over bumps and slopes.
• Volo: players throw through the air rather than rolling, as in some European traditions.
• Kids' rules: shorten the court, allow step-over throws, and play to 7.
• Three-player game: each player uses two or three balls of their own color and plays for themselves.

Tips and strategy

• Use the first ball to get close. A "pointer" ball near the pallino forces opponents to spend balls to beat it.
• Keep a "hitter" for the end: a hard throw that knocks the opponent's best ball away.
• Read the ground. Grass is slower than gravel, and slopes pull the ball sideways.
• Short of the pallino is better than past it. A ball just in front can be nudged closer by a later throw; a ball past it rarely helps.
• Move the pallino on purpose when you are behind. Knocking it toward your balls can swing a whole frame.

House rules to agree first

• Points to win: 12, 13, 15 or 16.
• Where the foul line is and whether stepping over it counts.
• How far the pallino must travel to be legal.
• What happens when a ball goes out of bounds or hits a tree.

If you like aiming games outdoors, read our cornhole rules, horseshoes rules and croquet rules, or browse more outdoor games.