Petanque

Short story

As a modern sport it originated in France in the early 20th century, but its roots are in an old Provencal game. Today it is a national sport of France and is also very popular in Belgium, the Netherlands and other European countries, as well as in the former French colonies in Africa, Asia and Polynesia.

Rules of the game

Petanque is played on a rectangular platform measuring 5 by 15 meters. and hard pavement of sand or slag. Balls made of a special metal alloy are used for it, which weigh from 600 to 800 g and have a diameter of about 70 mm.

It can be played individually, in pairs or threes, and the classic is played in threes, which can be male, female and mixed. When played individually and in pairs, each team member has three balls, and when played in threes – two balls. At the beginning of the game, a draw is made as to which team will start first.

The player who starts first draws a circle at the beginning of the court and throws a small wooden ball called a kitten (literally “piglet”). The basket must be thrown at a distance of between 6 and 10 m. from the starting round, after which both teams throw their balls, aiming to throw as close as possible to the kittens. He always throws this team, which at the moment is further away from the kittens. If one team throws very close, then the other can hit and clear the ball, the kitty itself can be hit and then the whole situation in the game changes.

Counting the points

When both teams throw their balls, the points start counting. Points are earned by the team whose ball or balls are closer to the kittens. He scores as many points as there are balls closer to the basket than the opponent’s nearest ball. A maximum of 6 points are earned on one roll. It is played until one team scores 13 points and wins the match.