MaynardBocce Tournament

RULES OF PLAY

TEAMS:

All teams must be 2-4 members. All ages are welcome to participate! (Each player must be able to safely throw/roll Bocce balls). Each Team must have at least one adult (18+). No team member may throw more than 2 balls during one frame. Teams arriving more than 10 minutes late to the beginning of the tournament or the start of their scheduled game will forfeit that round.

COIN TOSS:

Begin the match with the flip of a coin. The winner of the coin flip chooses who has the first toss of the pallino and chooses the color of the team's balls. The loser gets to choose the side on which play will begin.

PALLINO THROW:

1. The pallino is the first ball put into play and is thrown underhand from behind the foul line.
2. Pallino cannot be thrown past the back foul line (back wall). A team has two chances to put the pallino in play. If the player does not succeed in two turns, the opposing team can then throw the pallino anywhere in play. "In play" means between the center line and end line and 1 or more feet from either side of the court. Aim for the center of the court. Team who throws pallino gets the first shot.
3. Once the pallino is in play, the pallino can be knocked anywhere on the court. If the pallino is knocked out of bounds during play, the Court Referee will place the pallino back in bounds, roughly 12” from where it exited play.
4. The winning team of each frame will throw the pallino in the subsequent frame.

BOCCE BALL THROWS:

1. The initial pallino thrower always throws the first bocce ball. Then alternate throws. All balls are thrown underhand.
2. Pallino throws must go past half way, but bocce throws don’t have to.
3. A ball hitting the backboard without first touching the pallino or another bocce ball is a dead ball and is removed from play.
4. If a player throws the wrong color ball, it is replaced with a correct color ball after the ball comes to rest.
5. If a player throws when the other team should throw or throws more than 2 balls, that ball is removed from play.
6. If a bocce ball, for whatever reason, that goes out of the court it is a dead ball and is removed from play for that frame.

FOUL LINES:

1. Players may step on but not over the proper foul line before releasing the pallino or a bocce ball. (Toe of foot cannot exceed the width of the foul line mark.)
2. If a player's toe exceeds the width of the proper foul line before releasing a ball (bocce or pallino), they will receive one warning. Subsequent fouls will result in nullifying the pallino throw or removal of the thrown bocce ball from play.

VIOLATIONS

1. If a player steps over a designated line when making a throw, that is a foot fault. The first foot fault results in a warning and a re-throw. Any subsequent foot faults have the ball remain in place or removed from play based on the preference of the opposing team.
2. If a player makes a throw out of order, the teams can agree to let it go or to replace the balls approximately where they previously were.
3. Lastly, no one from the opposite team should try to distract a thrower.

SCORING:

1. The official score for the frame is determined after all 8 balls have been played (or 20 minutes has passed, whichever comes first) and measured to the referee's satisfaction. One point is awarded for each ball of a team that is closer to the pallino than the opponent’s closest ball (1 to 4 points).
2. If the player’s bocce touches the pallino, it is called a “baci” and the team earns 2 points for that ball. There could be multiple balls touching.
3. The team that scores in the last frame throws the pallino in the next frame and play continues as above.
4. If each team’s closest balls are tied, no score is made and play continues at the opposite end with the team scoring the point(s) in the previous frame delivering the pallino.
5. The team that first scores 11 points, wins the game (or whoever is up after 20 minutes).
6. After your game, the ref will report your scores!

SUBSTITUTION:

1. Substitutions may only be made between games or between frames.