How to Play Petanque

Co-authored by Kyle Hall

Last Updated: August 30, 2022 Approved

Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is to toss hollow metal balls (called boules) and get them as close as you can to a small wooden target ball (the jack). This classic French game is great if you’re looking for a fun pastime to do with your friends and family. Pétanque is easy to learn and fun for people of all ages and skill levels. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be scoring points for your team in no time.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Getting Started

1
Split up into two teams. Pétanque is played with two teams.^{[1]
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Research source} Decide which players will be on which team. There are three ways you can play:
- Doubles (2 players per team). Each player gets three boules. This is the most common way to play.
- Triples (3 players per team). Each player gets two boules.
- Singles (one against one). Each player gets three boules.
2
Pass out the boules to the members of each team. Make sure they are the right material and size. Pétanque boules should be metal, about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter, and weigh 1.5 pounds (700g). You should also have one target ball, known as the “cochonnet” or “jack.” The jack should be 1.25 inches (3 cm) in diameter.

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3
Draw a circle on the ground wherever you’re playing the game. The circle should be about 20 inches (50 cm) in diameter. Whenever any player is playing they must stand in the circle, and both of their feet must be planted on the ground.
4
Flip a coin to see which team goes first. One team calls heads or tails before the coin is tossed. If the coin lands on that side, that team goes first.^{[2]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Playing the Game

1
Have a member from the first team stand in the circle and toss the jack. They can toss the jack in any direction. It should land between 20-33 feet (6-10 meters) away from the circle, and it should be at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from any object (like a tree) that might interfere with a player's swing.
2
After throwing the jack, have a member of the same team throw the first boule. They should stand in the circle and try to get their boule close to the jack and (preferably) in front of it.
3
Have a member from the second team stand in the circle and throw a boule. The goal of the second team is to end up with their boule closer to the jack. They will either "point" (try to roll their boule close to the jack) or "shoot" (try to hit the opponent's boule away from the jack.)^{[3]
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- If the second team succeeds, then they will have the boule that is closest to the jack—they will “have the point.” The team that does not have the point (that is, the team that does not have the closest boule) must play the next boule, and must keep playing until they have the point or run out of boules.^{[4]
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- For example, if Team B tosses a boule and it doesn’t land closer to the jack than Team A's boule, then Team B would have to toss another boule. This would continue until they get a boule closer to the jack than Team A's boule or run out of boules.
4
Change teams when the throwing team gains the point. If a member of Team A tosses a boule and it lands the closest to the jack, then Team A has the point and it would then be Team B’s turn to throw. If Team B then tosses a boule and it lands closer to the jack than Team A's boule, then Team B has gained the point and it is Team A's turn to throw. This continues until both teams are out of boules.^{[5]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Winning the Round

1
Keep going until both teams have thrown all of their boules. This ends the round. If one team uses all of their boules before the other, the other team throws all of their remaining boules. The round is over once all of the boules of both teams have been tossed.^{[6]
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2
Count the score for the winning team. After all boules have been thrown, the team whose best boule is closest to the jack wins the round. The winning team gets one point for each of their boules that is closer to the jack than the losing team’s closest boule. The losing team doesn't score any points.^{[7]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Starting a New Round

1
Start the next round. To do this, the team that won the last round draws a new circle on the ground, around the place where the jack was in the last round. They also throw out the jack. The new circle is now where all players must stand to toss their boules. The winning team from the previous round goes first.
2
Continue playing rounds until one team reaches 13 points.^{[8]
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Community Q&A

Question

If the jack lands less than 6 meters (20 feet) or more than 10 meters (33 feet) and is challenged, what should be done next?

StephenFerg

Community Answer

The teams should measure the distance between the throwing circle and the jack. (That's why a tape measure is a standard piece of petanque equipment.) If the distance is less than 6 or more than 10 meters, the thrown jack is considered invalid. Traditionally, the team that threw the invalid jack would throw the jack again. Starting in 2016, however, the international rules changed and now (in official competitions) a team has only one chance to throw a valid jack. If it fails in its one attempt, the jack is turned over to the opposing team which then places it by hand on the terrain.
Question

What is the maximum number possible on a team?

StephenFerg

Community Answer

The officially-recognized way to play includes each team having the same number of players; that number may be one, two, or three people. In informal games where the number of players is limited, people may play with different numbers on the teams; for example, a team of 3 players (playing with 2 boules each) against a team of 2 players (playing with 3 boules each).
Question

How should the balls be thrown, under or overarm?

StephenFerg

Community Answer

It is legal to throw any way you like. However, the most effective way to throw is underarm. As you throw, keep the palm of your hand and the boule toward the ground, with the back of your hand up.