REGOLAMENTO TECNICO DI GIOCO

(Invigore dal 01 Gennaio 1999)

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a) The game of bocce must be played on a flat and perfectly leveled surface subdivided into courts enclosed by wooden planks or other non-metallic sides, 25 cm high with a tolerance of plus or minus 2cm.

b) The courts must be 26.50 meters long and between 4.00 and 4.50 meters wide. Courts between 24.50 and 27.00 meters long may be accepted only by previous approval from the C.T.A.I.

c) The ends of the court must be made with swinging headboards, possibly of synthetic rubber, hinged on the upper part of the sideboards. The headboards should not be fastened to either the sideboards or the court surface in order to prevent the balls or pallino from bouncing back.

d) The court’s surface may consist of either natural ground or of synthetic materials, which are appropriate to this game’s technical requirements. Under no circumstances may these materials constitute a danger to the player’s or referee’s health.

e) People, fixtures, objects or any other things (posts, lamps, metal wires, branches, ceilings, walls, protection nets, etc.) to be found either upon the sideboards or outside of them, including the retaining walls supporting the sideboards, are considered as foreign to the game and thus irrelevant to the game’s regularity.

The courts must be marked with transversal colored lines (chalk, marble dust, paint, etc.), but such markings should in no way interfere with the surface of the court. The vertical sideboards must also have vertical reference lines matching those on the court’s surface. These lines must be measured from the headboards, as shown in Figure No. 1, and must be at the same distance on all courts.

a) Lines A and A’ coincide with the headboards and show the backmost starting position for all players.

b) Lines B and B’ indicate the maximum distance allowed to a player to stand in order to throw the pallino, or make either a punto or raffa play.

c) Lines B and B’ also indicate the maximum distance that the pallino can be thrown.

d) Lines C and C’ indicate the maximum distance allowed to a player to make a volo play.

e) Lines D and D’ indicate the minimum distance a ball must land on the court after a raffa throw and it also represents the maximum distance a player may travel after making a punto play.

f) Line E (midfield/center line) indicates the minimum distance beyond which the pallino must be thrown and it also represents the farthest position a player may travel after making a raffa or volo throw.

g) Should the lines become either partially or completely erased; measurements will be taken with a rope or string, starting from the center of the vertical lines traced on the sideboards.

h) Before beginning a game, the referee must insure that the court is properly marked and also that the measuring device and pallino comply with the rules.

The game of bocce consists of:

a) Punto throws

b) Raffa and volo throws which are allowed provided the player has first declared the item (ball or pallino) he/she wishes to hit.

c) Continuing to throw one’s balls for the duration of a frame until one has scored one or more points.

d) Trying to be the first to attain the maximum number of points to win the game.

A. The teams may consist of:

1. Singles: one against one with four balls per player;

2. Doubles: two against two with two balls per player;

3. Triples: three against three with two balls per player:

Each team may have a coach or technical officer (T.O.), provided official notice is given prior to the start of the game.

B. The team’s rights and duties:

a) In doubles and triples competitions, the games may begin only if all players are present. Incomplete teams will be excluded from the competition.

b) The games must be played with the number of balls per player as noted above (Article 4.A)

c) All doubles and triples teams must have a captain who has the right to speak with the referee and notify the referee of the team’s decisions.

d) Each player is allowed a maximum of one minute to make a throw.

e) The coach or technical officer is allowed to call up to three two-minute time outs during a game to consult with his players. Time-out requests may only be made when one of the coach’s own players is due for a throw. A warning will be given to the team upon the first infraction of this rule and a yet to be played ball will be removed by the referee each time the rule is again broken. The team’s captain will specify which player will surrender his/her ball.

f) In doubles and triples games, a substitution of one player is allowed only once, and the substitution must occur at the end of a frame.

C. The individual player’s rights and duties:

a) General Principles:

aa) Players must obey the rules and regulations of the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.). More specifically, players owe respect to both the referee and the opposing players. Players must act with an utmost sense of fair play before, during, and after the game.

bb) Pursuant to the decisions of the I.O.C., the use of anabolic performance enhancing substances and alcohol is forbidden. Players breaking this rule will undergo disciplinary sanctions.

b)

aa) Players who are not throwing must confine themselves to the starting areas A-B or A’-B’ Players may go beyond line B or B’ (four meters): - Without the referee’s previous approval in order to smooth the ground prior to throwing their ball and may do so while holding a ball in hand. - After having thrown their ball. - With the referee’s approval in order to closer observe the position of the balls on the court.

All of the above may be done without leaving objects on the court or tracing marks to show the course a ball must follow. The player must return promptly to the A-B area before another member of his/her team throws a ball. Players who step over the B-B’ line for any reason than the above mentioned instances will be given a warning upon the first infraction of this rule and a yet to be played ball will be removed by the referee each time the rule is again broken.

bb) A player who leaves the court following a decision by the referee or due to an argument with either another player or bystander will be thrown out of the game and as a result his/her team will forfeit the match.

a) The game is won by the first team to attain a total of 15 points at the end of a frame. The C.T.A.I. (or tournament committee) may allow a maximum of 12 or 15 points in some competitions.

b) The C.T.A.I. may also declare as winners the team having scored at least a two-point advantage over the opposing team, above the point ceiling already agreed upon.

c) One point is assigned to each of one’s own balls that rest closer to the pallino than that of the opposing team.

A. General characteristics:

a) Bocce balls and pallino must be round and made of synthetic material without adding any foreign substance which might impair balance. Pallino: 4 centimeters in diameter with a 1-mm tolerance, weighing 60 grams with a 5-gram tolerance.

Bocce: In world, continental, intercontinental, and in meets among national teams, the bocce balls must have the same diameter, weight, and color for each team.

- Seniors: Diameter 107 mm, weighing 920 grams;

- Juniors and Women: Diameter 106 mm, weighing 900 grams;

b) The balls of any given team must be of the same color and differ sharply from those of the opposing team.

c) In all international competitions the requirements set forth in the permit issued by the Directors Council will prevail.

B. Specific Requirements:

a) The referee will check both balls and pallino before the start of the game to insure they meet standard requirements.

b) Once the game has begun, neither the pallino nor the balls may be changed. The team violating this rule will forfeit the game. If either a ball or the pallino breaks during the game, the referee will mark the position of the largest piece remaining on the court and it will be replaced with a regular ball or pallino. If the largest piece lands outside the court that ball or pallino must be considered void. Ball replacement is allowed whenever the game is interrupted by an act of God and the game resumes on another court.

c) Quite exceptionally and with the referee’s approval, it is allowed to moisten a ball with water.

d) When a player plays one ball more than those he/she is entitled to the advantage rule will apply. That is, the played ball may be:

- Considered a valid play and remain as is;

- Given back to the proper player;

- Considered void and removed from play;

The place where each ball comes to rest must be marked by the referee using a different marking for each team as shown in figure no. 2.

The advantage rule states that all irregular throws, whether they are a ”punto”, “raffa”, or “volo” throw, are considered to be valid at the discretion of the opposing team.

a) The game begins by placing the pallino on point “p” at the center of the court’s playing area, equidistant from the sides and B-E and B’-E’ lines. This central position must be marked permanently on the court.

b) The right to throw the first ball or choose which end to start is determined by a draw between the teams. If a team chooses to throw the first ball, the other team can choose from which end to start the game.

c) If a ball should be considered invalid, the team who threw it at the beginning of the game or in any subsequent frame must throw another ball until they succeed in making a valid throw.

d) If a frame is nullified it must begin again from the same end. The right to throw the first ball goes to the team who had acquired it in the previous round.

e) In every frame after the first, the pallino is thrown by whichever team scored points in the previous round. After an irregular throw, the pallino goes to the opposing team who acquire the right to only one throw. If this throw is irregular, the referee will place the pallino in the “p” position. The first ball is thrown by whichever team had the right to throw the pallino at the start of the frame. A player must wait for the referee’s consent before throwing the pallino.

f) The throw of the pallino is valid when, during the course of the game it crosses the “E” line (mid-court) but subsequently returns within the regular area either on its own or because it hit a valid ball lying before the “E” line.

1) The throw of the pallino is void whenever:

- In its projection it either rests on, or does not go beyond the “E” line (mid-court);

- In its projection it either rests on or goes beyond the B-B’ frontal line;

- It touches or stops against the side or stops less than 13 cm from the sides;

2) As a result of valid play the pallino is void whenever:

- It comes to rest in front of the “E” line or its projection rests on the “E” line;

- It leaves the court;

- It leaves the court and returns after hitting foreign objects;

- It crosses the “E” line and hits the referee or one of the players standing on this side of the “E” line, even if after the impact it returns to the regular playing area;

- It gets stuck under the sides or headboard, since the pallino must stay free at all times around its diameter;

In the event of the above occurrences, the frame must be played over from the same side from which it began.

g) When as a result of valid play, only the pallino is left on the court, the team which caused all the balls to leave the court must play another valid ball to allow the game to continue.

h) A pallino moving on its own or by outside intervention:

- Is placed back in its original position when it has been previously marked;

- If the position was not previously marked, the pallino is placed in a position that will not jeopardize the assignments of points from one team to the other. Otherwise, that particular frame will be considered void.

a) The ball may be played by making a punto, raffa, or volo throw. Raffa and volo throws are valid only if a player first declares to the referee the type of throw he/she intends to make and which item he/she wants to hit. A player must alter the preceding declaration if he/she changes his/her mind on the type of throw to be made or the intended item to be hit, otherwise the throw is considered void, except for the advantage rule.

b) A ball has completed its run whenever:

- It has been played by the punto throw, comes to a rest, and its position has been marked.

- It has been played by either a raffa or volo throw, hit the declared item (ball or pallino) and has surpassed the latter.

c) While throwing, if a player rests his/her foot on the sideboards, the throw is considered void except for the advantage rule.

d) While throwing, no player may pass the throwing line with the forward foot touching the surface, otherwise the ball or pallino are void except for the advantage rule.A player may pass the throwing line only after having thrown the ball or if he/she deems it necessary to smooth the surface before throwing.

e) A player making a throw with additional balls yet to be played may not go beyond:

- The E-E’ line after a raffa or volo throw;

- The D-D’ line after a punto throw

If these lines are passed the player will have one ball voided from the remaining balls yet to be played.

f) Balls that hit the sides or headboard before hitting another item are void except for the advantage rule.

g) Once a ball has been played it cannot intentionally be brought to a stop or otherwise made to swerve by players. The penalty for this is the opposing team will be assigned the maximum points. The maximum points being the total of all valid balls played plus those yet to be played.

h) When a played ball exits from an adjacent court and hits stationary and regularly marked items, moving them from the path of a regularly thrown ball before it has completed its run, or hits the thrown ball before it has completed its run, the thrown ball must be replayed.

a) Balls and pallino dislodged by the sideboards or headboard without having been hit by any moving item must be restored to their original position. However, if these items while in motion are hit by regularly played moving items, they will remain in the position they came to rest.

b) Balls and pallino that are thrown and hit the top of the sideboards and return onto the court are considered valid as long as they do not hit any outside obstacle.

c) Balls and pallino that exit the court following a regular play and hit an outside obstacle are considered void even if they return onto the court. If any such item returns to the court and causes other stationary and regularly marked items to be dislodged, the latter must be placed back in their original position. If instead a ball returns to the court and hits another moving item, the latter must be left in whichever place it comes to rest, while the ball which caused the impact must be considered void.

d) Any foreign object that unintentionally interferes with the trajectory of the pallino or ball before it has completed its full run causes an irregular play. The ball or pallino must be thrown again.

Before the start of a game, each team is allowed practice throws which consist of a full frame, one up and one down, beginning at the starting line “A”.

Practice throws may be carried out:

- When both teams are present in the court;

- When the game was called off due to an act of God and is resumed on a different court in the same facility or in another sport facility;

The team that wins by reason of absence, forfeit, or disqualification of the opposing team is not entitled to practice throws.

a) Punto throws are those which aim at getting one’s ball as close as possible to a reference point on the court. In punto throws the player is not permitted to surpass the B-B’ line with the forward foot touching the surface, otherwise the ball is void except for the advantage rule.

b) A ball which was thrown and rolled beyond the C-C’ line is regular for all intents and purposes.

c) A punto throw may not take place without the referee’s nod; otherwise that ball is void except for the advantage rule.

d) Whenever any one team runs out of balls without having ever having thrown a valid ball, the opposite team is guaranteed as many points as the total of the valid balls already played plus those yet to be played.

e) Should the referee make an error in assigning one or more points, all balls played after the erroneous assignment by the referee must be thrown again.

f) Should the referee unintentionally take away from the court a ball which hit the sideboards without first granting the advantage rule, the ball is void.

g) In the event that two balls belonging each to a different team come to rest at exactly the same distance from the pallino, the team who threw last and caused the tie must throw a ball until it has scored a point or has thrown all of its balls. If at the end of a frame the tie has not been broken, then that frame is declared void and it must be replayed from the same side from which it began.

h) A ball, which moves by itself, must be restored to its original place, when duly marked in advance, otherwise, in a suitable place where it would not substantially modify the situation previously acquired either by right or by fact.

All movements by either balls or the pallino must be measured with whatever tool was being used in that particular game. For major or difficult to measure distances the referee may resort to a measuring tape or if necessary he/she may ask for help from assistants. The measuring may begin only after the position of each of the items to be measured has been duly marked on the surface of the court.

a) Direct Hit: A thrown ball, which impacts and displaces another ball or the pallino by more than 70 cm is void and the displaced item must be restored to its original position, except for the advantage rule.

b) Chain Hit: A thrown ball which, while impacting another ball, causes that ball to hit another ball or pallino and the total of the displacement of both impacted items is more than 70 cm is void and the displaced items must be restored to their original positions except for the advantage rule.

c) Hit With Consequences: A thrown ball, which displaces one or more items without any of them falling within the above mentioned instances, and runs for more than 70 cm from the marking of the first impacted item will remain in its final resting position. Whatever else was displaced must be put back in its original position except for the advantage rule.

In all displacements, measured distances must be the real ones between the marking and the item (Figure 5a), between the marking and the siding and between the siding and the item (Figure 5b).

a) A raffa throw is one that aims at hitting, with or without bouncing, any given ball, or even one’s own ball, or the pallino, after having declared to the referee the item to be hit.

b) In order for the throw to be valid, the player must first declare the item he/she intends to hit without stepping over the B-B’ line. He/she may want to hit the:

- pallino

- ball holding point

- ball holding second point, etc.

The player must wait for the referee’s nod or approval in order to throw, otherwise the ball thrown is considered void and all the displaced items must be restored to their original positions, except for the advantage rule.

c) A player making a raffa throw may go beyond the B-B’ line only after the ball has been thrown, even if it has not touched the court surface. Should a player go beyond the B-B’ line before throwing the ball, it becomes void, except for the advantage rule.

d) Any items lying 13 cm or less from the declared item are parts of the “target” (bersaglio). Before authorizing a throw the referee must point out which items are 13 cm or less from the declared item and point out the area of the target (bersaglio).

e) A ball thrown within the boundary of the B-B’ line must land beyond the D-D’ line. Any ball landing on top of such a line or short of it is void, except for the advantage rule.

f) Should a ball thus thrown miss the declared item or target, or hit irregularly, it is void except for the advantage rule.

g) A raffa throw is allowed on the pallino in any valid position on the court, but only on balls located beyond the D-D’ line unless they are within 13 cm or less from the pallino.

a) A volo throw is one that aims at hitting, either directly or with the support of a limited tract of the court surface, an opponent’s ball, or even one’s own ball, or the pallino, after having declared the item to the referee.

b) In order for the throw to be valid, the player must first declare the item he/she intends to hit without stepping over the B-B’ line. He/she may want to hit the:

- pallino

- ball holding point

- ball holding second point, etc.

The player must wait for the referee to mark out a 40 cm arc of a circle in front of the declared item with its center perpendicular to it and must also wait for the referee’s permission to throw, otherwise the ball thrown is considered void and any displaced items must be restored to their original positions, except for the advantage rule.

c) A player making a volo throw may go beyond the C-C’ line only after the ball has been thrown, even if it has not touched the court surface. Should a player go beyond the C-C’ line before throwing the ball, it becomes void, except for the advantage rule.

d) In a volo throw one may hit all items that happen to be at a distance of 13 cm or less from the declared item (bersaglio), provided that the distance between the declared item and the place of landing does not exceed 40 cm. A throw is void if it falls within the 40 cm circle of the declared item and hits an item in the target area lying at a distance equal to or greater than 40 cm from the landing point. Any displaced items must be restored to their original positions, except for the advantage rule.

e) Balls that happen to be in the D-D’ neutral area can be hit only by volo throws since raffa throws are not allowed under these circumstances, unless they are 13 cm or less from the pallino. See figure no. 6.

a) Matches may be interrupted due to bad weather or any other act of God and must be resumed with the same points scored at the time the interruption occurred. The points scored in the last incomplete frame are not valid. 

b) It is the referee’s sole judgment to decide whether a game should be interrupted or played through. If one of the teams leaves the playing area without the referee’s authorization, they will automatically forfeit that match.

All male and female players who have not reached the age of 18 (solar year) belong to the junior category.

All male and female players who have reached the age of 18 (solar year) belong to the senior category.

INDEX

Article 1 The Game’s Playing Area page 1

Article 2 The Game’s Markings page 1-2

Article 3 The Game page 2

Article 4 The Teams page 3

Article 5 Games and Keeping Score page 4

Article 6 Bocce Balls and Pallino page 4

Article 7 Marking the Ball and Pallino’s Position page 5

Article 8 The Advantage Rule page 5

Article 9 Beginning the Game and Throwing the Pallino page 5-6

Article 10 Throwing the Balls: “PUNTO” –“RAFFA” – “VOLO” page 6-7

Article 11 Common Rules for both the Balls and Pallino page 7

Article 12 Practice Throws page 7

Article 13 “PUNTO” Throws page 7-8

Article 14 Moving the balls in a “PUNTO” Throw page 8-9

Article 15 “RAFFA” Throws page 10

Article 16 “VOLO” Throws page 10-11

Article 17 Interrupting Competitions and Matches page 11

Article 18 Classes of Players page 11

Regolamento Tecnico Internazionale

(International Technical Rules)

© Copyright C.B.I.

Aggiornamento 21.09.99

(Edited 13/06/05)