Rules of Boules
1.Teams
To play, a team requires three players, six boules and one jack.
The three players must play throughout one game.
Different players may be used for different games but those players may only represent one team.
3.Order of play
During a game, players from opposing teams do not play alternately as is often assumed.
A player or team continues to throw until they gain the advantage. It is up to the ‘throwing’ team whether a team member throws all their boules consecutively or they alternate
shots within the team.
5.Tournament progression
Teams with the most winning games go through to the knockout stages of the tournament and have the chance to win the day!
2.The basics
A player from the team winning the toss begins by throwing the boule to get close to the jack. The opponents throw next, attempting to get closer, nudging the jack to a different position or knocking the opponent's boule away. The team closest to the jack is "holding the point" and do not throw again until the other team gets a boule closer or runs out of boules.
Once all boules have been played, the team holding the point, score 1 point plus extra points for other boules closest until an opponent's boule interrupts the sequence.
Only 1 team may score each
end played.
4.How to win
The team that wins a round scores one point for every boule they have that’s closer to the jack than the other team’s closest boule.
After scoring, a new round (called an “end”) begins. The team that won the last end throws the jack and also plays first.
You keep playing ends until
one team reaches 9 points.
In the finals, you play until a
team reaches 11 points.
6.’In play’ and ‘out of play’
The playing lane (piste) for your match has a string boundary. Whenever a boule or jack crosses the string it is deemed to be "dead" and should be taken off the playing area. Note that it is only when a boule crosses the string completely (ie the whole of the boules goes completely over the line) is it out of play. A boule going dead but rolling back
into play remains out.
If the jack is knocked off the
playing lane, the end must be
played again.
Contact us.
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Join the fun!
There are so many ways to support the Bath Boules, visit our Get Involved page for all your options or email us on: bathboules@bathbid.co.uk for more information.
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To find our more about stalls, setting up your team, or any further information please contact bathboules@bathbid.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Bath Boules Charitable Trust, C/O Pearson May, 37 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DA
www.bathboules.com.
bathboules@bathbid.co.ukBath Business Improvement District
11A York Street
Bath
BA1 1NG