An area dedicated to the inquisitive natures of man and woman, please leave your questions down in the comment area below, and I’ll integrate them into the page as I go along. Here are a few questions already posed by members:
Rules?
We’ve gotten a lot of questions over rules. Our basic stance is this: Get your balls (or boccia) closest to the Jack (the target ball thrown at the beginning of the round) and receive points. If you’re more of traditionalist and would like set rules check out Wikipedia. Otherwise, in accordance with our relaxed nature, we encourage participating members that are about to engage in play to discuss the games scoring and methodology before the match begins.
With that said, I’ve always played that the closest two balls in play each receive a point. If one set receives the closest two balls, then the set’s owner is awarded three points. The closest thrower of the previous round throws the Jack for the next round. Keep playing until a person or team earns 13 points; they win.
However, be open to new rules and new challenges!
Is this thing competitive or social?
While we believe in the benefits allowed by competition (impact on innovation and overall economics), we also recognize that there are those of us who wish to mellow out and just enjoy the passivity of unstructured play. Conseqeuntly, if you feel it pertinent to stimulate your sporting nature than we encourage you seek out other members with your similar taste for glory. (Note: If you’d like, you can keep track of your, or your team’s, personal stats on ScoreYard!)
Does ball size matter?
I’ve always thought of this as a matter of personal preference on behalf of your partner, if you have one. I think as long as your individual sets are of similar size, then there’s no reason to worry “who has bigger or smaller balls” in a match. If your balls are too big to properly throw around, you may want a lighter set.
Why bocce ball?
Well, we consider ourselves more leisure enthusiasts, than just bocce connoisseurs. In other words, any gentlemen sport that provides the opportunity for laid-back participation, light drinking, and great conversation we’ll dig on. (Note: we prefer no “tailgating games,” but if that floats your boat…)
