Pétanque at a glance
Teams include one, two or three players. Players throw either two or three boules per round.
After a coin toss, a player from the starting team draws a 14- to 20-inch circle on the ground from which players throw their boules. The cochonnet is thrown 20 to 35 feet away and must be within three feet of the court’s boundary lines.
A player from the starting team throws the first boule, then an opposing team member throws a boule. The team with the boule closest to the cochonnet keeps throwing until it’s out of boules. Then the opposing team plays.
Once all boules are played, points are scored for the round. The winning team receives one point for each boule that is closer to the cochonnet than the best boule of the opposition.
The round is complete when one team reaches 13 points.
Official rules: http://usapetanque.org/2012rules.pdf
Play ball
The Edmonds Pétanque Club’s second annual tournament is scheduled for June 10 at the Civic Playfield in Edmonds (6th Avenue and Bell Street). Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the competition starts at 10 a.m. The registration fee is $20 and the winner gets a cash prize of $200.
“We are expecting people from Seattle, Kirkland and Port Townsend,” said Michelle Martin, president of the Edmonds Pétanque Club. “This tournament is not so much a competition as a fun event.”
For more details, visit http://EdmondsPetanqueClub.org.
Give it a try
The Edmonds Péntanque Club holds regular practices, with members available to coach and supply boules. Practices are on Wednesdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m., and on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. All practices are at the Civic Playfield in Edmonds (6th ave. &Bell Street).
Practice makes perfect: http://www.seattlepetanque.org/Training%20Manual.pdf
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