BOCCE_History

International Faculty & Staff Bocce Association
at Armstrong Atlantic State University
[sponsored by the Faculty Activities Committee
but not affiliated with the Confederation Mondiale des Sports de Boules,
nor endorsed by the Collegium Cosmicum ad Buxeas,
nor sanctioned by the Fédération International de Boules
or the United States Bocce Federation]

Teams, Competition Schedule, and Results
A Brief History of Bocce
House Rules
Lingo
Snapshots

bocce_balls2.jpg (1848 bytes) A Brief History of Bocce

Throwing balls at a target is the oldest game known to mankind. Over the ages, bocce has evolved from a crude sport played with round rocks, coconuts, or the skulls of vanquished administrators to today's game played on artfully crafted courts with composite or metal balls. Bocce also has had many names — including lawn bowling, nine pins, skittles, and pentaque — and has been played by many different sets of rules.

The word bocce (also spelled bocci and boccie) stems from the vulgar Latin "bottia,” meaning “boss.”   Some authorities claim it originated in Egypt about 5200 B.C.; others, that the game was started in Greece during the sixth century B.C. The most reliable sources agree that bocce, as we know it today, was played between battles during Rome's Punic Wars against Carthage (264-146 B.C.). Soldiers selected a small stone (called a "leader") and threw it first. Then larger stones would be thrown at the "leader," and the stone coming closest to it would score. The game provided exercise and relaxation for the soldiers. Teams were composed of two, four, six, or eight men, and the score would range from 16 to 24 points per game.

In time, bocce was played everywhere, from the churches and castles to the city streets. People from all walks of life could play the game—young and old, men and women—and more than once in medieval Italy bocce grew so popular that it was threatened with prohibition. In 1319, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV outlawed the game because he thought that it interfered with archery practice and other sports of a more military nature. Years later the prohibition was lifted when the Medical Faculty at Montpelier, France declared that bocce was the best exercise to prevent rheumatism.

In the form of bowls, bocce thrived in Elizabethan England, where the Queen herself was an avid fan. Legend has it that Sir Frances Drake refused to set out to defend England against the Spanish Armada until completing a game of bocce. “First we finish the game,” he proclaimed, ‘’then we’ll deal with the Armada!"

It was Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) who, when not busy unifying and nationalizing Italy, popularized the sport. In 1896, the first Bocce Olympiad was held in Athens, Greece, and bocce has been a part of international sports ever since. The popularity of bocce in America has been on the rise since it swept California in the late 1980s. Today, there are more than 25,000,000 bocce enthusiasts in the United States.

[Adapted from “History of Bocce,” at the United States Bocce Federation web site (www.bocce.com); “A Brief History of Bocce,” at the World Bocce League web site (www.worldbocce.org), and “History of Bocce” at the Collegium Cosmicum ad Buxeas web site (www.bocce.org).]

House Rules

The pallino (small white ball) shall be thrown out by the team that scored most recently. The first pallino shall be thrown by the visiting team or may be determined by a coin toss, wrestling match, spelling bee, or any other mutually agreed upon method.   If the Green team throws out the pallino, a member of the green team shall throw one ball. The Red team shall then roll a ball endeavoring to place the ball closer to the Pallino than the Green ball. The Red team shall continue to roll balls until one has come to rest closer to the Pallino than the Green ball. The Green team will then roll until a green ball rests closer to the pallino than the closest Red ball. This process continues until all balls from both teams have been rolled, at which time points are counted. If a Green ball is closest to the pallino, the Green team shall receive one point for each Green ball closer to the pallino than the closest Red ball. Likewise, if a Red ball is closest to the pallino, the Red team shall receive one point for each Red ball closer to the pallino than the closest Green Ball. The standard outdoor rule for determining proximity to the pallino is that if team captains cannot agree with the unaided eye on which ball is closer, it is considered too close to call and a tie (no points will be awarded for the ball in question).   Although, as in cards, rules vary among neighborhoods and families, it is considered customary in Southern Savannah to play until 12 (must win by at least two). For more detailed guidelines, see the Court Bocce Standard Rules for Leagues and Tournaments, established by the Bocce Standards Association.

Here's an example of how to score a bocce ball round: simply enough, the Red Team gets two points. (Note: the yellow ball is the pallino; the green circle is an imaginary line designating the distance to Blue's closest ball.)

Equipment
At their leisure, faculty and staff are welcome to borrow the set of bocce balls stored in Solms 211. The court is located directly across the street, between Ashmore Hall and the Fine Arts Building.

Bocce Lingo

Backboards - The shorter walls at each end of the court.

Banking - Throwing the bocce ball is such a way that it hits and bounces off the sideboards towards the pallino.

Bocce Balls – Eight larger balls about 4 1/4 inches (107 millimeters) in diameter that are rolled toward the pallino to score points.

Coin-toss - The initial flip of a coin at the start of a game to determine which team throws the pallino the first time and chooses the color of the team's bocce balls.

Court - The rectangular playing area defined by a backboard at each end and two sideboards.

Forfeit - Action taken against a team that does not have at least two players to start a game at the designated start time or refuses to complete a game for any reason.

Frame - The playing of all the bocce balls in one direction and the awarding of points. After points are awarded a new frame starts in the opposite direction. Frames are played until sufficient points are accumulated to win the game. A frame is sometimes called a Giro.

Hitting or Spock - A declared underhand bowling type hard throw directly at the balls on the court to purposely hit and move an opponent's ball or the pallino. Sometimes called spocking, shooting, bombing, or raffa.

In Team - The team who has the closest bocce ball to the pallino.

Jack - Another name for the pallino.

Kiss - A term that describes the condition where the bocce ball is touching the pallino. Sometimes called Baci.

League - A group of bocce teams playing a prescribed number of matches or games over a set period of time with records kept to determine a winning team.

No point or Tie - Occurs when the closest balls of both teams are equidistant from the pallino. The team delivering the last ball must throw again or if all balls have been played no points are awarded for that frame.

Out Team - The team who does not have the closest bocce ball to the pallino.

Pallino – A small white ball used as a target ball for throwing the bocce balls. Sometimes referred to as "object ball," "jack," "pill," "cue ball," "bullet," or "pallina."

Pointing - The underhand throwing action of a player to roll the bocce ball as close to the pallino as possible to score points. Pointing is sometimes called "punto" or "puntata."

Pointing Foul Line - The first foul line marked on the sideboards/court surface six feet from each backboard behind which the pallino and bocce balls rolled for point must be released.

Scoreboard - Numbers 1 through 12 arranged similar to a clock face with an arrow pointing to the score for the red or green team.

Sideboards - The longer court walls parallel to the direction of throwing.

Spock or Hitting - A declared underhand bowling type of hard throw directly at the balls on the court to purposely hit and move an opponent's ball or the pallino.

Team - A team on the court has four players maximum and two players minimum with each player throwing two balls. A team may have one or more substitute (alternate) players on the team.

Tournament - A tournament is a group of bocce teams playing matches or games over a set period of time with losing teams being eliminated until a single winning team remains.

Site maintained by Dick Nordquist.
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Savannah, Georgia 31419
Phone: 912 921 5991
e-mail: nordquist@mail.com
updated 15 December 2005