Petanque || Bocce = Fun

So there weather is ridiculous here so I found myself at the beach the other day playing a game of Bocce and swilling Tecate until the sun went down. When I was in France, the silly Frenchmen would gather about the same hour and play Petanque, a close relative of Bocce. In retrospect, I think what we were playing on the beach the other day really was Petanque and not Bocce, seeing as we did not have a true "court" set up, and the only real differences between the two games are that true Bocce requires a "court", with backboards and such for bank shots, and in Bocce you must roll your ball. I guess there are spelling and pronunciation differences between the two games too. See below for a real explanation of the differences.

At any rate Petanque/Bacce was really a whole lot of fun. Its like playing horshoes/marbles with miniature holeless bowling balls.




Petanque vs Bocce from www.petanqueamerica.com

We are often asked what the difference is between bocce, the Italian bowling game and petanque.
First of all bocce balls are larger and solid, about the size of a grapefruit, colored (green & red are popular), and generally made from resin or wood. Petanque balls are the size of an orange, hollow, and always made from metal. Bocce has different variations as to court size and layout. The court should be smooth and flat; some rules call for wooden sideboards to make it an enclosed area. Petanque can be played anywhere; most players actually prefer an uneven terrain to make it more challenging. Bocce players mostly roll their balls, petanque players tend to lob them in the air. The counting of points and game tactics are very similar between the two games.
Conclusion: petanque is more flexible, and the equipment is easier to carry around.