Dura lex, sed lex

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The object of the game is simple: get your boules closer to the small target ball than your opponent's boules. You score points for each boule you have closer than their best one.

Pétanque can be played in three main formats:

• Tête-à-tête: Singles. One player against another, each with 3 boules.
• Doublettes: Doubles. Two players per team, each player with 2 boules.
• Triplettes: Triples. Three players per team, each player with 2 boules. (This is the format for official competitions).

1. Flip a coin to decide who starts.
2. The starting team draws a circle on the ground, about 35-50 cm (14-20 inches) in diameter. This is the throwing circle. When you throw, both of your feet must stay inside this circle until your boule has landed.
3. A player from the starting team stands in the circle and throws the cochonnet. It must land:
   • Between 6 and 10 meters away from the circle.
   • At least 1 meter away from any obstacle (like a wall or a tree).
   • Be visible to the person in the circle.

If the throw is not valid, they throw it again. After three failed attempts, the opposing team gets to place the cochonnet wherever they want within the valid distance.

This is the core of the game. It follows a simple logic.

1. First Boule: A player from the team that threw the cochonnet now throws their first boule, trying to get it as close as possible to the cochonnet.
2. Who Throws Next? Now, the other team throws. They will continue to throw their boules until they either:
   • A) Land a boule closer to the cochonnet than their opponent's best boule.
   • B) Run out of boules.

1. "Having the Point": The team with the boule closest to the cochonnet is said to be "holding" or "having the point." The team that does not have the point is the one that must throw next.

Example:

• Team A throws and lands their boule 50 cm from the cochonnet. They "have the point."
• Team B now throws. Their first boule lands 80 cm away. They still don't have the point, so they must throw again.
• Team B throws their second boule and it lands 30 cm from the cochonnet. They have now "taken the point."
• Now it is Team A's turn to throw again, because they no longer have the closest boule.

This continues until both teams have thrown all of their boules.

• Pointing (Placer): This is a skill throw. You are gently rolling, lobbing, or tossing your boule to place it as close to the cochonnet as you can.
• Shooting (Tirer): This is an aggressive throw. You throw your boule forcefully with the goal of hitting and knocking an opponent's well-placed boule away from the cochonnet. A perfect shot that replaces the opponent's boule with your own is called a carreau.

Once all boules from both teams have been thrown, the round (called an "end" or mène) is over. Now you count the points.

• Only one team scores per end.
• The team with the single boule closest to the cochonnet is the winning team for that end.
• They get one point for every boule they have that is closer to the cochonnet than the opposing team's closest boule.

Scoring Example:Imagine the end is finished.

• Team A's closest boule is 10 cm away.
• Team B's closest boule is 40 cm away.
• Team A also has two other boules that are 20 cm and 35 cm away.

Result: Team A gets 3 points because three of their boules are closer than Team B's best boule. Team B gets 0 points.

After the points are tallied, the team that won the end draws a new circle where the cochonnet was and starts the next end.

The game continues with new ends until one team reaches 13 points. That team is the winner!

• Feet in the Circle: When throwing, both of your feet must remain on the ground and inside the circle. You can't lift a foot or step out until your boule has landed.
• Boule Out of Bounds: If a boule goes outside the designated playing area, it is "dead" and removed from play for that end.
• Cochonnet is Moved: If a boule hits the cochonnet, its new position is where it stops. Play continues to the new location.
• Cochonnet Out of Bounds: If the cochonnet is knocked out of the playing area, the end is "dead" and no one scores. The team that won the previous end starts again.

That's it! The best way to learn is to grab a set and play a few ends. Enjoy the game!

Before the tournament begins, a random draw of the teams will define the match-up bracket. Each team's name is put into a hat or a bag, and teams are drawn two by two to determine who will play against whom in the first round.

This creates a tournament bracket (tableau de rencontre).

This is a "knockout" style tournament. The rules are very simple:

• If you win your game, you advance to the next round of the bracket.
• If you lose your game, you are eliminated from the tournament.

This continues round after round, with the number of teams being cut in half each time, until only one undefeated team remains as the champion.

Each matchup in the bracket is decided by a single game in a direct elimination format. The first team to score 13 points wins the game and advances. There are no second chances; the winner of that single game moves on, and the loser is eliminated.

To make the ultimate match more competitive, the final is played as a 'best-of-three' series (en 2 manches gagnantes). This means that to be crowned champion, a team must win two full games to 13 points against their opponent. The first team to win two games wins the championship.