Some questions link to answers on other pages.
- Links to other pages and posts with FAQs about the rules
- Questions posted here by readers.
- For general questions about petanque (“Is petanque the same as bocce?”) visit the All About Petanque FAQs page.
- I want to build my own petanque terain. What are the dimensions of a court?
- What is an obstacle? Is [fill in the blank] an obstacle?
- What is a “boule thrown contrary to rules”?
- What do you do when— the first boule pushes the jack?
- What do you do when— the first boule goes out-of-bounds?
- What do you do when— ALL boules are shot out-of-bounds?
- What do you do when— the two best boules are equidistant from the jack?
- What do you do when— the jack is shot out-of-bounds and goes dead?
- What do you do when— a dead boule bounces back onto the terrain?
- What do you do when— a boule (or jack) hits something overhead (like a ceiling or a tree branch)?
- What do you do when— a player plays a boule out of turn?
- What do you do when— a player plays a boule that is not his own?
- What do you do when— a team forgets that it has an unplayed boule?
- What do you do when— a player moves a boule while measuring?
- What do you do when— a player picks up the circle before all boules have been thrown?
- Can you— paint or color your boules?
- Can you— play with boules that aren’t all from the same set?
- Can you— wear gloves while playing?
- Can you— wear open-toe shoes or sandals while playing?
- Can you— throw underarm (roll a boule, palm up)?
- Can you— challenge the jack after you’ve thrown the first boule?
- Can you— leave unplayed boules on the ground?
- Can you— engrave your initials on your boules?
- Can you— stand near the head and point to the donnee with your foot?
- Can you— fill a hole with your hand?
- Can you— groom the terrain between ends?
- What is a mène (end, round) ?
- When does a mene start and finish?
- What are the rules for the colored penalty cards?
- What are the rules for the jack’s weight, size, and so on?
- I don’t understand the rule about “stepping back” and moving the circle.
- In time-limited games, when a tie occurs why play TWO additional rounds?
- Is there any rule about the order in which members of the same team play?
- There is a shooting competition. Is there also a pointing competition?
- Is it true that— You can’t fix a hole before throwing the first boule in a game.
- Is it true that— You can’t fix a hole if you’re going to shoot.
- Is it true that— A team loses the points it won in a mene if the points aren’t recorded on the scoreboard before the start of the next mene
- Is it true that— You can’t throw a jack to within 2 meters of another jack.
- Is it true that— A player can’t throw more than two boules in a row.
If the first boule thrown goes out-of-bounds, which team throws next? ▲
If Team A throws the first boule and it goes out-of-bounds, then Team B throws next. If Team B’s first boule goes out of bounds, then Team A throws next… and so on: the teams play alternately until one of them throws a boule that stays in-bounds. This is a special case of alternating play in an undecided-point situation.
Can a team challenge the jack after it has just thrown the first boule? ▲
After the jack and the first boule have been played, the opponents still have the right to question (contest) the validity of the jack’s location. Does the team that threw the jack and the first boule still have the right to question the validity of the jack’s location?
No. Each team has the right to question the validity of the position of the thrown jack until it (the team) throws its first boule. By the act of throwing its first boule, a team accepts the position of the jack and gives up the right to question that position. For more information, see our post on Challenging the jack and the “Pushed Jack Question”.
Is there any rule about the order in which members of the same team play? ▲
No. When you’re playing doubles or triples, members of the same team can play in any order that they wish. Often the team member that plays is determined by circumstance. If the team needs to point, then the team’s best pointer will throw. If the team needs to shoot, then the team’s best shooter will throw. (See also our discussion of the mythical rule A player can’t throw more than two boules in a row.)
Can a teammate indicate the donnee by standing near it? ▲
YES — that’s OK. Article 15 says that A player is not allowed to help himself by using any object, nor to draw a line on the ground to guide his boule or to mark his intended landing spot. Players sometimes wonder if this means that it is forbidden for a teammate to indicate the desired donnée by pointing with a toe. The answer is NO. Article 15 forbids making physical changes to the terrain or leaving objects on the terrain. But as long as no change is made to the terrain, it is perfectly OK for a teammate simply to stand and point with a toe. There is no danger of the teammate interfering with the thrown boule— if the boule gets too close, the teammate can simply step away.
In time-limited games, when a tie occurs why play TWO additional rounds? Why not ONE extra round? ▲
This is in Article 19 of Règlement des Championnats du Monde, the rules for FIPJP world championship matches.
All games in the [FIPJP] World Championships are played to 13 points, with the exception of games to which a time limit is applied… [Games may not end with a tied score (un match nul).] If neither team has reached 13 points before the end of the fixed time, it will be contested for up to two additional ends. In the event of a tie at the end of the extra ends there will be a final end in which the jack, if it can be moved, will never be dead.
When time-limited games were first introduced, when the whistle sounded any mene in progress was played to its finish. At that point, if one of the teams was in the lead, then that team was the winner. If the score was tied, one extra mene was played.
With this rule in place, as the time-limit drew near teams in the lead would deliberately play slowly, “running out the clock” and limiting their opponents’ opportunities to score more points. The FIPJP apparently considered this tactic to be contrary to the spirit of the game. As a result, the rules were changed to allow TWO ends after the whistle. (Note that after TWO extra menes a game might still be tied, requiring a THIRD extra mene to break the tie.)
This rule has been in effect for several years, and umpires seem happy with it. Most time-limited games finish in 90 minutes or less. This is reliable enough to allow ancillary activities (meal breaks, TV broadcasts) to be scheduled with confidence.
What do you do when— a boule (or the jack) hits something overhead (like a ceiling, or a light fixture, or a tree branch)? ▲
Or, to put it another way— “If a boule (or the jack) hits something overhead (like the ceiling, or a light fixture, or a tree branch), is it dead?” The answer is NO, it isn’t dead. For a more detailed answer, see this THIS POST.
There is a shooting competition. Is there also a pointing competition? ▲
No. There isn’t an FIPJP pointing competition. There are both practical and theoretical problems with a pointing competition. On the practical side— pointing is different from shooting because successful pointing is heavily dependent on the playing surface, and the very act of playing a boule changes the playing surface. Ensuring consistency of the playing surface is virtually impossible. On the theoretical side— there are questions about what should count as successful pointing, how to score the competition, and the obstacles and events in the competition. Should there be different events for rolling, demi-lob, and high lob? For left and right spin? Should we measure accuracy in hitting a donnee or accuracy in getting near the jack or both? Should a boule in front score higher than one in back? How do you score a boule that pushes the jack back, but ends up kissing it? Should promoting a boule be one of the events? Etc. Etc.
Can you wear gloves while playing? ▲
Yes, you can. Article 15 says that “A player may not help himself by using any object, nor draw a line on the ground to guide his boule or to mark his intended landing spot.” It is sometimes suggested that a glove is an object that would help a player, and that wearing gloves is therefore forbidden by Article 15.
That is a misinterpretation of Article 15. The purpose of Article 15 is to forbid making physical changes to the terrain. Specifically, it forbids players from indicating their intended landing spot (donnée) (a) by making marks on the terrain or (b) by placing “any object” (e.g. a stick or stone) on the terrain.
It is sometimes argued that gloves give a player an “unfair advantage”. But even if gloves do provide some kind of assistance (e.g. warm hands on a cold day), there is nothing unfair about it— all players are permitted to wear gloves if they wish.
Can you fix a hole with your hand? ▲
Yes. The rules do not specify how you must fill a hole. Using your hand is allowed. A related question is
“What are you allowed to do, when filling a hole? Just scrape a little dirt over it with your foot? Or are you allowed to tamp it down a bit?”
As we’ve said, there are no specific rules about what you can and cannot do when filling a hole. Anything that a human being can do using only his/her body is certainly allowed. After the hole is filled, a little extra tamping and stamping with the feet will make no significant difference in the terrain. But if it makes you feel better, go ahead and do it.
Is it true? You can’t fix a hole before throwing the first boule in a game. ▲
NO, it is not true.
Before 2008, Article 10 said that a player was allowed to fill only the hole made by the boule that had been previously thrown. This wording suggested that the player who throws the first boule in a game might not be allowed to fill a hole, because no boule had been previously thrown in that game. The wording of Article 10 was modified in 2008 to insure that Article 10 would not be interpreted in that way. The current wording of Article 10 is
the player who is about to play, or one of his partners, may fill in a hole that was made by a boule played earlier.
The bottom line is that a player, before throwing, may fill one hole in the terrain that was created by the impact of a boule, regardless of whether that boule was thrown in the same game or in an earlier game.
Is it true? You can’t fix a hole if you’re going to shoot. ▲
No, it is not true. YES, he is allowed to fix a hole even if the subsequently shoots rather than points.
Players have been known to ask— My opponent just fixed a hole on the terrain, and then went back to the circle and shot! Is he allowed to do that! This indignant question arises from the idea that the purpose of fixing a hole is to keep the hole from interfering with a rolling boule, so a player shouldn’t be allowed to fix a hole if he intends to shoot au fer. But a rule that a player can’t fill a hole if he intends to shoot would be extremely silly. There is no way precisely to distinguish shooting from pointing. There is no way to read a player’s mind and determine his intentions. And a player has the right to fill a hole for his own benefit (if he shoots badly) or for the benefit of some future pointer. That’s why a player’s plans for how he’s going to throw his boule have absolutely no bearing on his right to fill a hole in the terrain.
In 2016, wording was added to the FIPJP rules to emphasize that sweeping (balayage) in front of a boule that you are planning to shoot is illegal. This was NOT a rule that a player can’t fill a hole and then attempt to shoot. It was simply a reminder to umpires that they should enforce the rules that allow a player to fill a hole, but do not allow a player to “sweep” (smooth out) a large area of the terrain.
Is it true? You are not allowed to throw underarm (palm up). ▲
No. It is not true. The rules say nothing about how a boule must be thrown, so it is legal to throw a boule any way you want. Petanque is typically played on a rough and uneven surface, so throwing a boule (rather than rolling it) is usually the best way to put a petanque boule in motion. (See our page on How to throw a boule.) On the other hand, a palm-up rolling throw is good if you are pointing long distances over smooth ground, or if you have shoulder or arm issues. And it is perfectly legal.
Is it true? All of a player’s boules must be from a matching set. ▲
No. It is not true. It is completely legal to play with “odd boules” – boules that don’t all come from the same matched set. The only requirement is that each individual boule must be valid. That is, each individual boule must be from an FIPJP-certified manufacturer, the required manufacturer’s markings must still be legible, etc.
Is it true? You can groom the terrain between ends. ▲
NO. The relevant is in Article 10 —
It is strictly forbidden for players to press down, displace or crush any obstacle whatsoever that is located on the game terrain.
This rule is generally interpreted as a broad prohibition on altering the terrain in any way during a game, including raking or “grooming” the terrain. The prohibition is in effect from the time that the game officially begins with the first throw of the jack.
HOWEVER… Local rules may allow raking the terrain during a game. There is, for example, a form of petanque in which the players always throw from the end of the terrain, so that the center of the terrain gets used quite heavily. In this form of petanque the center of the terrain is often raked between menes.
Can you paint or color your boules? ▲
The short answer is YES.
People often think about putting paint in the grooves of their boules to make it easier to tell their boules from other boules. They wonder— Will painting my boules violate Article 2’s prohibition on tampering with boules?
The answer is NO. Putting paint in the grooves of a boule does NOT violate Article 2. Article 2’s prohibition on tampering is meant to prohibit changing a boule’s playing characteristics by re-heating (re-tempering) a boule to change its hardness, and “stuffing” a boule— putting something inside the boule to change its behavior when it hits the ground. Putting paint, fingernail polish, or permanent marker in the markings and grooves of a boule is NOT considered to be tampering. The paint is below the surface of the boule, so it will not come into contact with the ground or other boules and will not affect the playing characteristics of the boule. On the other hand, in an FIPJP-sanctioned competition, an umpire may reject a boule that is entirely covered in paint, out of concern that the paint may change the playing characteristics of the boule.
Note that there is one exception to this general rule. The Dutch national petanque federation (NJBB) considers all paint (even paint in grooves) to violate Article 2. Why? “In the past, paint was used to hide holes that had been drilled in boules, in order to tamper with the boules.” (See THIS). So if you REALLY need to know if your painted boules will be acceptable in a particular competition, you need to check with the competition organizers.
Some competition organizers try to arrange for the teams to play with boules of different colors. (The goal is to make it easier for spectators to follow games.) In the Netherlands, before some games, the teams turn over their (uncolored) boules to the umpires, and the umpires color the boules. But that is different from a player coloring his own boules.
Can you engrave your initials on your boules? ▲
After they’ve had their boules for a while, players sometimes think about engraving their name or initials on their boules. Although some players think about taking their boules to a jeweler who can engrave their initials, most think about doing the job themselves by scratching their initials into the boules. And they wonder if that is legal. Specifically they wonder if doing so will violate Article 2’s prohibition on tampering with boules.
The answer is NO, scratching or engraving your initials on your boules will NOT violate Article 2. Article 2’s prohibition on tampering is meant to prohibit re-heating a boule to change its hardness, and also to prohibit “stuffing” a boule— putting something inside the boule to change its playing characteristics. So scratching or engraving your initials onto your boules will NOT violate Article 2.
Note however that “touching up” the information that was originally stamped on the boule by the manufacturer is NOT allowed. Article 2 requires that the manufacturer’s trademark and the boule’s weight (both of which are required to be stamped into the boule by the manufacturer) must be legible. That means that the manufacturer’s original markings must be legible. If a boule is so badly worn that that information is no longer legible, an umpire will not permit it to be used in an FIPJP-sanctioned competition. “Touching up” that information really would be considered tampering with the boule.
Some players worry that engraving their boules will change the weight of the boules and so make them illegal. But the amount of weight lost, if any, in the operation is negligible. It certainly will NOT change the boules’ weight enough to make them illegal. This prompts players to ask— How much weight can a boule lose (after years of play) before it becomes illegal? The answer, which can be found in the requirements for the certification of boules, is 15 grams.
Is it true? A team loses the points it won in a mene if the points aren’t recorded on the scoreboard before the start of the next mene. ▲
NO. You won’t find this anywhere in the FIPJP rules. There are leagues in British enclaves in Spain that have adopted a local rule of “Put your score on the scoreboard or lose it”, in order to avoid disagreements over the score later in the game. Players returning to the UK after vacationing in Spain and playing with these leagues sometimes come back with the mistaken impression that this is one of the standard rules of petanque.
The FIPJP rules say nothing about how the score is recorded. In fact, there is no requirement that the score must be physically recorded in any way at all. It is perfectly legal for players to keep the score in their heads. The bottom line is that (except, perhaps, in local rules) The score is the score, whether or not it has been recorded on the scoreboard.
As a practical matter, it is a good idea to record the score in some way. If the score is being recorded on a scoreboard, generally speaking the winning team is the party that updates the scoreboard. BOTH teams, however, should consider it their responsibility to see that the scoreboard is updated correctly after the agreement of points.
In February 2022 Mike Pegg posted an excellent answer to this question on “Ask the Umpire”.
The important thing is for both teams to agree the points. A scoreboard is designed to remind both teams of what the running total is; to be an indicator for the umpire/organiser of the state of play in any specific game; and to be an information board for spectators. There is no official rule that requires a team(s) to put the score on a scoreboard, although some organisations or leagues may make it a requirement in their local rules.
Is it true? You can’t throw a jack to within 2 meters of a jack in a neighboring game. ▲
The current rule is that you can’t throw a jack to within 1.5 meters of a jack or circle in a neighboring game. Before the 2020 rules revision, “you can’t throw a jack to within 2 meters of a jack in a neighboring game” was a widely circulated mythical rule. The FIPJP rules contained several one-meter and two-meter rules, but there was no rule about a minimum distance between a thrown jack and the jack or circle in a neighboring game. That flaw in the rules was fixed in 2020.
Is it true? A player can’t throw more than two boules in a row. ▲
No, it is not true. But some clubs have adopted a local rule for doubles that says that the same player cannot play more than two boules in a row before letting his/her teammate throw. I don’t know why they have adopted this rule, but it is definitely a LOCAL rule and not one of the international rules of petanque.
The Rules of Petanque 
We were playing on an enclosed piste. Team B threw a boule that hit the jack, continued on to hit the sideboard (out of bounds), bounced back, and hit the jack which was going out of play. Which then stayed in play…
We find no ruling on this. Can you help please. We know it is only a game… BUT!!?
Jules says—
See https://petanquerules.wordpress.com//2017/06/03/zombie_boules/
“the jack must be a minimum of 1 metre from any obstacle and from the nearest boundary of an out-of-bounds area.”
Does this mean the jack must be in the centre 1 metre if you play on a marked terrain of 12 x 3 m (and between 6 and 10 metres from the throwing circle)? That is 1 metre from the left and 1 metre from the right string.
Jules says—
See https://petanquerules.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/landing-strip/
I have read in some other petanque blogs and websites that playing on asphalt (normal tarred road or car park) is not recommended. Any particular reason ?
It is mostly because of practical considerations. An asphalt surface is as hard as stone… in fact, it probably contains embedded stones with sharp edges, stones that won’t move if a boule comes down on them. They will really tear up the surface of your boules, leaving gouges and burrs, especially if you are playing with cheap leisure boules or soft competition boules. So try to avoid playing on any surface where there are large, sharp stones. Big round rocks won’t tear up the surface of your boules in the same way, but they will put dents in your boules.
There is also the fact that an asphalt road is hard and unpredictable. It will be difficult to control your boules. They will bounce in unpredictable ways, and they may roll much farther than they would on a hard dirt surface.
Thank you for the kind explanation. I am a beginner in petanque and really appreciate your answers to my questions 🙂 Guess I need to find an alternative playing area as only a nearby tarred car park is big enough. Yes, you are correct, all my boules are pretty badly scarred !
If you live in a tropical climate like Malaysia, it may be hard to find ground that isn’t covered by some kind of vegetation. 🙂 In the USA, I’d look for dirt paths in public parks, and athletic facilities — baseball diamonds and running tracks — at local schools. Also, around the outside of sports venues there can be good places where a lot of foot traffic has killed the grass and really pounded down the ground. Good luck! 🙂
How many results will be announced in the Petanque game of a team that does not show up on time?
Article 32, Penalties for absent teams or players
The team which does not present itself on the playing area within 30 minutes of the start or restart of games is declared to be eliminated from the competition.
https://petanquerules.wordpress.com/petanque-rules-2020-fipjp-uk-html/#_Toc60220723
What happens next depends on the competition rules. In some competitions, the opposing team may be given a bye, which is often scored as a 13-7 win. But, as I say, this depends on the rules for the particular competition.
You might want to put this question to international umpire Mike Pegg–
https://www.facebook.com/groups/128791213885003/
Can you write something about the new clothing/shoe rules ?
________________________________________________
Jules says—
See this:
How are the serial numbers on boules allocated? Who does it and what stops serial numbers being replicated?
Each serial number is created by the company that manufactures the boules. The only FIPJP requirement is that no two sets of boules which are otherwise identical (same model, weight, striation pattern) can have the same serial number. Since there are no FIPJP rules about how the numbers are allocated, it is up to each manufacturer to allocate the numbers using whatever technique they choose. In theory, if a manufacturer failed to imprint unique serial numbers on its competition boules, the certification of the manufacturer, or of the defective model, might be withdrawn by the FIPJP. For more information on the certification process, see
Thanks, Jules – now I understand.
Stuart
In Germany, I have noticed the following in pétanque play: If the thrown jack lands less than one meter from a boundary, an opposing team member can move the jack not just one meter from the nearest boundary but ANYwhere he so chooses, provided the required 6′ to 10′ distances are met. Is this a new rule, a local rule, a rule in Germany, or a misinterpreted rule?
It is a new FIPJP rule, which went into effect on January 1, 2017.
Prior to 2016, the FIPJP rules said that the winning team was allowed three attempts to throw a valid jack. After three failed attempts, the winning team turned the jack over to the opposing team, which was then also allowed up to three attempts to throw a valid jack. After three failed attempts, the opposing team returned the jack to the winning team, which was then again allowed up to three attempts to throw a valid jack. This series of alternating attempts to throw the jack would continue until the jack was thrown successfully.
Starting with the 2016 rules revision, the FIPJP rules now specify that the winning team is allowed only one attempt to throw a valid jack. If that attempt fails, the jack is given to the opposing team and the opposing team then places the jack (by setting it down on the ground, by hand) in any valid location on the terrain. The new rule can be found in Article 7.
This change was made in order to speed up games in organized competitions. The FIPJP asserted that the new rule had been tried in competitions for a number of months, that it did in fact speed up games, and that most players were happy with the new rule. But many players were unhappy with the change. Some players consider the art of throwing the jack to be an important part of the game, and an important skill for players to master. These players felt that the FIPJP had sold out— jettisoned an important feature of the game in order to make the game more appealing to television audiences. But whether or not you like the new rule, it is now part of the official FIPJP international rules for the sport of petanque.
Thanks for your clear explanation. I must say that I stand with those who object to this new rule, exactly for those reasons expressed.
As an American living in Germany, I have been going by international pétanque rules in English. However, I’ve been told that the Germans have their own rules that differ from the international ones (for example, the minimum playing area for a tournament is 10 meters long, not 12). What other differences are there between German pétanque rules and international rules, and is there a place to find such rules in English?
— Bruce
You have been been misinformed. The website of the DPV (Deutscher Pétanque-Verband, the German Petanque Federation) is
https://deutscher-petanque-verband.de/
You can download a pdf containing the German national rules from
https://deutscher-petanque-verband.de/sport/regeln-und-richtlinien/
I have converted that pdf file to html format. You can find it at
For English, on the top of that page, click on See English translation by Google Translate.
The automated translation is rough, but from it you can clearly see that the German national rules are a straightforward translation of the French-language FIPJP international rules. The DPV has inserted 13 not very important footnotes.
It is surprising how many players “know” the rules, but have never actually read the rules. As a result, they often “know” things that I call MYTHICAL RULES.
Question: May a player change the boules he is using during a game?
You can’t change your boules just because you feel like playing with a different set, but you can start using a new boule (or even a new set of boules) if one of your boules breaks or gets lost during a game. See Article 11 of the FIPJP rules at
– https://petanquerules.wordpress.com/rules/
If you have won the last end and the other team have no boules left do you have to play all boules left?
No. Everyone recognizes that when one team is out of boules and the other team has game on the ground, the game is over; there is no reason to throw any more boules.
– https://petanquerules.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/taking-the-point/
Hello, are the rules of 2017 regarding yellow and orange cards still used or not?
Yes, they are still there, unchanged, in Article 35.
— https://petanquerules.wordpress.com/petanque-rules-2020-fipjp-uk-html/#_Toc60220726
Dans un jeu, le joueur qui reçoit un carton jaune a un effet sur le jeu suivant Par exemple, un joueur reçoit deux cartons jaunes en deux matchs
Quelle est votre question ?
What is your question?
I was standing in the circle having thrown my first boule.
While transfering my second boule from my left hand to my right hand the boule fell to the ground at my feet .
Can i pick it up and play it
Yes, you can play it.
Umpires are quite sensible on this matter, and they recognize the common-sense difference between dropping a boule and throwing it.
And it makes no difference whether you dropped it by accident or on purpose. You can deliberately drop a boule onto the ground if you don’t want to hold it in your off hand while throwing. That, of course, is also completely OK.
Just for future reference, a good place to ask petanque-related questions is
https://www.facebook.com/groups/petanque.qa