Friendly Rules

Hop Back Friendly Pétanque League – 2025 Friendly Rules

1. Size of teams, number of boules: 

Matches will be played between three teams of two and two teams of three players on each side. With teams of two, each player has 3 boules; with teams of 3, each player has 2 boules.

2. Choosing the throwing place: 

A coin toss will decide which team plays first. Any player on the team winning the toss chooses where to draw (or place) a circle on the ground in which every player will stand to throw their boules. The circle should be about 0.5m in diameter and placed so as to allow the throwing of the ‘cosh’ in compliance with Rule 3.

3. Throwing the cochonnet (‘cosh’): 

Any player then throws the ‘cosh’ between 6m and 10m, or 6 to 10 paces from the circle in any direction (unless multiple games are in progress when the ‘cosh’ must be thrown ‘in bounds’ on the designated area of the terrain for that game). With the agreement of both teams a ‘cosh’ may be centred, by hand, to allow the game to progress without undue interference with adjacent games.  If the ‘cosh’ is closer than 1m to any obstacle (0.5m from the terrain edge), or is dead, it shall be placed, by hand, in a legitimate position by an opposing player. The first team still throws the first boule.

4. The first boule: 

Any player from the first team can throw the first boule, trying to get it as close as possible to the ‘cosh’. Both feet must stay within the circle while throwing and until the boule has landed.

5. The other team: 

One player from the other team then steps into the circle and tries to place a boule closer to the ‘cosh’ than their opponent, or to knock the opponent’s boule away. The boule nearest to the ‘cosh’ is said to be “holding the point”.

6. Who plays when: 

The players in the team that is not “holding” continue throwing until they place a boule closest to the ‘cosh’, and so on. Players on the same team do not have to take alternate throws, but players must always play their own boules.

7. When one team has no more boules: 

When a team has no more boules to play, the players from the other team will throw theirs, aiming to place them as close as possible to the ‘cosh’. Should a team have boules remaining ‘in hand’, they may claim the points for their boules closest to the ‘cosh’ without throwing their remaining boules

8. Dead ‘Cosh’: 

A ‘cosh’ will be ‘dead’ if it is knocked out of the playing area or strikes any obstacle.  Any ‘cosh’ that rebounds into play remains ‘dead’.  If both teams are holding boule (or are out of boule) when a ‘cosh’ becomes ‘dead’ the end is void and is played again.  If only one team has boule ‘in hand’ they score one point for each boule remaining ‘in hand’.

If a ‘cosh’ strikes a player of the team throwing, who is on the terrain, and remains in play the opposing team can:

a) Leave the ‘cosh’ where it is and make the other team throw again, the game then continues as normal.

b) Declare the end void. The end is played again. The throwing team has no advantage such as counting ‘boules in hand’.

9. Equal Distance: 

When the two closest boules to the ‘cosh’ belong to opposing teams and are at an equal distance from it, 3 cases can apply:

a) When two teams have no more boules to play the end is dead and the ‘cosh’ belongs to the team which threw the ‘cosh’ at the preceding end.

b) In the case where only one team has boules left, it plays them and scores as normal i.e.: as many points as it has boules closer to the cosh than the nearest opponent’s boule.

c) When both teams have boules left to throw, it is for the team which played the last boule to play again, then the opposing team, and so on alternately until the point belongs to one of the teams. If only one team possesses boules, the arrangements set out in the preceding paragraph apply.

10. Counting the points: 

When both teams have no more boules to play points are counted. Points should be agreed before boule are moved or agreed as each boule is removed.  Where an agreement cannot be reached a measure should be used.  The winning team scores one point for each boule nearer the ‘cosh’ than the opponents closest. Only one team can score points in each end.

11. Starting the next end:

A player from the team that scored on the last end throws the ‘cosh’ from a new circle. The new circle should be drawn as close to the resting place of the previous ends ‘cosh’ but meeting the criteria of Rules 2 and 3.

12. Match scoring: 

The winners of each game are the first to reach 13 points.

1.  For the 2025 season, all matches will be scored on points won in the match i.e. a winning team can score a maximum of 65 points and a losing team a maximum of 62.

2. Should two teams end the season on equal points won then away points will count. If away points are equal then the winner shall be decided on the throw of a single boule by one member of each team, nearest the ‘Cosh’ to win.  This will only apply  to those teams competing for first, second or third place in the league and will be decided as part of the Final’s Day play.

13. Late arrival: 

Teams must make every effort to arrive in good time to allow matches to begin at 8pm.  Captains should advise their opposing captain as soon as possible if a delay is inevitable.  A decision on whether ‘weather stops play’ should be made at the home venue or, if conditions on a terrain are known to be unplayable, a postponement should be arranged by the home team captain as early as possible with the aim of preventing the away team from travelling. Any team that fails to travel and also fails to rearrange the match then they shall forfeit the match 65 points to 0.

14. Late Finish: 

Matches should end by 11pm (or earlier if, and as, required by our hosts.)  Should a match is in progress when ‘Time’ is called the match must end at that point out of courtesy to our hosts.  In these circumstances the game affected will be scored with the score as it stands.  Players should ensure that the time between consecutive throws should not exceed ‘one minute’.  ‘Beer runs’ during a game should be avoided unless agreed by both teams and should always be the exception rather than the rule!

15.  Match Abandoned: 

In the event of an match is abandoned at any stage during play then the match should be mutually rearranged  and replayed in full.Friendly Rules