Pétanque

Hot summer … linden alley’s trees painting by the shadows … Pastis … friends … family … french chansons floating in the air … fun & relaxation …

All this is the common denominator of enjoing Chateau Zinkovy resort. Come and enjoy the real joy.

Pétanque

is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally “piglet”) or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon (literally “little ball”). The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass, sand or other surfaces.

The current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, in southern France.

History

The ancient Greeks are recorded to have played a game of tossing coins, then flat stones, and later stone balls, called spheristics, trying to have them go as far as possible, as early as the 6th century BC. The ancient Romans modified the game by adding a target that had to be approached as closely as possible. This Roman variation was brought to Provence by Roman soldiers and sailors and followingly to Chateau Zinkovy.

Playing the game

Pétanque is played by two teams, where each team consists of one, two, or three players. In the singles and doubles games each player has three boules; in triples each player has only two. A coin is tossed to decide which side goes first. The starting team draws a circle on the ground which is 35-50 centimeters in diameter: all players must throw their boules from within this circle, with both feet remaining on the ground. The first player throws the jack 6–10 meters away.

Order of play

A player from the team that threw the jack then throws their first boule. A player from the opposing team then makes a throw. Play continues with the team that is not closest to the jack having to continue throwing until they either land a boule closer to the jack than their opponents or run out of boules.

If the closest boules from each team are an equal distance from the jack, then the team that played last plays again. If the boules are still equidistant then the teams play alternately until the position changes. If the boules are still equidistant at the end of the game then no points are scored by either team.

The game continues with a player from the team that won the previous end drawing a new circle around where the jack finished and throwing the jack for a new end.

Scoring

Play ends, and points may be scored when both teams have no more boules, or when the jack is knocked out of play. The winning team receives one point for each boule that it has closer to the jack than the best-placed boule of the opposition.

If the jack is knocked out of play, no team scores unless only one team has boules left to play. In this case the team with boules receives one point for each that they have to play.

The first team to reach 13 points wins.

Shooters and pointers

Throwing is divided into two classes — pointing and shooting.

To point is to throw a boule with the goal of making it come to rest in a particular spot, often as close as possible to the jack.
To shoot is to throw a boule directly at an opponent’s boule with the goal of hitting it and knocking it away from the jack.

Players who are skillful enough to shoot effectively are called shooters; players who usually point are called pointers. (The French terms are tireur and pointeur, respectively.) As a matter of strategy, pointers play first and shooters are held in reserve in case the opponents place well.

A boule located in front of the jack is much more valuable than one behind the jack, because a boule in front may (intentionally or accidentally) be hit and pushed closer to the jack. Hence the saying boule d’avant, boule d’argent — roughly: a ball in front is a money ball.

Throwing a boule

When throwing the first boule, the goal of the pointer is to place his boule somewhere in front of the jack and reasonably close to the jack — but not too close. If the opposing team has an effective shooter, a first boule that is placed too close to the jack will be wasted. Its proximity to the jack will force the opposing shooter to shoot it immediately.

After the first boule, a player about to throw faces the classic petanque question: “To shoot or to point?” Factors that affect the decision include:

The general situation (e.g. is there an open avenue through which it would be easy to place a boule?).
How close to the jack the opposing team’s best boule is.
How many boules each team has yet to play.
How many boules your own team has yet to play.

Generally speaking, for example, it is bad strategy to try to shoot with your team’s last boule. If the opposing team has a boule that is kissing the jack, and your team is about to throw its last boule, you don’t want to try to shoot the opposing boule. The better strategy is to “limit the damage” by placing your team’s last boule so close to the jack that the opposing team is limited to winning only one point.

Throwing the jack

The team that throws the jack may throw it in any legal direction and to any legal distance.

Strategic considerations involved in the throw of the jack include:

Distance:

Observe the opposing team’s shooter and choose a distance at which he or she seems less comfortable.
If the opposing shooter seems to be able to shoot effective at both long and short distances, alternate long and short throws.
Consider the distance at which your own shooter is most comfortable. Often, the shooter on a team throws the jack, so he can place it at a distance at which he is comfortable shooting.

Direction:

Consider the abilities of the pointers on both teams. Aim for a location on the terrain that your own pointers favor, or that might be difficult for the opposing team’s pointers.
When playing against a left-handed pointer, try to exploit the fact that certain locations may be difficult to reach for left-handed pointers.
In a game that has gone back and forth over the same terrain, surprise changes — throwing the jack to a new position on the terrain — can throw off an opposing pointer.

Where to get the Pétanque set?

Pétanque playing set is available at the Café and/or at the reception.

Price:

4€ per whole set per hour

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