Bocce Definition: 1860,  boc·cie  or  boc·ci  or  boc·ce  \'bä-chē\, noun,  Italian bocce, plural of boccia ball, from Vulgar Latin *bottia boss; 1. game of Italian origin similar to lawn bowling played on a long narrow usually dirt court; 2. is a precision sport closely related to bowls and petanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire.

     Developed into its present form in Italy, it is played around Europe and also in overseas countries that have received Italian migrants, including the United States, Canada and Australia, initially amongst the migrants themselves but slowly becoming more popular with their descendants and the wider community.

Unlike bowls, bocce is played on dirt courts of approximately 20 to 30 meters in length and approximately 2.5 to 4 meters wide, and has wooden boards surrounding the court.  Bocce bowls are made of brass, and unlike lawn bowls they are spherical and have no inbuilt bias (they will roll a straight course). Bocce courts are also equipped with surrounding wooden boards of approximately 15 centimeters in height.  Like bowls, a game can be contested between two players, or two teams of two or four.

     Bocce was first documented in a 5200 B.C. painting of two boys paying, which was discovered by an English scientist, Sir Francis Petrial, in an Egyptian tomb.        Bocce spread throughout Palestine and into Asia Minor. In 600 B.C., Bocce was picked up by the Greeks and passed to the Romans. It was played everywhere, from the churches and castles to the city streets. People from all walks of life could play the game; young or old, man or woman.
     In 1319 A.D., Bocce was actually prohibited to people of lesser nobility because it was felt that it diverted attention from more important tasks, such as archery and war training. In 1519, Bocce became a public game. It was played in Flanders, Holland and Belgium.

     Greek colonists brought Bocce with them to what is now modern Italy. It became so popular that it was once again threatened with prohibition, as people who were playing Bocce in the streets were hitting the knees of passing noblemen with the Bocce balls.  Although unfortunate for the humbler people who played Bocce, this problem brought widespread attention to the sport among Italian noblemen and Bocce immediately became a favorite pastime.

Popularized by ITALY
     It was Giussepi Garibaldi, who, while unifying and nationalizing Italy, popularized the sport as it is known today. Bocce frequently lost and gained popularity throughout the ages.  In 1896, during a resurgence of popularity, the first Bocce Olympiad was held in Athens, Greece.  Bocce has been a part of international sports ever since.

Pied Tanque - 1910FRENCH GAMES - petanque and jeu provençal - The Petanque history
Petanque is the latest branch on the enormous tree of jeu de boules. Probably created in 1907 or 1910 in La Ciotat by Jules le Noir (there are several versions of the birth of petanque, but the version of Jules le Noir is the most probable one). The ancestor of petanque was the game jeu provençal.

    Ernest Pitiot organised, some weeks after the birth of the new game, the first tournament and founded in 1945 the French Petanque Federation Fédération Française de Petanque et Jeu Provençal (FFPJP).  These days the FFPJP counts more than 450.000 members and worldwide there are more than 600.000 licensed petanque players. Andre Massoni the Shooter     Petanque is by far the most practiced game of bowls on earth, undoubtedly because of the simplicity of its rules.  The playing distance between the circle and the jack is between 15 and 20 m.  While shooting, the shooter has to make three steps and the pointer has to leave the circle and balance on one foot while pointing. In order to hit in a regular way, the shooter has to hit at a maximum distance of 1 m before the object.

    Bocce has seen many changes throughout the ages. It has evolved from being a crude sport played with rounded rocks, or even coconuts, to the modern game with composite or metal balls.  Bocce can be played upon any level surface by anyone who is willing to try.  It is a game for all ages, gender and athletic ability. It is a very versatile game in which the rules may be changed according to the players.  Play may range from a nearly nonexistent set of rules to the strictest of tournament rules.

    The popularity of  USA Bocce  has been on the rise since it swept California in 1989.  Bocce has also become a tournament sport.  Tournaments are held weekly, some carrying large cash awards for their winners.  Bocce is now a part of the World Corporate Games, Special Olympics Bocce is an event in the Special Olympics, and is being proposed to be in the Olympics.

   Within North America, vast majority of bocce enthusiasts enjoy bocce as a recreational game; therefore we invite you to take Bocce Tournament on a cruise a look at The First Annual USBF Bocce-At-Sea Charity Tournament on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise sailing February 21, 2010.