What is La pétanque in France?

Pétanque is a French (Provençal to be precise) outdoor game played by two opposing teams trying to throw boules (metallic spheres the size of an orange) as close as possible to a but (little wooden sphere the size of a plastic bottle cork, also called a cochonnet, meaning piglet).

Where is La pétanque played?

It is also widely played in neighboring Spain. There are about 375,000 players licensed with the Fédération Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal (FFPJP), some 3,000 in England, and 1,000 in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. Another 20,000 or so play in Quebec, Canada.

Is pétanque a French sport?

Pétanque: A French Game Commonly known as pétanque, the game of boules is considered one of the most popular sports among the French. The game is not far from British bowling and Italian pétanque (Bocce Ball). Petanque is played on a clay surface under plane trees, with a glass of pastis close by.

What is the sport La pétanque in English?

Pétanque is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports, along with Raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise and to some degree, lawn bowls and crown green bowling. All of these sports share something in common, in that players or teams play their boules/balls towards a smaller target ball.

What is the goal of petanque?

The main objective of the game is to throw small metal balls as close as possible to a wooden ball – known as cochonnet or jack – from the player’s fixed position in a circle. Petanque loosely translates to ‘feet together’ and refers to the player having both his legs together firmly on the ground while making a throw.

Where does petanque come from?

The current form of Petanque originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, France in what is now called the Jules Lenoir Boulodrome.

What is the origin of petanque?

Where is petanque most popular?

Pétanque may be culturally associated with France but the International Federation of Pétanque and Provençal Game estimates that the sport – which has around 10-12 million players worldwide in 160 countries – is in fact most popular in Asia.

What is difference between boules and petanque?

“Petanque” and “boules” are two different names for the same game. In French, the word “boule” means “ball” and in France people often refer to the game simply as boules (pronounced BOOL). Outside of France the game is usually referred to as “petanque” (pronounced pay-TONK).

What is the goal of pétanque?

How long does a game of petanque last?

A round typically takes about 5 minutes, so they can reliably predict that a SNOR game of 6 or 7 rounds will take 30-35 minutes. A family can arrive at 2pm, play three games, chat with friends, and be confident that they will be able to leave around 4pm.