In the days of Julius Caesar and the height of the Roman Empire, you would have found groups of people in the streets bowling small balls into a long court with a sand-and-shell floor. This popular game, bocce ball, was gradually spread by Italian immigrants around the world, and today, you can enjoy this ancient game in your own backyard.

Bocce Ball Sets

A bocce ball set comes with several sizes of bocce balls. The smallest, called the jack or a boccino, is tossed into the bocce ball circle at the beginning of the game. The larger balls, usually colored red and blue, are then bowled towards the jack; the balls that come closest score points for players or teams.

Because bocce ball equipment is easily completely transportable, these bocce ball sets can easily be housed in a corner of a game room when not in use. A bocce ball court is easily set up by marking out an area of lawn, though serious players may want to invest in the building of a rock-based court.

Bocce Ball Rules

Learning how to play bocce ball is a relatively simple endeavor. The game is played by two players or teams, and the balls are rolled in succession towards the jack. When all the balls have been bowled into the bocce ball court, the players look at the balls to determine which team has bowled closest to the jack. That team then gets one point for each ball within range of the jack before the other team’s closest ball. The first team to score 13 points wins the match.

While bocce ball is a game of skill, bocce ball rules promote elegance and skill in the game play. It’s a competitive sport, but the slower pace and negotiation of points after each frame give bocce ball a more refined feeling than other games. If you have your boss over for dinner or need to entertain clients, a game of bocce ball in your backyard is the perfect way to end the evening.

Even if you’ve never bowled a match of bocce ball, this fun and competitive game makes a great addition to a backyard game area. It, along with croquet, is one of the most popular backyard games of all time. With a bocce ball set and a marked-off bocce ball court, you’ll be playing this ancient game in no time.