BOCCE LEAGUE GUIDELINES

Welcome to Grand Harbor Bocce! All club members are welcome to play in the bocce league. We have created league guidelines to help you better understand the rules on playing bocce. In some cases, our rules may differ from that of the Bocce Standards Association. Please familiarize yourself with the terminology used when playing bocce along with the rules for participating in a game. If you have any questions regarding the Grand Harbor Bocce League Guidelines, please direct them to the Bocce Committee.

MOST IMPORTANTLY - HAVE FUN! 

 TERMINOLOGY

Pallino           One small white ball

Bocce balls   Eight large colored balls - four green and four red

Giro (frame) Scoring after both teams throw their four balls

Game             First team to score 10 points wins a game

Match           Two games

Team             Four players and alternates from team roster

Foot Fault     Person throwing the pallino or bocce ball crosses the second white fault line

Initial Pallino Throw  The pallino is “seated in play” when the initial throw comes to rest completely past the center white line and does not completely cross the last white line.

Pallino (during Giro)  The pallino is in play anywhere on the court after it is “seated in play.” If a bocce ball moves the pallino it is still in play, even if it crosses the last white line.

Bocce is “IN”     The closest bocce ball to the pallino is declared to be “in.” Then, the opposing team is up and attempts to get their bocce ball closer to the pallino.

PLAYING THE GAME

1.     The sport is played with one small ball (pallino) and eight larger balls (bocce balls) – four for each team.

2.     Teams will consist of four to twelve registered players. More than four players on a team will ensure the team will have at least four players available for every match. Teams may replace players with other players from their team at the end of the first game. [Note: Each player must be an active Grand Harbor Club member and cannot be on more than one team.] 

3.     In each Giro (scoring period), only one team may score points.

4.     A team receives one point for each ball that is closer to the pallino than the opponent’s closest ball. After all balls are thrown, if each team’s closest bocce ball is equal distance from the pallino, neither team receives any points.

5.     For the first game in the match the “Home” team will throw the pallino first as well as choose the color bocce balls, they want to use. 

6.     Two players from each team will be located at each end of the court. They may play the entire match from the end where they started, or they can switch ends at the conclusion of the first game.

7.      Each player rolls two bocce balls in any order. Team members can rotate the throws or throw both balls in their turn. No overhand throws that resemble a baseball pitcher.

8.     To start the match, the home team has the honor and selects a player on their team to throw the pallino and first bocce ball.

9.     The throwing player must have both feet inside the court walls. A player may not cross the second white fault line with any part of their foot during the throwing of the pallino or bocce ball. A foot fault occurs when a player’s foot crosses the second white fault line during a throw. The first foot fault results in a warning to the player. A subsequent foot fault by the same player negates the throw and the other team rolls the pallino. The bocce ball thrown by the faulting player is removed from the court and any bocce ball or pallino moved by that throw is returned to its previous position.

10. If a player throws a ball out of turn, that ball is removed from play. It cannot be replayed. Moreover, if a player throws the wrong color bocce ball, the ball is removed from play and returned to the correct team. The offending team forfeits (takes out of play) one bocce ball from their remaining pool of bocce balls. In either instance, any bocce ball and/or pallino moved by that throw, is returned as close as possible to its previous position. 

11. To be “seated in play,” the pallino when thrown must completely cross the center white line but not cross the last white line. If the pallino is touching the last white line, it is in play. If the pallino is not seated in play, the player loses their turn, and the other team rolls the pallino. Once the pallino is seated in play, it remains in play regardless of any subsequent location it is moved to on the court (e.g. If the pallino is knocked by the bocce ball across the last white line, it remains in play.)

12. With the pallino seated in play, the team that threw it rolls their first bocce ball. That ball is then deemed closest to the pallino or “in” and the other team now throws their first bocce ball. If their bocce ball is closer than their opponent’s ball, their ball is “in”, and play reverts to the opposing team. If that team’s bocce ball is not closer than the first ball rolled, they continue to throw until they get one closer than the opponent’s ball or until they have rolled all four of their balls. If two opposing bocce balls are of equal distance from the pallino, the last team to roll continues to roll until they get a ball closer or they have rolled all four bocce balls.

13. At the end of the Giro (all eight bocce balls are thrown), points earned are posted on the scoreboard. Each bocce ball closer to the pallino than the other team’s bocce ball earns one point (max four points). If the opposing team balls are too close to call, only the team captains or the captain’s appointee will determine which team is closest to the pallino. If the team captain or appointee’s ball is in question, another team member conducts the measurement. Only the measuring tapes provided by the league, should be used. Measure distance top to top only. If the 2 closest balls of opponents are of equal distance to pallino, then no score for that round. Whichever team was first to throw on non-scored round continues throwing for next. If 2 opponent’s balls are both touching pallino, the team which threw the last ball throws again.

14. For each succeeding Giro (frame) and after the first frame, the team that scored points shall throw the pallino and first bocce ball. Team members rotate rolling the pallino.  If there are no points scored after a Giro, the team that threw the pallino last continues to go first.

15. Play continues until one team at the end of a Giro reaches ten points. That team will be considered the winner. If it is the first game, the second game will be played with the winning team going first.

16. Teams will play two games per match. Each game will be played to ten points. The winning team of each game will receive one point (max two points per match).

17. REPORTING FINAL SCORES

The team winning the 2^nd game is responsible for reporting the scores by logging in to the TeamLinkt website (http://bocce.grandharbor.com) AFTER 5:15 P.M.

Please post scores within 24 hours from the end of match play. Any scoring discrepancies should immediately be brought to the attention of the Mike Carson, 772-778-9100, MCarson@grandharbor.com

NOTES

HOME TEAM

Teamlinkt shows two games/day with opposite team order… it’s a little confusing.

The "home" team is the first team displayed in the first game of the day and enjoys the privilege of throwing the pallino for that game.

The winner of the first game gains the right to throw the pallino in the second game, regardless of the order listed in the schedule.

COURT GROOMING

Court grooming is allowed before or in between games, but never during.

MEASURING

Only by Captains or 1 designee per team (no more than 1 person per team allowed to measure on court at one time). Distances are only measured from top of ball to top of ball.

MOVED BALL

If someone moves a bocce ball before a frame is completed, that bocce ball is returned to its previous position and play continues.

ONLY 3 PLAYERS

If a team can only provide three players, it may compete by having the three-person team rotate players so that they have two players for each Giro. No one player throws more than two balls in a Giro. Once the Giro is over, a member of the three-person team will join the single teammate on the other side of the court and play in the next Giro. The three-person team continues to rotate the players. If a team cannot field at least three players, they must forfeit. A fourth team member may join the 3 after the game has started.

DELAYS/SUSPENTIONS/CANCELLATIONS DUE TO WEATHER

If a match is delayed, stopped, or cancelled due to weather, a make-up match should be scheduled by the captains and should be played at the earliest convenience, preferably before the next scheduled match, and at latest within 2 weeks.

SCHEDULE CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER CLUB EVENT

If Bocce teams experience a schedule conflict with a bocce match and another club event, such as the GH Cup, the team captains can schedule a make-up as if it was a rain out. 

Teams must let the other team know ahead of time, and the match must be made up within a reasonable amount of time, preferably earlier than scheduled match, before their next match, and at latest within 2 weeks.

MAKE UPS WHEN ORIGINAL GAME PLAYERS NOT AVAILABLE

If a match is suspended due to weather, and the match continue date is agreed upon, but a player or players of suspended game cannot play the rescheduled game, substitutes of valid team members can be made if agreed upon by both opposing team Captains.

LATENESS AND DEFAULTS

A match will be considered a default if a team does not arrive within 10 minutes of their scheduled time. If a team fails to show up at the scheduled time or an agreed-upon makeup time, the opposing team automatically wins by default. In this case, the winning team earns 10 points for each game, while the defaulting team receives 5 points for each game. Additionally, if a team defaults during an ongoing game, the winning team will receive 10 points, and the defaulting team will be awarded the score that was recorded at the time of the default.