Introduction
These pages discuss a form of Petanque becoming very popular in the US. It may be popular elsewhere but I speak only from experience.
"Social Petanque on a Bounded Court" differs to some extent from the formal international game originated in France with it's very strict rules. It maintains the element of strategy found in the formal international game but is played such that all persons have fun!
Petanque is well suited as a game all can enjoy. Strength, height and age make little difference. Teams can be formed such that they are well balanced and all can enjoy. We were first introduced to this form of Petanque at Cypress Cove Resort. This is a fantastic family oriented resort and all players of any age or skill level are invited to play each and every morning!
The most distinct characteristic of the game described here is the playing surface. It is bounded by timber, has fixed positions to through from and fixed markers to speed measurement of the initial toss of the cochonnet (or jack). These elements speed play and avoid interference problems when several games are ongoing at the same time. For example, Cypress Cove Resort has 6 courts that are often busy, traditional "open area" rules would lead to gross interference between ongoing games.
The courts at Sun Ridge Resort
Given that I am in the U. S. I am using feet and inches as units of measurement. Lumber comes that way here and so do tape rules. However, the dimensions are very close to those used in international play. International rules use different distances for different skill levels. The dimensions used here are fixed.
This is a new site, please send links, suggestions, comments, photos, vendor information or any other useful information to petanque--web@gogood.com