COURTS & RULES.

The Courts
The Bocce Ball courts at The Royal are half-courts (30' x 6'). Traditional and regulation courts are actually 60'-90' long and varying widths up to 13' wide. Bocce courts that are 91'x13' with side and back boards accomodate all styles of play including "Open Rules" and both internationally recognized disciplines.

The Basics

• Start the game: Toss the Pallino, if you hit the backboard the next team has a chance to put it into play
  
• The team that successfully tossed the Pallino throws a bocce, trying to get close to the Pallino
  
• Next team throws until they are closest to the Pallino or until they are out of bocce balls
• Once you are closest to the Pallino you become the "inside team" (vs. the "outside team")
• Only the inside team scores points, one point for each bocce closer to the Pallino than the other team/s
  
• Play to 12, the team who scored last throws the pallino to begin the next frame

Dead Balls

• If a bocce ball makes contact with the backboard it is considered a dead ball, out until the end of the frame
• If a thrown ball knocks another ball into the backboard, thrown ball remains in play, the other is dead
• If after hitting the backboard a dead ball strikes another ball in play, the ball should be returned to it's original position
  

Scoring

• Only the "inside" team scores. One point is given for each ball of the inside team that is closer to the pallino than any ball of an opposing team. If at the end of any frame the closest ball of each team is equidistant from the pallino, the frame ends in a tie and no points are awarded to either team. The game will resume with the same team tossing the pallino.
• The first team to score 12 or more points wins the game (winning by 2 pts).