Four people stand outside in front of bushes, one tosses a bocce ball.
← Go back

How to Bocce

Written by: POLYWOOD Staff

|

Published on

|

Last updated on

|

Time to read 1 min

We here at POLYWOOD are a competitive group. From golf leagues to ugly Christmas sweater contests, we enjoy competing with our coworkers in friendly competitions.

However, the most prestigious and fiercely contested competition here at our Syracuse, Indiana headquarters is the Annual Bocce Ball Tournament. Running through July and August, this round-robin style tournament has become the most well-known and talked-about event at POLYWOOD.

In This Article
The Equipment The Basics The Techniques

Our custom Bocce Ball Trophy is the most sought-after piece of hardware in all of POLYWOOD sports.

Bocce-Ball-Trophy-POLYWOOD-Blog

As we all begin our off-season bocce ball training regiments (in preparation for next year’s tournament), we thought we would share with everyone exactly how to play the game. That way, you too can get in on the bocce action with friends and family at your remaining backyard barbecues.

How-to-Bocce-Ball-Guys-POLYWOOD-Blog

The Equipment

If you have one available, an official set of bocce balls is great. Otherwise, you can use any type of ball so long as you have one small target ball and then two larger balls per player.

How-To-Bocce-Balls-POLYWOOD-Blog

The Basics

At the start of the match, the target ball is thrown. Players then alternate throwing their bocce balls, with the goal of getting their balls closest to the target ball.

Scoring

  • The player with his or her bocce closest to the target ball receives two points
  • The second closest player receives one point
Bocce-Ball-Scoring-1-POLYWOOD-Blog
  • If one player is both closest as well as second closest, they receive three points
Bocce-Ball-Scoring-1-POLYWOOD-Blog
  • If a player’s bocce is touching the target ball, they receive an extra point
  • The match continues until a player reaches 21 points

The Techniques

Now we know there are many ways to throw a bocce ball, but we’ve summed up some of the popular techniques seen in the POLYWOOD league:

1. The Roll

As fundamental as it gets. The roll favors the precision player who likes to get the "feel" of it.

The-Roll-Bocce-Ball-How-To-POLYWOOD-Blog

2. The Shot Put

Also known as the "skyscraper", this shot throws the ball high and takes out the roll factor.

The-Shot-Put-Bocce-Ball-How-To-POLYWOOD-Blog

3. The Chuck

When all else fails, chuck it. This shot requires little skill and a lot of luck. But when you throw a ball 20 yards and it lands three inches from the target, it feels pretty good.

The-Chuck-Bocce-Ball-How-To-POLYWOOD-Blog

That’s all there is to it! Now go out there and have some fun. And remember, bocce favors the bold!

← Go back