One end, one tap.
Tap the number of points on the color that won the end. Try it!
- 13 points to win
- 1 to 6 points per end
- Dead end: nobody scores
- Pick petanque, and name the two teams.
- After each end, tap the number of points on the color that won it.
- At 13, the game ends. The referee calls every end out loud.
The rules, in short.
What the International Federation’s rules say, and nothing more.
- 13
To win
A game is played to 13 points. Pool and qualifying games may be played to 11; some competitions have a time limit.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 5 - 1 to 6
An end
Only one team scores: one point for each boule closer to the jack than the opponents’ best boule. Up to 6 points in triples and doubles, 3 in singles.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 1 and 29 - 0
The dead end
Boules at equal distance and nobody has a boule left, or the jack goes out while both teams still have boules: nobody scores, and the jack goes back to the team that scored the previous end.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 14 and 29 - Jack
Who throws it
A coin toss decides which team throws the jack first. After that, it’s the team that won the end. One attempt only: if it misses, the opponent places it.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 6 - Who plays
The order
The team that threw the jack plays the first boule. After that, the team that doesn’t hold the point always plays.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 16 - 3, 2, 1
The formats
In triples, two boules per player. In doubles and singles, three. So each team has six boules, or three in singles.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 1
Or leave your phone in your pocket.
One press per scoring boule, on your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds: ⏮ for pink, ⏭ for yellow. A short pause, and the end is scored; ⏯ undoes it.
The questions people ask.
How many points do you need to win at petanque?
Thirteen. The rules allow pool and qualifying games to be played to 11 points, and some competitions have a time limit.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 5How many points can you score in one end?
From 1 to 6 in triples and doubles, from 1 to 3 in singles: one point for each boule closer than the opponents’ best boule.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 1 and 29What happens when an end is dead?
Nobody scores. The jack goes back to the team that scored the previous end, or to the team that won the coin toss.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 14Who throws the jack?
At the start, the team chosen by the coin toss; after that, the team that scored the last end. It gets one attempt: if it misses, the opponent places the jack.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 6What is a “Fanny”?
Losing 13 to 0. It’s a players’ tradition, with no standing in the rules.
Do you need a two-point lead to win?
No. A game is played to 13 points, and the rules ask for no lead: at 13 to 12, it is over.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 5What happens if the jack goes dead?
If both teams still have boules, or neither does, the end is void. If only one team still has boules, it scores one point for each boule it has left to play.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 14Who measures the point?
The player who played last, or one of their teammates. The opponents may always measure after them. A player who moves the jack or a disputed boule while measuring loses the point for their team.
FIPJP, official rules, 2020 revision (in French), art. 26 and 28