The World's Oldest Game

Since throwing balls towards a target is the oldest of human games, it was little surprise to me to discover the intense appeal of Bocce Ball throughout the wine country. It is the world’s oldest and one of the most widely played games, and along with the game comes people of all ages who come together to eat, drink, and enjoy each other’s company.

Every Thursday, Linzi and I join our bocce team in hopes that this might be the week that one ball might land us a victory. Since we have yet only won a single game, we won’t let our hopes get to high. And still every week there is something that our whole scoring-challenged team looks forward to. A night to throw aside our stress, share a picnic dinner with friends, and meet new people from around town.

Originating around 5000 B.C., the Egyptians played a form of Bocce Ball using polished stones, trying to get as close as possible to a target. Greece caught on to the game around 800 B.C., and the Romans learned the game from the Greece, quickly introducing it to the entire empire. In fact, the game’s name bocce is actually derived from the Latin word bottia, meaning boss.

Famous Bocce Ball players include Galileo and Da Vinci, Augustus, Queen Elizabeth, and Sir Francis Drake, to name just a few.

The Romans played the game similar to how we know it today, using bocce balls carved out of hard olive wood. As its popularity grew throughout Europe, it became the sport of the both the peasants and the nobility alike. At the turn of the century, Italian Immigrants brought bocce ball to the United States.

Bocce is traditionally played on an oyster shell court, but has also been played on decomposed granite, marble, soil, and asphalt courts that are approximately 60 feet by 8 feet.

The pallino is the small target ball that is tossed from one end and must land at least 5 feet beyond the center of the court. Each player throws his ball as close as possible to the target, with players from each team on either side throwing four shots each.

Once the first bowl has taken place, the other side has the opportunity to bowl. From then on, the side which does not have the ball closest to the pallino has a chance to bowl, up until one side or the other has used their four balls. At that point, the other side bowls its remaining bocce balls. The team with the closest bocce ball to the pallino is the only team that can score points in any frame.

The scoring team receives one point for each of their balls that is closer to the pallino than the closest ball of the other team. If a ball hits the end of the court, then it is disqualified. The winner of a game is the first to score 9-15 points in pairs, or 9-18 points in team competition.

For more information and complete rules, visit bocce.org. Visit your chamber of commerce to see bocce events and schedules in your area.

Written by Karen