Useful Rules & Tactics


Useful Rules To Remember

1) Throwing The Coche
A team has three attempts to throw a legal coche i.e between 6 and 10 metres (a legal coche may not be re-thrown). If they fail then the opposition also has three attempts but they may move the circle back if the full 10 metres is not throwable. Should they also fail the first team tries again but only from the second circle.
TIP - A good way to throw the coche is to hold it between the index and third fingers with the middle finger over the top. It can now be thrown like a boule, with backspin to control it. Very often if you then follow it with your boule you will find that you're more accurate. Try it.

2) First Boule
The first boule counts even if it goes out of bounds and it is then for the opposition to play their first boule.

3) No Boule Nearest The Coche
If at any time in the match it is impossible to decide which boule is nearest to the coche the team who last played must throw again and the teams then play alternately until a boule is definitely holding the point. If there are no boules left the end is considered to be dead.

4) The Boule In Hand Rule / Dead End
If the coche is deemed dead ie. leaves the piste or crosses a dead boule line this rule comes into play and the following applies:

- if BOTH teams have boules to play or BOTH teams have no boules to play then the end is deemed dead and is replayed from the original circle<
BUT
- if ONLY ONE team still has boules to play then that team scores one point for each unplayed boule.

This means that if your opponents have boules to play you should never risk killing the game with your last boule. A defensive point is usually the only real option.

5) Throwing The Wrong Boule
The player who plays a boule other than his own receives a warning. The boule played is nevertheless valid but it must immediately be replaced, possibly after measuring has been done. In the event of it occurring again during the game, the guilty player's boule is disqualified and anything it displaced is put back in place.

6) The One Minute Rule
A player has one minute to play his shot, counted from when the last boule stopped moving or from when the last measurement was made.
Within this period he is allowed to inspect the piste and he can fill in the hole of the last boule played.



Tactics

1) Short Rather Than Long?
Although a boule placed behind the coche could be in a position to receive the coche if moved it can also stop your opponents' boule and therefore leave it nearer. A straightish boule in front of the coche is of more value as it can create an obstruction which forces the opponents to produce a shot and could also be promoted if struck.
A comment from the web is "a first boule 1.2 metres in front is better than one 0.5 metres behind".

2) Protect Your Rear
Your opponent has the point, and all of your boules are near the coche. You have only one boule left to play while your opponent has 3 or more, so you must defend against the possibility that your opponent will shoot the coche past your boules and then easily point to it with their remaining boules. Throw your last boule so it lands well beyond the coche. Your opponent will not wish to risk shooting the coche and possibly moving it closer to your further boule giving you the point.