rules to play bocce ball

The match shall begin with the flip of a coin between the capos (captains) from each team. The winner of the coin flip may have the first toss of the pallino or choose the color of the balls.
A player may toss the pallino any distance so long as the pallino passes the center line of the court and does not hit the back wall. If a player fails to validly toss the pallino after one attempt, the opposing team will have a chance to toss the pallino and put it in play. If the opposing team fails to toss the pallino past the center line the pallino reverts to the original team. In any case, when the pallino has been properly put in play, the first bocce ball will be thrown by the team who orginally tossed the pallino.

Should a players bocce ball make contact with the back board the bocce ball is considered a dead ball on impact and is removed from play until the end of the frame.
A) If the thrown ball comes to rest on the pallino or another ball that is touching the back wall, that thrown ball remains in play. The ball touching the back wall is removed from play. If the pallino is touching the back wall it remains in play.
B) If a bocce after hitting the backboard strikes a stationary bocce, that stationary bocce shall be replaced in its original position. The thrown ball is removed from play.
C) If a bocce hitting the backboard is not removed quickly enough and, as a result, strikes a moving ball that likely would have hit the backboard, allowing the moving ball to remain in play, that moving ball remains in play where it comes to rest.

Once the pallino has been validly put into play, it remains in play even if it hits the backboard. However, if the pallino is knocked out of the court or it is knocked in the front of the center line, the frame will end, no points are awarded, and the game will resume from the opposite end of the court with the same team tossing the pallino.

Players movements are limited to the foul line. The player may step on, but should not step overthe foul line before releasing the pallino or bocce ball. If the intent of the foot foul rule is abused, the offending player may be removed from the game by a director of the Martinez Bocce Federation. When a player releases the pallino or bocce, both feet must be on the court unless the player has a significant plysical impairment.

Shooting is lofting the ball in the air beyond the center of the court. Shooting is allowed if the thrown ball hits the ground before hitting the ball. If the thrown ball does not hit the ground first, everything goes back to its approximate original position. The thrown ball is out of play.

The teams playing will referee their own game. Any dispute which cannot be resolved by the team capos shall be decided by one member of the Martinez Bocce Federation Board of Directors agreed to by both capos. Upon his her decision the game shall continue. Reviews of any disputes will be handled in a fair and speedy manner.

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 the 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 from the opposite end of the court with the same team tossing the pallino. Capos of each team are responsible for keeping the score sheet and for reporting the results of the match. The team who scores 12 points wins the game.

All measurements should be made from the inside dimensions of the bocce ball to the inside dimension of the pallino. Only an official and one representative from each team may be present for the measurement.If both teams agree on which team has the point(s) and it is later determined that a mistake has been made, all balls played are valid. If both teams have balls remaining, the team that does not have the closest ball to the pallino rolls again. If all balls have been played, points are awarded based on the balls that are actually closest to the pallino in accourd with the Scoring rule.

A protest will be considered valid only if the opposing capo is notified at the time of the dispute (before the next frame begins) and the game is officially recognized as being played under protest. All protests must be submitted in writing to the Martinez Bocce Federation within 72 hours of the disputed game. Their decision will be final. A $5.00 fee must accompany all written protests. The fee will be returned if the protest is valid.

If a team forfeits any three matches, they will be dropped from league play and the team capo will be notified by mail. All games previously played will be null and void.