Welcome to VOMPC

Pétanque is a fun game that brings together people of all ages and both sexes. It is played with metal balls (boules in French, bocce in Italian).  Playing with balls started during the Roman conquest of Gaule. The balls were made out of clay, then wood, and finally steel. The first official club was in the "Clos Jouve" in Lyon around 1850. The Pétanque derivative was created by Jules Lenoir in La Ciotat, near Marseilles, France in 1907. Jules, who suffered from rheumatisms, drew a circle and played with "pé tanca", which means feet anchored to the ground in the occitan language. Petanque now has over 10 million players worldwide in 160 countries; over 2000 players are licensed in the USA.

VOMPC

June 2025

Curated by Ted Rickets

Responses to your pétanque rule questions are sourced from umpire information provided by a

combination of USA national umpires and European Confederation of Pétanque international umpires.

I’m trying to be as careful as I can to provide the most current and correct rule information available.

Here are today’s questions and answers for your consideration:

Question 1: I understand the circle must be marked. When is a player allowed to clean an “old” circle

marking?

Answer 1: Article 6 of the offical rules says “The team that is going to throw the jack must erase all

throwing circles near the one it is going to use.” The best habit would be to erase the previously drawn

circle, or markings of the circle, at the conclusion of every end. If, however, there are multiple drawn

circles remaining on the terrain I would recommend erasing those only between ends of play.

Question 2: What are the rules regarding “cleaning or filling” a hole on the terrain left by a previously

thrown boule?

Answer 2: It is forbidden to “press down, crush, or displace” anything on the terrain. It is not allowed to

sweep a landing area prior to throwing. It is allowed to gently “fill in” one hole (or divot) made

previously on the terrain each 0me a player plays, including a landing area or in front of a boule to be

shot. It is not allowed to sweep in front of a boule to be shot.

Please send any rule questions to Ted RickeTs at tedricketts@sbcglobal.net and I’ll try to include those

questions in the next installment of The Umpires Corner…

Thank you and see you at the courts!

VOMPC

July 2025

Curated by Ted Ricket's

VOMPC Club Umpire

Responses to your pétanque rule questions are sourced from umpire information provided by a

combination of USA national umpires and European Confederation of Pétanque International umpires.

I’m trying to be as careful as I can to provide the most current and correct rule information available.

Here is today’s question and answer for your consideration:

Question 1: I have heard claims on our courts that when a team agreed that the opponent had the

point and then threw, it conceded the point and could not then claim it by measurement. For instance,

Team A plays their first boule and comes to a stop approximately 30cm from the jack and then team B

throws their first boule and stops a similar distance from the jack. At this point team B, without

measuring, agrees team A has the point and plays their second ball. Play then progresses until both

teams have played all of their boules without any change in the position of the first two thrown boules.

At this point team B decides to measure. Can they claim the point if their boule proves to be closer

than the closest team A boule?

Answer 1: Mike Pegg, a well-known International umpire based in the UK, says “The simple answer is it

doesn’t matter what was agreed earlier; only the measurements taken at the completion of the end

determine who wins the points.” It is for this reason I always recommend measuring the point if there

is any doubt about who holds the point.

Please send any rule questions to Ted RickeUs at tedricketts@sbcglobal.net and I’ll try to include those

questions in the next installment of The Umpires Corner…

Thank you and see you at the courts!

V O M P C

The Umpire's Corner ...

August 2025

Curated by Ted Ricketts - VOMPC Club Umpire

Responses to your pétanque rule questions are sourced from umpire information provided by a

combination of USA national umpires and European Confederation of Pétanque international umpires.

I'm trying to be as careful as I can to provide the most current and correct rule information available.

Here is today's question and answer for your consideration:

Question 1: Why aren't umpires calling foot faults that are obvious to all onlookers? Will we ever see

actual yellow cards or red cards in regional play?

Answer 1: I certainly expect we will see more yellow cards, and perhaps even red cards issued during

upcoming tournament play. I talked with multiple umpires about this question and each of them said

they had issued warnings regarding foot faults, and a few had issued yellow cards. All of the umpires I

spoke with said that foot faults usually stopped after a warning had been delivered so it didn't become

necessary to issue a yellow card. It should be noted that an umpire warning about foot faults is not

required before issuing a yellow card; the rules are very clear regarding foot faults and a yellow card

can be issued without any prior warning.

Here's the official rule regarding foot faults for your reference: "The player's feet must be entirely on

the inside of the circle and not encroach on its perimeter and they must not leave it or be lifted

completely off the ground until the thrown boule has touched the ground. No part of the body may

touch the ground outside the circle." This rule applies to pointing and shooting.

My recommendation is that umpires include a foot fault warning in their pre-tournament a n n o u n c e m e n t s .

Please send any rule questions to Ted Ricketts at tedricketts@sbcglobal.net and I'll try to include those

questions in the next installment of The Umpires Corner...

Thank you and see you at the courts!

VOMPC

September 2025 CLARIFICATION

Curated by Ted Rickets

VOMPC Club Umpire

Responses to your pétanque rule questions are sourced from umpire information provided by a

combination of USA national umpires and European Confederation of Pétanque international umpires.

I’m trying to be as careful as I can to provide the most current and correct rule information available.

After receiving several questions last night regarding this question, it seems apparent that my answer

below requires a more detailed explanation. Hope this helps!

Here is today’s question and answer for your consideration:

Question 1: Last month we were playing in a timed game. All timed games in this tournament were

sixty minutes plus one extra end. With no more boules to play and while we were measuring for the

final point count the tournament director announced “finish this end and then play one more”. Do we

have one or two more ends to play?

Answer 1: Because an end is over when the final boule to be played stops (see article 33 of the rules),

you will finish the new end that had already started before you began measuring and then play an

additional end after that.

CLARIFICATION: The end is over when the final played boule stops, therefore, in the scenario above the

next end had already started when the tournament director announced “finish this end and then play

one more”. You would now go on to finish that end and then continue to play one more end after that.

So, the answer to the question above would be you play two more ends. However, if the “finish this end

and then play one more” announcement was made before the last boule played stopped, you would

then only play one more end because the current end wasn’t over before the announcement was

made. By the way, measuring for the final point count isn’t considered when determining when the end

is over . The one-minute time limit for throwing out the jack for the following end begins after the final

point count has been agreed.

Please send any rule questions to Ted Rickett's at tedricketts@sbcglobal.net and I’ll try to include those

questions in the next installment of The Umpires Corner…Thank you and see you at the courts!

March 2026

Curated by Ted Rickets

VOMPC Club Umpire

Responses to your pétanque rule ques0ons are sourced from umpire information provided by a

combination of USA na0onal umpires and European Confederation of Pétanque international umpires.

I’m trying to be as careful as I can to provide the most current and correct rule information available.

Now that we are starting up the 2026 tournament season, I thought it might be a good idea to review a

few important rules and a few relatively new FPUSA interpretations of the rules.

MARK THE CIRCLE AND THE JACK

Be sure to mark the circle and the jack. The team throwing out the jack initially should first mark the

circle, and then mark the jack. If the jack isn’t thrown to a valid position, the opposing team would then

place the jack and should mark the jack in its new loca0on. If the opposing team wishes to legally

adjust the location of the circle, the new location of the circle should be marked by the opposing team

first and then they would also mark the jack once it is placed. If the jack is moved during the game, the

team that moved the jack is responsible for marking the jack in its new position. While it is true either

team may mark the jack or circle, it is important to note that if the circle or jack aren’t marked it is the

team actually responsible for marking them that could be sanctioned. FYI, at the beginning of a game

there is no rule that says you must place the circle near one end line or the other, nor the middle of the

width of the court. As long as you place the circle in a legal position you’re good to go!

PLACEMENT OF THE CIRCLE

At the beginning of a new end the circle will always be placed around the mark indica0ng the last

posi0on of the jack. There are some exceptions to this, but only under certain conditions: 1. The circle

must be a minimum of 1 meter from any obstacle and 1.5 meters from another circle or jack in use (an

obstacle is a tree, wall, scoreboard, etc. that might restrict a player's throwing motion), 2. If the game

was not timed and the jack was legally moved to another valid posi0on in an adjacent lane, the end

would continue. At the conclusion of that end, the circle would then be positioned back in the assigned

lane at the nearest point to the jack's last position., and 3. If the throwing of the jack cannot be made

to all regulation distances (between 6 and 10 meters), then the team that is to throw the jack has the

optoon to move the circle back in line with the previous end's play, but one may not move the circle anyfurther than necessary to allow throwing to all valid distances. If the circle is to be moved, move it

before throwing the jack. If the jack has not been thrown to a valid distance, the opposing team will

place the jack in a valid position on the terrain. They may also move the circle back, in accordance with

the conditions defined in the rules, if the first team's positioning of the circle did not allow the jack to

be thrown the maximum distance. If the circle is to be moved, move it before placing the jack in a valid

position.

PLACEMENT OF THE JACK

For the thrown jack to be valid the nearest part of the jack must be at least six meters and no more

than ten meters from the interior edge of the circle. During timed games the jack usually must be at

least fi[y centimeters from the end and side lines (this would often be discussed during the

tournament opening announcements). During untimed games no minimum distance from the side line

is required whether the jack is thrown or placed. The new interpretation of this is that the entire jack

must be inside the side line (no part of the jack may cross the side line).

FILLING A HOLE OR DIVOT

It is forbidden to “press down, crush, or displace” anything on the terrain. It is not allowed to sweep a

landing area prior to throwing. It is allowed to gently “fill in” one hole (or divot) made previously on the

terrain each time a player plays, including a landing area or in front of a boule to be shot. It is not

allowed to sweep in front of a boule to be shot.

FOOT FAULTS

“The players’ feet must be entirely on the inside of the circle and not encroach on its perimeter and

they must not leave it or be lifted completely off the ground until the thrown boule has touched the

ground. No part of the body may touch the ground outside the circle.” A new interpretation of this rule

is that no part of the foot, whether flat on the ground or hovering above the ground, may break the

plane of a cylinder rising from the inside edge of the circle.

Please send any rule questions to Ted Ricke_s at tedricke_s@sbcglobal.net and I’ll try to include those

questions in the next installment of The Umpires Corner… Thank you and see you at the courts!

VOMPC

October 2026

Curated by Ted Ricketts

VOMPC Club Umpire

Responses to your pétanque rule questions are sourced from umpire information provided by a combination of USA national umpires and European Confederation of Pétanque international umpires. I’m trying to be as careful as I can to provide the most current and correct rule information available. 

As we come to the close of our 2026 tournament season, I thought it might be a good idea to review a few rules we deal with on a day-to-day basis and a few relatively new FPUSA interpretations of those rules.  

MARK THE CIRCLE AND THE JACK

Be sure to mark the circle and the jack. The team throwing out the jack initially should first mark the circle, and then mark the jack. If the jack isn’t thrown to a valid position, the opposing team would then place the jack and should mark the jack in its new location.  If the opposing team wishes to legally adjust the location of the circle, the new location of the circle should be marked by the opposing team first and then they would also mark the jack once it is placed. If the jack is moved during the game, the team that moved the jack is responsible for marking the jack in its new position. While it is true either team may mark the jack or circle, it is important to note that if the circle or jack aren’t marked it is the team actually responsible for marking them that could be sanctioned.  FYI, at the beginning of a game there is no rule that says you must place the circle near one end line or the other, nor the middle of the width of the court. As long as you place the circle in a legal position, you’re good to go! 

PLACEMENT OF THE CIRCLE

At the beginning of a new end the circle will always be placed around the mark indicating the last position of the jack. There are some exceptions to this, but only under certain conditions: 1. The circle must be a minimum of 1 meter from any obstacle and 1.5 meters from another circle or jack in use (an obstacle is a tree, wall, scoreboard, etc. that might restrict a player's throwing motion), 2. If the game was not timed and the jack was legally moved to another valid position in an adjacent lane, the end would continue. At the conclusion of that end, the circle would then be positioned back in the assigned lane at the nearest point to the jack's last position., and 3. If the throwing of the jack cannot be made to all regulation distances (between 6 and 10 meters), then the team that is to throw the jack has the option to move the circle back in line with the previous end's play, but one may not move the circle any further than necessary to allow throwing to all valid distances. If the circle is to be moved, move it before throwing the jack. If the jack has not been thrown to a valid distance, the opposing team will place the jack in a valid position on the terrain. They may also move the circle back, in accordance with the conditions defined in the rules, if the first team's positioning of the circle did not allow the jack to be thrown the maximum distance. If the circle is to be moved, move it before placing the jack in a valid position and remember the circle may not be moved forward at any time.

PLACEMENT OF THE JACK

For the thrown jack to be valid the nearest part of the jack must be at least six meters and no more than ten meters from the interior edge of the circle. During untimed and timed games no minimum distance from the side line is required whether the jack is thrown or placed. The relatively new interpretation of this is that the entire jack must be inside the side line (no part of the jack may cross the side line). 

FILLING A HOLE OR DIVOT

It is forbidden to “press down, crush, or displace” anything on the terrain. It is not allowed to sweep a landing area prior to throwing. It is allowed to gently “fill in” one hole (or divot) made previously on the terrain each time a player plays, including a landing area or in front of a boule to be shot. It is especially not allowed to sweep in front of a boule to be shot. And to be clear, the player preparing to fix a divot may choose any previously made divot on the terrain and is not limited to the most recently made divot.

FOOT FAULTS

“The players’ feet must be entirely on the inside of the circle and not encroach on its perimeter and they must not leave it or be lifted completely off the ground until the thrown boule has touched the ground. No part of the body may touch the ground outside the circle.” A relatively new interpretation of this rule is that no part of the foot, whether flat on the ground or hovering above the ground, may break the plane of a cylinder rising from the inside edge of the circle.

Please send any rule questions to Ted Ricketts at tedricketts@sbcglobal.net and I’ll try to include those questions in the next installment of The Umpires Corner… Thank you and see you at the courts!