Boule Lyonnaise

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Boule Lyonnaise being played in Lyon

Boule Lyonnaise ( 'Sport-boules' or 'Le jeu Lyonnais' ) is a popular French form of bowls, and may be the oldest of the French Boules sports.

In Italy, the sport Bocce, or Volo (English: flight), which is played with bronze boules, follows the same set of rules as Lyonnaise^[1].

History

The current version of the game developed during the 18th century around the area of Lyon (as its name suggests).

Then in 1906, the Fédération Lyonnaise et Régionale formed, which led to La Fédération Nationale des Boules in 1933 which then became the Fédération Française de Boules in 1942.

The Grounds and equipment

Under official rules, the ground must measure 27.5 m in length and between 2.5 m to 4 m in width, with a clear play area of 12.5 m and 7.5 m at each end (one end is the Landing zone, and the other is where the players stand and throw).

When the 'Jack' is thrown, it must land at least 12.5 m away from the player.

The boules vary in size, weight, and composition, usually to accommodate the player's comfort, but tend to made of bronze (with the jack being wooden) and are usually between 90 mm and 110 mm in diameter and weigh between 900 g and 1,200 g^[2] , however, they must be properly centrally balanced. Each player has 4 boules when playing as singles, or three boules per player in doubles play.

Rules

The basic rules are similar to the game of Pétanque Marseillaise, in that the aim is to throw your boules as close to the jack as possible, and keep them there.

References

External links

• BocceVolo.com - World Class Bocce
• Confederation Mondiale des Sports de Boules
• Fédération Internationale de Boules (FIB)

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