The game is played by 2 teams of 1-3 players.  In singles and doubles a player plays with 3 boules while in triples a player plays with 2 boules.

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Step 1. Toss a coin to choose which team will start.  A player on this team chooses the starting point by drawing a circle of about 20 inches of diameter.  This player tosses the target ball between 18 and 30 feet away.  The thrower’s feet must stay inside the circle until the target ball has reached the ground. (Petanque actually means feet together)

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Step 2. Any player from this team then throws the first boule, trying to place it as close as possible to the target ball.  A player from the second team comes into the circle and tries to throw a boule even closer to the target ball, or knocks away the first team’s leading boule (The boule nearest to the target ball is leading).

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Step 3. It’s up to the team not leading to throw until they get a leading boule, then it is up to the other team.   When a team has no boules left the other team throws their remaining boules and tries to get them close to the target ball.

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Step 4. When neither team has any boules left the points are counted.  The leading team scores as many points, as it has boules, that are closer to the target ball than the best one of the losing team.

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Step 5. An “end” is over when each team has thrown all its boules.  The winning team starts a new end, by drawing a circle where the previous end finished, and tossing the target ball again.  The game continues until one of the teams has accumulated 13 points.