Pétanque equipment: what the rules require and what is worth buying
Boules and a jack are the whole requirement. Everything else is convenience, and some of it is sold on claims that do not hold. Specifications here come from the FIPJP rulebook, prices from 101 boule models tracked for the North American market.
Buy boules and a jack. Add a string measure and two spare jacks before your first club session, which comes to about 20 dollars. Everything else can wait until you know the game has you.
Two things on this page correct claims made widely elsewhere: a magnet will not lift every boule, and the jack specification is tighter than most sources state.
The only hard requirements
What the rules require
Casual play has no equipment rules at all. The moment you enter a sanctioned competition, these are the numbers that matter, taken from the FIPJP regulations. The rules page covers what the equipment is for.
| Item | Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Boules | 70.5 to 80 mm, 650 to 800 g | Metal, hollow, engraved with the maker’s name and the weight. Never filled with sand or lead or altered in any way |
| Jack | 30 mm, plus or minus 1 mm, 10 to 18 g | Wood, or a synthetic carrying the maker’s mark with FIPJP approval. Painted jacks are allowed |
| Jack, magnetism | Must not be liftable with a magnet | Applies to painted and wooden jacks alike |
| Rigid circle | 50 cm internal, plus or minus 2 mm | Folding circles are allowed where the model holds FIPJP approval for rigidity |
| Drawn circle | 35 to 50 cm | Marked on the ground, at least 1 m from any obstacle |
Only two synthetic jacks hold FIPJP approval, from Obut and from VMS. The approved jack carries the maker’s name in readable relief. A synthetic jack without one of those names is not legal in sanctioned play, whatever the packaging claims. Wooden jacks need no approval and are legal as long as they meet the size, weight and magnet conditions.
Playing-area measurements sit on a page of their own: court dimensions collects the lane sizes, the circle placement and the throwing distances in one place.
Pétanque, once a month
Equipment notes, club spotlights and events across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Free. One click to leave.
Buy one before your first session
Measuring tools
Games turn on millimeters, and eyeballing a close call is how arguments start. One measuring tool settles them, and it is the only accessory worth owning before you turn up anywhere.
String measure
A length of low-stretch cord, held against a boule and compared to the opponent’s. Cheap, pocket-sized, works at awkward angles where a rigid tool cannot reach, and needs nothing to keep working. Braided or fibrous cord holds its length; elastic cord is useless for this. Roughly 5 to 20 dollars, and the sensible first purchase.
Rigid folding measure
A hinged tool that holds its length while you read it, which removes the slack and the shaking hand that make string measurements inconsistent. Faster, easier to use alone and the usual upgrade once club play gets competitive. Roughly 15 to 40 dollars.
Pied de roi
A calibrated rule marked in millimeters, often with a notch that seats against the curve of a boule. Built for disputes decided in fractions of a millimeter. Around 25 to 80 dollars, and worth it only if you are regularly in those disputes. The term, like most of the vocabulary on this page, sits in our glossary.
Whoever measures should not be the player whose boule is in question. In club play the convention is that the team who threw last measures, or an uninvolved player does. Getting this habit early avoids most of the friction that measuring creates.
Buy spares
Jacks
Jacks get lost, split and shot into undergrowth. They cost a few dollars and a session stops without one, which makes spares the highest return purchase on this page.
Wood
Boxwood or similar, the traditional choice and the standard in French competition. Light, quiet on impact and harmless to boules. Wood takes on moisture and can warp in wet conditions, and heavy shooting eventually splits it. Expect a few months to a couple of years depending on how often you play. Roughly 2 to 8 dollars each.
Synthetic
Composite or plastic, more resistant to moisture and to being shot at, and dimensionally stable in any humidity. Louder on impact and slightly different in feel. Sold in yellow, red and blue as well as wood tones, which matters more than it sounds: a wood-colored jack disappears into gravel, and a colored one does not. Roughly 3 to 12 dollars each.
Color is free to choose, approval is not. Painted jacks are explicitly allowed. For sanctioned play the synthetic jack must be an approved Obut or VMS model with the name readable in relief, so a bright generic jack from a leisure set is fine for the park and not for a tournament.
Two or three cover casual play. A club running several courts wants twenty or more, since each court needs its own and each will lose one. How far the jack is thrown, and what happens when it leaves the court, are covered under the rules.
Optional at first
Throwing circles
Scratching a ring in the dirt is legal and free. A physical circle is faster, keeps its shape and stops the argument about where the line was.
Plastic
Thin rings that sit on the surface. Light, stackable and standard at clubs and competitions. They shift on loose gravel and sit poorly on very uneven ground. Roughly 5 to 15 dollars each, usually sold in packs.
Metal
Heavier rings that stay put on rough terrain, common where courts are in constant use. Roughly 15 to 40 dollars each.
One per player covers a casual group. A club should hold 10 to 20 so that several courts can run at once without anyone hunting between games. Note that a rigid circle must be 50 cm internally to be legal, while a circle you draw yourself can be anywhere from 35 to 50 cm. Where the circle goes in relation to the lane is set out on court dimensions.
Check compatibility first
Picking boules up
Bending for six boules every mène adds up across a session. A magnetic retriever is a small magnet on a retractable cord that lifts the boule without the bend, and it is genuinely useful. It also does not work with every boule, which is the part most sources get wrong.
A magnet does not lift all stainless steel. Carbon steel is reliably magnetic. Stainless depends on the grade the manufacturer used. Obut states that its stainless leisure boules cannot be picked up with a magnet. Decathlon warns that its own retriever lifts carbon steel boules only. Boulenciel, meanwhile, lists its stainless competition boules as magnet-compatible. Check the specification for your exact model before spending anything.
Retrievers run roughly 8 to 25 dollars and clip to a case zipper or a keyring. For anyone with a stiff back they stop being a convenience and start being the thing that makes a three-hour session possible. Claw and suction pick-up tools exist for boules a magnet will not touch, and cost roughly 10 to 30 dollars.
The jack is a separate matter and no retriever will help: the rules require that it cannot be lifted with a magnet at all.
Usually included
Carrying cases
Most sets arrive in a case. The quality of that case is a separate question. Loose boules in a bag scratch each other and clank, and three separate objects are three chances to leave one behind.
Soft pouches
Fabric or leather with individual sleeves or a drawstring. Light and packable. Individual sleeves beat a single shared pouch, and a closure that will not open inside a larger bag matters more than it sounds. Roughly 20 to 60 dollars.
Hard cases
Rigid shells with molded or foam interiors, worth having if boules travel by car or go on a plane. Metal clasps outlast plastic ones. Check that the interior fits your diameter, since a 77 mm boule will not seat in a case cut for 71 mm, and leave room for a jack and a measure.
Single-set cases hold three or six boules and suit most players. Double cases carry two sets for a partner. Wheeled cases hold several sets and make sense for the regulars on our events and tournaments calendar, carrying gear all day. Roughly 40 dollars and up, with leather cases from Obut and French workshops running 80 to 300 or more.
Pocket items
Scorekeepers, markers and a cloth
Three cheap items settle most small disputes on the terrain. None is required to play, but each answers to a line in the rules or a common argument.
Score counters
A pocket counter or a board at the end of the lane keeps both teams agreed on the score. For club events, the scoresheet generator prints match sheets.
Something to mark with
Article 6 of the rules requires players to mark the jack where it lands and after every move, and no claim is heard for an unmarked jack. A small stick or scribe in your pocket does the job.
A cloth for mud
Under Article 18, you must wipe any mud or deposit off a boule before you throw it. A small towel on your belt makes that quick.
101 models tracked
What boules cost
Boules themselves are the real spend, and the market splits more sharply than the price ranges suggest. Figures below come from our own pricing set covering 101 models sold into North America.
| Bracket | Models | Competition | Leisure | Junior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $95 | 34 | 4 | 17 | 13 |
| $95 to $119 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| $120 to $199 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| $200 to $299 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| $300 and up | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| All models | 101 | 71 | 17 | 13 |
Every leisure and junior set sits under 95 dollars, and no leisure set appears above it. Competition boules run the opposite way: 48 of the 71 competition models cost 200 dollars or more. The gap between the two, from 95 to 199 dollars, holds 19 models and is where a first competition set usually comes from.
Leisure sets are not a lesser version of the same thing. They come as a set of six at a fixed weight and diameter with no choice of hardness, and they are not legal for sanctioned competition. Competition boules are ordered to your own diameter, weight and hardness and last decades. Buying leisure first is a reasonable way to find out how far the game holds you.
Which boule fits your hand
Diameter follows hand size, weight and hardness follow how you play. Five questions narrow it to a specification you can shop with.
In order
What to buy, and when
Ordered by how soon it earns its place. The first two items cost about 20 dollars together and cover a first session at any club in our directory.
| Item | When | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| String measure | Before your first game with anyone else. Close calls happen every mène | $5 to $20 |
| Two or three spare jacks | Straight away. They get lost and split, and play stops without one | $5 to $12 |
| A case that fits | Straight away if your set came without one, otherwise when the original wears out | $20 to $60 |
| Throwing circle | Once you play at clubs regularly. Optional in a backyard | $5 to $15 |
| Magnetic retriever | Once you know your boules are compatible. Sooner if bending is a problem | $8 to $25 |
| Rigid measure or pied de roi | After a year, once string measurements start feeling imprecise in competition | $15 to $80 |
| Colored spare jacks | After a year, once you have played on gravel that swallows a wooden jack | $3 to $12 |
Terrain equipment sits outside this list. Rakes, boundary cord and fresh gravel belong to whoever maintains the court rather than in a player’s bag, and a club running several courts should budget for them separately alongside circles, jacks and a measure for each court.
Common questions
Questions about equipment
Can a magnetic retriever pick up any pétanque boule?
No, and the packaging often overstates it. Carbon steel boules are reliably magnetic. Stainless steel depends entirely on the grade the maker used: Obut states plainly that its stainless leisure boules cannot be lifted with a magnet, and Decathlon warns that its own retriever lifts carbon steel only. Boulenciel, in contrast, lists its stainless competition boules as magnet-compatible.
Check the product page for your exact model before buying a retriever. One detail is fixed by rule rather than by material: a jack must never be liftable with a magnet, so no retriever will pick one up.
What size is a pétanque jack?
30 mm in diameter with a tolerance of 1 mm either way, and a weight between 10 and 18 grams. The rule comes from article 3 of the FIPJP regulations.
Jacks are made of wood, or of a synthetic material that carries the maker’s mark and holds FIPJP approval. Only two synthetic jacks are approved, from Obut and from VMS. A synthetic jack without one of those names readable in relief is not legal in sanctioned competition.
Can I use a bocce set to play pétanque?
Not well. Bocce balls run around 107 mm against a pétanque maximum of 80 mm, and the weight and balance differ enough to change the throw completely, which makes learning proper technique harder.
The target ball is wrong too. A bocce pallino is roughly 48 to 53 mm, well above the 30 mm pétanque jack. For an afternoon of curiosity a bocce set passes; for learning the game it works against you. The difference between the two games is set out on what pétanque is.
Are magnetic retrievers allowed in competition?
Yes. Nothing in the rules prohibits one between throws. Use it once the mène is settled rather than while boules are still in play, and never let it touch a boule whose position still matters.
Do I need special shoes for pétanque?
No specialized footwear exists. Flat soles and closed toes are the whole requirement, since a dropped boule lands on feet eventually. Avoid heels, thick uneven soles and anything open-toed.
Stability matters more than grip, because the throw happens with both feet planted and still, as covered on grip and stance. Flat trainers or casual leather shoes both work.
What does a set of pétanque boules cost?
Across 101 models priced for the North American market, every leisure and junior set lands under 95 dollars. Competition boules start around 89 dollars and cluster between 200 and 299 dollars, where 37 of the 71 competition models sit.
For a first competition set, the 95 to 199 dollar range holds 19 models and is where most players start. Leisure sets are the right choice if you are still deciding how far the game will take you.
What accessories does a club need that a single player does not?
Far more of everything, plus terrain upkeep. A club running several courts needs roughly 10 to 20 throwing circles, 20 or more jacks, a measure for each active court, rakes for leveling between games and score pegs or printed sheets.
An individual player needs a measure, a couple of spare jacks and somewhere to carry the boules. Everything else on this page is optional. Our club directory lists who runs what across North America.
Related
Where to go next
Specifications matter less than fit. The selector turns hand size and playing style into a diameter, a weight and a hardness. The rules page explains what the equipment is for, and public courts lists 61 free places to use it.
Pétanque, once a month
Equipment notes, club spotlights and events across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Free. One click to leave.
Specifications
- Boules: 70.5 to 80 mm, 650 to 800 g
- Jack: 30 mm plus or minus 1 mm, 10 to 18 g
- Jack material: wood, or approved synthetic
- Rigid circle: 50 cm internal
- Drawn circle: 35 to 50 cm
- Approved synthetic jacks: Obut and VMS only
Before you buy a retriever
Carbon steel lifts with a magnet. Stainless depends on the grade, and several makers state plainly that theirs will not. Check your model.
Boule selector
Five questions on hand size, throwing style and budget return the diameter, weight and hardness that fit you.
Free starter kit
Rules, a boule sizing chart, court dimensions and the glossary in one printable PDF.