Learn pétanque in an afternoon
From curious to playing your first game in one afternoon. The rules, what to buy, where to find people to play with, and quick-reference pages to print and take to the court.
Get the kit
Email address
Free. The kit opens right away and a copy of the link goes to your inbox. After that, one email a month, with an unsubscribe link in every one.
A 30-minute read, 19 pages.
Letter size, ready to print
The contents
What is in it
Seven parts, about 30 minutes of reading. You understand the basics after part 1 and are ready to play after part 3. The rest helps you improve and find people to play with.
Understanding the game
What pétanque is, a whole game explained in 60 seconds, a short history and how it differs from bocce.
Equipment and what to buy
The three specifications that matter, a hand-size chart for choosing a diameter and what each type of set is good for.
Rules and scoring
Game formats, how a round starts, whose turn it is, how points are counted and measured, and the throwing rules.
Playing your first game
Your first throw, one step at a time, a first-game checklist, the mistakes that are easy to fix and basic etiquette.
Where to play and find people
Which surfaces work, how to find courts and clubs, what a first club visit is like and how to start your own group.
Quick reference
Setup, scoring, throwing rules, when to point or shoot and the French terms worth knowing, on pages you can print.
Your first 30 days
A plan for each of your first four weeks, from your first games to playing with strategy, with milestones to aim for.
The quick-reference pages are the part people keep. Print them and take them to the court: setup, scoring, throwing rules and the French terms you will hear at a club.
The reader
Who it is written for
Anyone who has watched a game and wondered how to start.
It assumes you have never thrown a boule. No athletic ability, no special equipment and no French are needed, and every French term is explained.
It also suggests borrowing boules at a club for a few sessions before you buy a set of your own.
Experienced players get less from it, though the equipment chapter and the quick-reference pages hold up on their own.
The point of it
Where you end up
One afternoon later you can walk onto a terrain and play a game.
You will know how a round starts, whose turn it is, how points are counted and what to do when two boules look the same distance from the jack.
You will know which diameter fits your hand, how to find the nearest club or court and what to expect on a first visit.
None of that makes you good. It makes you someone who can join a game, and the 30-day plan at the end takes it from there.
Common questions
Before you sign up
Is it free?
Yes. No payment and no card. You enter an email address and the kit opens right away.
How long before I can play?
The kit is about a 30-minute read, and you are ready to play after part 3, so a first game the same day is realistic.
Do I need to be fit or athletic?
No. The throw is underhand and gentle, there is no running, and eight-year-olds and eighty-year-olds play in the same games.
What if there is no club near me?
The kit covers that. Two people and one set of boules make a game, and part 5 explains how to find a public court or start your own group.
I already play. Is it any use?
Probably not the rules sections. The equipment chapter and the quick-reference pages are the parts experienced players tend to keep.
What happens to my email address?
It gets the kit link and one email a month. It is never sold or passed on, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe link.
Not ready for the kit? The rules are on the site in full, the club directory lists 119 clubs and the boule selector answers the equipment question in five questions.
Beginner Starter Kit
Free PDF. A 30-minute read, 19 pages.