A carbon steel boule at 39 HRC under a matte hard chrome coat, made in Thailand in FBT’s own boule department for its La Franc brand. It comes in sets of three from 71 to 76 mm and 670 to 720 g with eight striation patterns, for about $92 in the United States.
The cheapest approved competition boule in this set of reviews and a sound semi-soft all-rounder, provided you can live without a published warranty and with the sizes in US stock.
7.2
/10
Very good
Playing performance
8.0
Build quality and finish
7.5
Size and weight range
6.5
Warranty and support
5.0
Value for money
9.0
  1. Specifications
  2. Who it is for
  3. How it plays
  4. Pros and cons
  5. How this review scores it
  6. How it compares
  7. Buying advice
  8. Common questions

The numbers

Specifications

Hardness, sizes, weights and finish come from FBT’s own spec card. The US figure is the October 2026 retail price.
Specifications
Specification
Detail
Material
Detail
Carbon steel, matte hard chrome coat
Hardness
Detail
39 HRC
Diameters
Detail
71 to 76 mm
Weights
Detail
670 to 720 g
FIPJP approved
Detail
Yes. Label LA FRANC SP, registered to F.B.T. Sport Complex Co. Ltd
Warranty
Detail
FBT publishes none
Made in
Detail
Thailand
Price
Detail
About $92 in the United States
FBT, the Bangkok sports company behind La Franc, opened its boule department in 2007 and also makes boules for other brands. The federation’s list shows two JPF Carbone models from Cavaillon whose labels name the LA FRANC SP.

One number from the maker, others from the sellers

FBT’s spec card gives 39 HRC and nothing else. Sellers add their own conversions and do not agree.

A French reseller calls it semi-soft at about 125 kg/mm2. The US retailer lists 37 HRC and 120 kg/mm2, calls it very soft for shooters and prints the same line for the black La Franc SB.

The federation sets its floor at 35 HRC, which its rules equate with 110 daN/mm2, so 39 HRC sits four points above it. Trust the maker’s figure.

Hard chrome over carbon

FBT says its La Franc boules are medium carbon steel, hardened and then plated with hard chrome. It says the plating adds strength and stops rust.

The French reseller still advises wiping the boules after each game and oiling them lightly. The federation measures hardness on boules without any coating and bans treatments that only harden the surface.

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Suitability

Who it is for

A French reseller puts 39 HRC at about 125 kg/mm2, the semi-soft band MS Pétanque calls the best compromise between performance and lifespan.

Suits you if

  • You point and shoot in the same game
  • You throw between 670 and 700 g in 71 to 74 mm
  • Your budget stops near $100
  • You want a federation-approved set to start competing
  • You prefer a matte finish to a polished one

Look elsewhere if

  • Shooting is nearly all you do and you want a soft boule
  • You need 75 mm and up or 710 g and up from US stock
  • A written warranty from the maker is a must
  • You want a boule that never needs oil

In the hand

How it plays

At 39 HRC the SP sits four points above the federation’s 35 HRC floor, firmer than a soft shooter’s boule and well short of a hard one.

Shooting

A semi-soft boule gives back more of the impact than a soft one, so a square hit leaves your boule in place less often. FBT’s pages claim no internal ribs or other anti-rebound design for the SP.

A clean hit can still hold its place, just less often than with a 110 kg/mm2 boule. The shooting page covers the throw.

Pointing

Firmer steel runs on further after landing, which helps on long flat ground. On loose gravel, throw it higher and let it settle.

Reading the terrain tells you which of those you face. The pointing page covers both throws.

The middle role

Players who point one end and shoot the next get the most from it. The French reseller sells it for exactly that job.

Wear and care

The federation allows a boule to lose up to 15 g below its marked weight through wear. Heat treatment after sale is banned, so a worn set is replaced rather than re-tempered.

Keep a cloth in the bag and dry the boules after play. Chrome resists rust, but a chip in the plating leaves bare carbon steel underneath.

The balance

Pros and cons

Pros

  • About $92 in the United States, the lowest price for an approved adult boule reviewed here
  • Federation approved under the label LA FRANC SP
  • Hard chrome coat over carbon steel, which FBT says resists rust
  • Eight striation patterns, smooth included

Cons

  • FBT publishes no warranty term
  • US stock today stops at 74 mm and 700 g
  • Sellers print conflicting hardness figures, from 37 to 39 HRC
  • No anti-rebound construction claimed, unlike the ribbed MS Pétanque boules

The score

How this review scores it

How the SP scores
Criterion
Score
Why
Playing performance
Score
8.0
Why
No anti-rebound construction is claimed, so it is scored on hardness alone against the middle role it suits.
Build quality and finish
Score
7.5
Why
Hard chrome over hardened carbon steel from an ISO 9001 factory, marked down because a chip in the plating leaves bare steel.
Size and weight range
Score
6.5
Why
Six diameters and 670 to 720 g on paper, but US stock today runs only from 71 to 74 mm and 670 to 700 g.
Warranty and support
Score
5.0
Why
FBT publishes no warranty term. The two-year figure appears only at a French reseller.
Value for money
Score
9.0
Why
About $92 for a federation-approved set, the lowest US price of any adult competition boule reviewed here.
Overall 7.2 out of 10, the mean of the five scores above.
What each band means.

Alternatives

How it compares

Two La Franc siblings cost about $3 less and $37 more. The MS 120, MS Pétanque’s semi-soft entry boule, costs about $134.
The SP against two La Franc siblings and the MS 120
SpecificationLa Franc SPLa Franc SMLa Franc SS-01MS Pétanque 120
MaterialCarbon steelCarbon steelStainless steelCarbon alloy steel
Hardness39 HRC, semi-soft45 HRC, hard40 HRC, semi-soft120 kg/mm2, semi-soft
Diameters71 to 76 mm71 to 76 mm71 to 76 mm71 to 76 mm
Weights offered670 to 720 g670 to 720 g670 to 720 g675 to 720 g
FinishMatte hard chromeMatte hard chromeNatural stainlessGrey
US priceAbout $92About $89About $129About $134

The SM and the SS-01

The SM shares the SP’s sizes and hard chrome but rises to 45 HRC. It costs about $3 less and gives up the softer steel shooters look for.

The SS-01 is stainless at 40 HRC in the same sizes, for about $37 more. It is the La Franc to buy if oiling is the chore you always skip.

The MS 120

MS Pétanque’s 120 kg/mm2 carbon entry boule costs about $134 in the United States and its order form starts at 675 g. The 1PACT review covers the ribbed MS boule at the same hardness.

Before you order

Buying advice

What US stock covers

The maker lists 71 to 76 mm and 670 to 720 g. The US listings today hold 71 to 74 mm and 670 to 700 g, in three striation patterns.

MS Pétanque’s buying advice puts most shooters at 680 to 700 g and finds pointers often above 700 g. Heavy pointers will not find their weight in US stock today.

The boule selector works through the same question.

Price at home and abroad

A French reseller asks 135 euros for the same set, VAT included. About $92 at a US retailer is the lower price, with no import step.

Warranty

FBT’s own pages give no warranty term. The US listing states none either.

A French reseller ships each set with a warranty card and two years of cover against manufacturing defects. Ask your seller what applies before you order.

Common questions

Questions about the La Franc SP

FBT gives 39 HRC, which puts it in the semi-soft band. A French reseller calls it semi-soft at about 125 kg/mm2.

The US listing says 37 HRC and very soft, the same text it uses for the black SB. Go with the maker’s number.

FBT, a Bangkok sports company, makes them in its own boule department, opened in 2007. The federation registers the SP label to FBT’s Bangkok company.

FBT also makes boules for other brands. The federation’s list shows two JPF Carbone models from Cavaillon whose labels name the LA FRANC SP.

Yes. The federation’s approved label list, updated in June 2026, carries the label LA FRANC SP.

Approved boules carry the maker’s mark, the label and the three-digit weight. The equipment page covers the marking rule.

FBT says its hard chrome plating stops rust. A French reseller still advises wiping the boules after play and oiling them lightly.

A chip in the chrome leaves bare steel, so keep the cloth in the bag. For no upkeep at all, the stainless SS-01 costs about $37 more.

FBT lists 71 to 76 mm and 670 to 720 g. US stock today runs from 71 to 74 mm and 670 to 700 g.

The US listing notes that its inventory changes daily. Larger or heavier sets mean waiting or ordering from abroad.

Hardness. The SM is 45 HRC, a hard boule, while the SP is 39 HRC.

Both share the same sizes and hard chrome coat. The SM costs about $3 less in the United States.

How this was verified

Specifications come from the maker and the federation, with US retail prices checked in October 2026. Where a maker and the trade disagree, the review says so rather than picking the tidier number.