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Pétanque game formats
Singles, doublette, triplette and mêlée. What changes between them is team size, how many boules each player throws, what roles they take and how the tactical picture shifts.
Pétanque has four standard formats: singles (one against one, three boules each), doublette (two against two, three boules each, the most common), triplette (three against three, two boules each, the competition standard) and mêlée (individual entry, new partners drawn each round). Every team puts six boules in play per mène except in singles, which puts three.
| Format | Players per team | Boules per player | Total per team | Common at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singles | 1 | 3 | 3 | Skill events, solo practice |
| Doublette | 2 | 3 | 6 | Most club play and club tournaments |
| Triplette | 3 | 2 | 6 | National competition, FPUSA events |
| Mêlée | Varies | 3 | Varies | Social events, charity tournaments |
Doublette and triplette both put six boules per team on the terrain each mène. The format changes who throws them and in what role rather than the volume of play per round. The French vocabulary on this page appears throughout the sport and stays untranslated at clubs, so the pétanque glossary is worth keeping open alongside it.
Boules per player
How many boules each player throws
FIPJP Article 1 allows three formats and no others: triples players throw two boules each, and doubles and singles players throw three. That puts six boules per team on the ground in doubles and triples, and three in singles.
| Format | Players per team | Boules each | Boules per team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singles (tête-à-tête) | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Doubles (doublette) | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Triples (triplette) | 3 | 2 | 6 |
Casual groups often play three a side with three boules each. It works, but it is not a recognized format and every end drags, so at three against three take two boules each.
Players aged 11 or under may use 600 g boules 65 mm across, made under an approved label.
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Format one
tête-à-tête, said “tet-ah-TET”
Singles
One player per side, three boules each. You are the entire team: you point, you shoot, you read the terrain and you make every tactical decision alone.
A tête-à-tête game plays out the same way the others do. The player furthest from the cochonnet always throws next, and the first to 13 wins. Scoring is identical across all four formats, which is covered in full on the pétanque rules page.
What makes singles play differently
In doublette and triplette, players specialize. In singles you do both, deciding which in real time, round after round and throw after throw.
With only three boules, placing two close to the cochonnet while protecting your position weighs more than in formats where six team boules can surround the jack. A missed shot leaves you two boules down with nothing cleared, which pushes singles players toward shooting only when the opponent’s advantage is decisive. Both halves of that decision are covered on the pointing and shooting pages.
The mental load is higher. In team formats, players consult, delegate and share decisions. In tête-à-tête every call is yours. Experienced players find singles the most revealing format for understanding their own game.
Who plays singles
Singles is the least common format in casual club play: demanding, exposure-heavy and less social. At competitive level, tête-à-tête appears in skills competitions, dedicated singles tournaments and some regional circuits.
It is also the best format for practice when no partner is available. The concentration each throw demands, with no teammate to lean on, builds skill faster than team formats do. The training drills page has structured solo sessions built around exactly that.
Works well for
- One against one between players of similar level
- Personal skill development and focused solo practice
- Competitive events built around singles draws
- Situations where only two people want to play
Less suited to
- Social events and casual groups, with limited interaction
- Teaching beginners, with no partner to observe from
- Events with uneven player counts
Format two
doublette, said “doo-BLET”
Doublette
Two players per team, three boules each, six boules per team on the terrain every mène.
Doublette is the most common format at North American clubs. Most open play sessions, informal club tournaments and casual competitions are played in doublette. If someone invites you to play a game without naming a format, it is doublette. It is also the format you are most likely to meet the first time you visit a club from the club directory.
Roles in doublette
Specialized: one player mainly points, one mainly shoots. It mirrors the triplette structure with two people. The pointer places boules near the cochonnet and the shooter clears opponent boules when needed.
Flexible: both players read each situation and decide independently. More common at casual and intermediate level, where strict specialization has not developed yet. Neither approach is mandatory.
What makes doublette strategically distinct
Doublette moves faster than triplette because fewer people are making decisions. With six boules and two players, the format rewards consistent pointers over boom-or-bust shooters. In triplette a dedicated shooter has five other team boules behind them when shots miss. In doublette the shooter also carries half the pointing burden.
Doublette in one line: you carry your half of the game, and if your half collapses there is one teammate to compensate.
Works well for
- Regular club play and social sessions
- Club tournaments, easy to organize and fast to run
- Beginners learning alongside one partner
- Mixed-level games where a strong player carries a learner
- Events with even player counts
Less suited to
- Groups of three, where someone sits out
- Events needing the traditional championship structure, which is triplette
Format three
triplette, said “tree-PLET”
Triplette
Three players per team, two boules each. The same six boules per team, distributed across more people.
Triplette is the traditional format of competitive pétanque. National championships, international competition and most FPUSA events of standing are played in triplette. High-level pétanque on video is almost always triplette.
Why two boules per player changes everything
Dropping from three boules to two changes the stakes of every throw. A miss means half your boules are gone with nothing contributed, which pushes specialized players toward higher accuracy standards than doublette demands.
It also means that after the first boule from each player, the team conversation about what comes next becomes decisive. A triplette that communicates well consistently beats a triplette of equal individual skill that does not.
The three roles
The pointer
pointeur, said “pwahn-TUR”
Throws first and places boules close to the cochonnet. Reads terrain variation and slope. A good pointer has no need to shoot. They place intelligently, in positions that protect the jack and leave the milieu useful options.
- Soft touch
- Terrain reading
- Consistency
- Patience
The milieu
milieu, said “mee-LYUH”
The most demanding role. Plays between pointer and shooter, doing both when needed. Reads the full state of the mène, every boule in play, the opponent’s position and what the team has used, then decides. In tight games the milieu’s read is what the mène turns on.
- Versatility
- Tactical vision
- Experience
- Composure
The shooter
tireur, said “tee-RUR”
Throws when the team needs displacement, with opponents holding the point and a clear boule in good position. The ideal shot is the carreau: your boule takes the opponent’s place exactly, removing a threat and gaining a point at once. A shooter who misses often is a liability whatever their pointing is like.
- Power
- Accuracy
- Mental calm
- Willingness
In France the milieu is the most prestigious position on a triplette. It demands the broadest skill set and the sharpest tactical mind, and players rarely become effective milieux early in a career. The judgment it runs on is covered on the match strategy page.
Communication in triplette
More players means more decision-making surface, and the tension is between coordination and delay. Teams that communicate well act faster; teams that over-discuss slow the game and create hesitation.
Good triplettes develop shorthand, and most of it is non-verbal. The rule above all others: the throwing player decides. Several people calling instructions at someone about to throw is the most common error in casual triplette and it consistently makes the throw worse.
Works well for
- Organized competition and tournament play
- Groups of exactly six, which is two full teams
- Players developing a specific role identity
- Established clubs with enough players at each session
Less suited to
- Small groups, since six is the minimum
- Beginners who have not developed role awareness yet
- Events where fast game turnover is the priority
Format four
concours en mêlée, said “may-LAY”
Mêlée
The most misunderstood format in North American pétanque, and not simply everyone playing together.
Mêlée is a specific competition structure. Players register individually and a draw assigns new partners at the start of every round. You play with a different team each round, your individual results accumulate across all of them and at the end the player with the most points wins rather than a team.
How a mêlée competition works
Registration: players sign up individually rather than in teams. The draw assigns them to temporary teams, usually doublettes, for each round.
After each round: every player on the winning team receives points. Common systems award one point for a win, with ties broken on score differential across all games.
Final standings: players are ranked on total individual points. The format does two things at once: you meet everyone at the event, and you compete for yourself inside a team structure.
Mêlée is the most social format in pétanque. After a four-round mêlée you have played alongside and against most of the field. It builds community at open events far more effectively than team formats.
Strategy in mêlée
Adapt to your partner immediately, because you have one round together. Spend the first mène working out if they are the stronger pointer or the stronger shooter, then take the other role. Insisting on your preferred role when your partner clearly needs you in the other is the fastest way to lose a round you should have won.
Many mêlée scoring systems weight score differential, so a team winning 13 to 7 gains more individual benefit than one winning 13 to 12. Once the outcome is settled, keep playing at full effort.
Mêlée and open play are different things
Open play is informal. Players turn up, form whatever teams they like and play without official scoring. Nothing is recorded.
Mêlée is a competition with structured draws, official scoring and a final ranking. A club “mêlée night” sometimes means open play with random teams, while a concours en mêlée is an official competition. Ask the organiser which one they mean if the announcement is unclear.
Works well for
- Social events and open days, friendly to newcomers
- Charity and fundraiser competitions
- Club casual play where interaction is the point
- Events where you want everyone to meet everyone
- Players without an established partner
Less suited to
- Serious competition, since a random draw rewards no team-building
- Players wanting to compete with an established pair or trio
Competition
Competition structures
Formats describe who plays on which team. Structures describe how those teams are matched across a full event. A doublette tournament can run Swiss, poule or direct elimination, so the two are separate choices.
The free scoresheet and tournament tool runs Swiss rounds, pools of four, round robin and knockout brackets. Every sheet prints clean on letter or A4 paper.
Most common
Swiss system
Nobody is eliminated. Round one is a random draw, then teams with matching records are paired: all one-nil teams meet each other, all nil-one teams meet each other. After four to six Swiss rounds the leaders enter a direct-elimination playoff. Teams cannot meet twice during the Swiss rounds.
Multi-day events
Poule system
Teams are split into small groups before the event and play everyone in their group once. The top one or two from each poule advance to a playoff. Sixteen teams in four poules of four gives every team three games and sends eight through to quarterfinals. Poule composition can decide who advances, which is its weakness against Swiss.
Playoff stage
Direct elimination
Coupe directe: lose once and the day is over. Used for the playoff stage after Swiss or poule play, and occasionally for a whole tournament at smaller events wanting a fast day. Seeding follows the Swiss record, so the best record meets the weakest qualifier.
Smaller events
Double elimination
Two lives. One loss drops a team into the consolante bracket and a second eliminates them. The winners of each bracket meet in the final. It needs more rounds but gives every team a second chance, which suits small fields where more games are the point.
Parallel bracket
Consolante
Not a structure in its own right but a parallel bracket for teams knocked out of the main competition, playing on for a secondary prize. It serves two purposes: teams that traveled get more games, and players who lost early are not idle for the rest of the day.
Small fields only
Round robin
Every team plays every other team once, with standings on total record. Practical only for six to ten teams: a sixteen-team round robin needs 120 individual games. Swiss gives a close round-robin approximation at scale.
Time limits and the one-minute rule
The shorthand for timed games is time plus one: when the signal sounds, the mène in progress is played out and one more mène is played after it. Alongside that, official games run a separate clock on every single throw.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Per round limit | FPUSA events: 45 minutes in singles, 60 in doubles, 60 or 75 in triples, each plus one mène |
| Signal sounds mid-mène | That mène is played out, then one further mène is played |
| Signal sounds between mènes | A mène ends when the last boule comes to rest, so the next one becomes the mène in progress |
| A team reaches 13 | The game ends there, whatever time remains |
| Scores level at the end | A tie-break mène, during which the jack cannot go dead |
| FPUSA qualifiers | Two extra mènes instead of one may apply if time permits (FPUSA regulations, Section 13) |
| One minute to throw | In official games each player has one minute per boule, timed from when the previous boule or jack comes to rest |
| After a measurement | The minute is paused while measuring, then restarts once the point is settled |
| Throwing the jack | One minute and one attempt. If the throw is invalid, the opponents place the jack |
The one-minute rule is Article 21 of the FIPJP rules and applies in sanctioned competition, where breaches carry the penalties set out in Article 35. Club play almost never enforces it, so a first tournament is where most players meet it. Time limit enforcement is the most common source of tournament disorganization: designate a timekeeper, call time at the midpoint and at ten minutes remaining, announce before round one how many extra mènes apply and hold to it identically on every terrain.
Running an event yourself?
Draw procedures, an eight-week planning checklist, dispute handling and a printable scoresheet generator.
Choosing
Which format to use
It comes down to how many people you have, what the occasion is and if competition or participation is the priority.
| Players | Format |
|---|---|
| 2 | Singles |
| 3 | Singles rotation: two play, one sits, rotating each mène |
| 4 | Doublette, two teams of two |
| 5 | Doublette with rotation, one player sitting each round |
| 6 | Three doublette teams, or two triplette teams of three |
| 8 to 12 | Doublette tournament, Swiss or round robin |
| 10 or more, entering alone | Mêlée |
| 12 or more | Triplette or doublette Swiss tournament |
| Occasion | Format |
|---|---|
| Friends who have never played | Doublette. Simple to explain, social, fast enough for three or four games |
| Club open play session | Doublette or mêlée, depending on attendance and how structured you want it |
| Club championship | Doublette or triplette Swiss with an elimination playoff. Announce the format in advance |
| Charity event or fundraiser | Mêlée. Everyone plays every round and interaction is maximized |
| Corporate outing | Doublette with shorter games to 9. Mêlée for groups over 20 |
| Youth events | Doublette or triplette to 7 or 9 points. Mêlée for youth social days |
| FPUSA sanctioned competition | Triplette or doublette per the event designation |
Two points worth settling before the day: agree the target score in advance if you are shortening games, and check the terrain you have against the official court dimensions so the jack distances work. Groups larger than a club terrain can hold are the usual reason an afternoon runs long.
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Common questions
Questions about formats
What comes up most at a first club session and before a first tournament.
What is the most common pétanque format?
Doublette, at North American clubs: two players per team, three boules each. Most open play sessions and club tournaments are played in doublette. Triplette, three per team with two boules each, is the standard for national and international competition.
How many boules does each player use?
Three each in singles and doublette, two each in triplette. Doublette and triplette both put six boules per team in play each mène, while singles puts three.
What is the difference between doublette and triplette?
Doublette is teams of two throwing three boules each. Triplette is teams of three throwing two each. Both give a team six boules per mène. Triplette adds the defined pointer, milieu and shooter structure and is the standard format at high level.
Can you play pétanque with three people?
Yes. The cleanest option is a singles rotation: two play each round while the third sits out, rotating so everyone rests once per cycle. It is the usual arrangement for three-player groups at a club session.
What is the milieu position in triplette?
The milieu plays between the pointer and the shooter, doing either depending on what the mène requires. They read the full state of play and decide the right action with the boules that remain. It is considered the most demanding and most prestigious position in triplette.
What is a concours en mêlée?
A competition where players register individually and are given new partners each round through a random draw. Individual points accumulate across all rounds and the player with the highest total wins rather than a team.
What is a Swiss system tournament?
A structure where no team is eliminated. Round one is a random draw, then teams with matching records are paired each round. After four to six Swiss rounds the leading teams advance to a direct-elimination playoff. More beginner answers sit in the pétanque beginner FAQ.
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