The Starting of Pétanque at the French Legation
How in the world did the playing of that quirky French game of pétanque get started on the grounds of the French Legation? Well, you can thank Alliance Francaise d’ Austin and Jerome Potts. Jerome moved to Austin from Pau, France in 1991. He worked in Austin as a contract programmer and became a member of the Alliance Francaise d’ Austin in 1997.
The Alliance Francaise started holding Bastille Day celebrations at the French Legation in the late 1980’s, and part of that celebration was the playing of pétanque. Pétanque was also played on Saturday mornings at Pease Park near the volley ball courts at the South end of the park. This event was organized by Didier Jumeau. Didier turned pétanque over to Jerome in 1997. Jerome preferred to have a leisurely Saturday morning so he changed the games to Saturday afternoon. Because the volleyball courts were in use at this time, other areas of the park were used with no success. It seemed pétanque needed to find a new home. Pétanque shifted to one Sunday a month in December of 1997. Jerome moved the games to Garrison Park in South Austin. It was a pleasant place to play, but too far south for most of the players. Since the Alliance was hosting Bastille Day at the French Legation, Jerome thought this might be a fit. He approached the Director of the French Legation with the idea of the Legation allowing Alliance Francis d’ Austin to play pétanque at the Legation on a regular basis. The director approved the idea and presented it to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas who concurred. In the Fall of 1999, the Alliance Francaise d’ Austin started playing pétanque one Sunday a month at the French Legation. The attendance was small with six to ten people, but it began to grow. A big change happened in 2001 when Julia Bower started bringing bread, a cheese snack and a bottle of wine. Others started bringing food, and the dishes became more impressive. Bert Piboin joined in with impressive dishes and continues this tradition to this day. In March of 2001, Elisabeth McKay, then president of the Alliance, convinced Jerome to expand pétanque to two Sundays a month, and the Alliance started playing on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. This arrangement continues today. Jerome continued to gather up the Alliance pétanque gear twice a month and haul it to the French Legation until he finally passed the reins to Ed Priest in August of 2012. Pétanque has really grown in popularity at the French Legation. Today, two pétanque clubs play there three days a week: Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the Alliance Francaise d’ Austin is still active on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. We all owe our thanks to Jerome for finding the perfect home in Austin for this fun French game! Merci Beaucoup, Jerome!
How in the world did the playing of that quirky French game of pétanque get started on the grounds of the French Legation? Well, you can thank Alliance Francaise d’ Austin and Jerome Potts. Jerome moved to Austin from Pau, France in 1991. He worked in Austin as a contract programmer and became a member of the Alliance Francaise d’ Austin in 1997.
The Alliance Francaise started holding Bastille Day celebrations at the French Legation in the late 1980’s, and part of that celebration was the playing of pétanque. Pétanque was also played on Saturday mornings at Pease Park near the volley ball courts at the South end of the park. This event was organized by Didier Jumeau. Didier turned pétanque over to Jerome in 1997. Jerome preferred to have a leisurely Saturday morning so he changed the games to Saturday afternoon. Because the volleyball courts were in use at this time, other areas of the park were used with no success. It seemed pétanque needed to find a new home. Pétanque shifted to one Sunday a month in December of 1997. Jerome moved the games to Garrison Park in South Austin. It was a pleasant place to play, but too far south for most of the players. Since the Alliance was hosting Bastille Day at the French Legation, Jerome thought this might be a fit. He approached the Director of the French Legation with the idea of the Legation allowing Alliance Francis d’ Austin to play pétanque at the Legation on a regular basis. The director approved the idea and presented it to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas who concurred. In the Fall of 1999, the Alliance Francaise d’ Austin started playing pétanque one Sunday a month at the French Legation. The attendance was small with six to ten people, but it began to grow. A big change happened in 2001 when Julia Bower started bringing bread, a cheese snack and a bottle of wine. Others started bringing food, and the dishes became more impressive. Bert Piboin joined in with impressive dishes and continues this tradition to this day. In March of 2001, Elisabeth McKay, then president of the Alliance, convinced Jerome to expand pétanque to two Sundays a month, and the Alliance started playing on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. This arrangement continues today. Jerome continued to gather up the Alliance pétanque gear twice a month and haul it to the French Legation until he finally passed the reins to Ed Priest in August of 2012. Pétanque has really grown in popularity at the French Legation. Today, two pétanque clubs play there three days a week: Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the Alliance Francaise d’ Austin is still active on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. We all owe our thanks to Jerome for finding the perfect home in Austin for this fun French game! Merci Beaucoup, Jerome!
How did the game of Pétanque get so popular or “cool,” and not just in France where the game originated around about the turn of the last century. The men (apparently, it was only men) of La Ciotat, a small port town in Provence were much taken with a version of boules known as le jeu provençal or le trois pas (because players took three smart paces before launching their balls). But one of the great champions of the game, Jules Le Noir, had such rheumatism he could no longer step up to play and his grandfather, also a player, made a suggestion: “Draw a circle round your chair, and we’ll all play from there, with our feet anchored.” And pétanque was born, the only form of boules in which the player must stand still to launch his or her balls. In fact, the name pétanque originates from the Provençal dialect meaning planted/anchored/fixed feet.
Today, pétanque has become so popular in France and other countries, it is not surprising that the folks in the USA eventually joined the bandwagon, headed to the parks and gravelly or dirt surfaces to take turns tossing hollow metal balls. The object of the game is simple: individually, one-on-one, or in teams of two or three, players aim to get their boule (French for ball) as close as possible to the smaller, bright-colored wooden ball called a cochonnet (“piglet” in French) or jack.
The rules of the game are relatively straightforward. Each player has three boules to throw and, the boule closest to the cochonnet wins the “end” or round. Each match consists of many rounds until a team reaches 13 points and wins. Each set of boules displays different markings so that the boules can be identified more easily on the ground during the match.
The game starts when one side wins a coin toss and the right to throw out the cochonnet while standing in a circle that is 20 inches in diameter (can be drawn in the ground or made from plastic), placed at the throwing end of the terrain. Players must keep both feet within the circle and planted on the ground when they throw the boule, or a foul can be called (if seen, that is). The cochonnet must land at least 6 meters but not more than 10 meters away, roughly 18 to 30 feet. Either that player or another on his/her team tosses the first boule, trying to get as close to the target as possible.
Then a player on the other team stands in the circle and tosses a boule. If it lands closer to the cochonnet, the turn goes back to the first team to toss another boule and try again. If their boule doesn’t land closer, that team continues to throw a boule until their luck changes or they run out of boules. Play continues until both sides have used all their boules. Points are awarded for getting the boule closest to the cochonnet, one point for each boule closer to the cochonnet than the best-placed boule of the opponent’s, called the “cutter.”
But the game is not just about how well one throws their boule. Strategy and tactics are essential to playing the game of pétanque, especially in tournaments. Teams have pointers, who aim to “kiss” the cochonnet with their boules, and shooters, who try to knock out their opponents’ better-placed boules (and, if necessary, the cochonnet), resulting in better-placed boules of their own. To decide when to shoot, when not to shoot and when to point is sometimes more important that the actual shot itself.
Unlike most sports, pétanque is a game that requires virtually no strength, speed or dexterity. It does, however, benefit a player to have such skills as precision, finesse, concentration, and sheer luck always helps.
Ask anyone drawn to pétanque about their reasons for playing the game, most will agree that the sport is as much about the social aspect as it is about the competition to win. It brings together a mix of people from diverse backgrounds and geographic origins in a friendly, welcoming environment where teamwork, camaraderie and good, clean fun is guaranteed--time and time again.
“For me, it was love right from the start,” says Hasu Patel, who began playing in the summer of 2013 at Paggi Square, a pocket park in the Mueller community. At that time, Hasu was a newcomer to Austin from Lampasas, Texas. “I didn’t know a soul in Mueller and few in Austin until I started playing pétanque, and now I have many friends and close acquaintances I see on a regular basis on the pétanque courts.”
Hasu appreciates the fact that the game requires minimal equipment, is played outdoors in the fresh air, amongst nice people, with good food and wine. “ And the competition aspect appeals to me,” he adds.
There is no doubt that there are plenty of dedicated pétanquers in Austin and beyond who are hooked on the game and everything it offers and have no plans of dropping their boules any time soon.
For the Official Rules of the Game of Pétanque for 2017, with changes highlighted in blue, go to:
--> http://www.englishpetanque.org.uk/documents/Rules-ENG-Modifications2016.pdf
The Mighty Boule . . .
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Quiz
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P's and q's for pétanquers
For all of us who enjoy playing casual games of pétanque with club members and friends, it can be easy to sometimes
forget etiquette and basic rules of the game. Unless you are playing in the Mondial la Marseillaise, pétanque is usually a
friendly, social game and most competitions are played in a “sporting but friendly” atmosphere. Knowing the rules and following them will enhance the enjoyment of your time on the court and camaraderie with your fellow players.
For starters, here are some fairly common-sense guidelines:
o DON’T walk across a game in progress or anyone practicing shooting.
o When someone is playing, stay still and silent (think golf).
o Best place to observe the game is at least 2 meters away and not in the sight-line of the player.
o If you arrive late and others are in the middle of their games, it’s only fair to let them finish their games unless invited
to join them.
o If you’ve finished a game and others are waiting to play, better to regroup and include the waiting players rather than
start another game without them.
o Agree who’s going to point and shoot, and consult with your team before playing each boule. If a shooting opportunity arises, you should “play the game” and go for the shot. Don’t criticize your partner(s) if they accidentally shoot your boule because we’ve all done it, right? (In France, you’ll get far more criticism for “not playing the game,” i.e., pointing when you should shoot, than if you at least try but accidentally hit the wrong boule.) Of course, if it’s a deadly serious match with a lot
at stake you may agree not to take the risk, but if it’s a social game, why not go for it. Basic rule: agree with your team which shot you’re going to play.
o Remember, the view from the circle is often deceptive; you may need to walk down the court to look at the boules
before taking your turn.
o If you’ve played all your boules, it’s improper–and against the rules–to disrupt the opponents by walking to the cochonnet (jack), checking boules, measuring third and fourth boules, etc, when it’s not your turn to play. Let the opponents decide if
they want to measure – it’s their turn to play and so their decision.
o If you should accidentally play across another game, either wait until the other end has finished before shooting or have
a player behind the cochonnet stop boules from entering the other game.
o In an informal match, if the cochonnet is thrown too short (less than 6 meters), a player can simply move it forward or rethrow. If the cochonnet is thrown too long (more than 10 meters), moving the circle forward is the easiest thing to do.
The rule is, however, if a cochonnet is thrown too short or too long, it must be rethrown.
o If you throw boules at random to choose teams, don’t pick up your boule until you know with whom you are partnered
and whom your opponents are. The team nearest the cochonnet starts.
Etiquette and Rules for Competition Play
o When playing a boule, make sure both feet are within the circle.
o When playing a boule, both feet must remain on the ground until it has landed.
o From the moment it’s your team’s turn to play (after any possible measuring issues), you have one minute to play.
o Each team designates a person to review measurements.
o You are allowed to fill in one hole on the terrain when it is your turn to play.
o Always leave it to the team who has just played to decide if they’re holding the point or not: don’t interfere in any way.
If they say they have the point but you have doubts, then you can ask them to measure or call in a referee.
o After the last boule has been played in an end, do not pick up any boules until both teams have agreed how many
points have been scored.
o Avoid excessive displays of excitement or defeat during the game. Only when the game or competition is over, is it acceptable to cheer, hug, wail, etc.
As a precaution, keep in mind that in competition, if it’s your turn to play and you are holding more than one boule in your hand, do not discard the extra boule(s) next to you while standing in the circle because the opposition may count it as a throw.
forget etiquette and basic rules of the game. Unless you are playing in the Mondial la Marseillaise, pétanque is usually a
friendly, social game and most competitions are played in a “sporting but friendly” atmosphere. Knowing the rules and following them will enhance the enjoyment of your time on the court and camaraderie with your fellow players.
For starters, here are some fairly common-sense guidelines:
o DON’T walk across a game in progress or anyone practicing shooting.
o When someone is playing, stay still and silent (think golf).
o Best place to observe the game is at least 2 meters away and not in the sight-line of the player.
o If you arrive late and others are in the middle of their games, it’s only fair to let them finish their games unless invited
to join them.
o If you’ve finished a game and others are waiting to play, better to regroup and include the waiting players rather than
start another game without them.
o Agree who’s going to point and shoot, and consult with your team before playing each boule. If a shooting opportunity arises, you should “play the game” and go for the shot. Don’t criticize your partner(s) if they accidentally shoot your boule because we’ve all done it, right? (In France, you’ll get far more criticism for “not playing the game,” i.e., pointing when you should shoot, than if you at least try but accidentally hit the wrong boule.) Of course, if it’s a deadly serious match with a lot
at stake you may agree not to take the risk, but if it’s a social game, why not go for it. Basic rule: agree with your team which shot you’re going to play.
o Remember, the view from the circle is often deceptive; you may need to walk down the court to look at the boules
before taking your turn.
o If you’ve played all your boules, it’s improper–and against the rules–to disrupt the opponents by walking to the cochonnet (jack), checking boules, measuring third and fourth boules, etc, when it’s not your turn to play. Let the opponents decide if
they want to measure – it’s their turn to play and so their decision.
o If you should accidentally play across another game, either wait until the other end has finished before shooting or have
a player behind the cochonnet stop boules from entering the other game.
o In an informal match, if the cochonnet is thrown too short (less than 6 meters), a player can simply move it forward or rethrow. If the cochonnet is thrown too long (more than 10 meters), moving the circle forward is the easiest thing to do.
The rule is, however, if a cochonnet is thrown too short or too long, it must be rethrown.
o If you throw boules at random to choose teams, don’t pick up your boule until you know with whom you are partnered
and whom your opponents are. The team nearest the cochonnet starts.
Etiquette and Rules for Competition Play
o When playing a boule, make sure both feet are within the circle.
o When playing a boule, both feet must remain on the ground until it has landed.
o From the moment it’s your team’s turn to play (after any possible measuring issues), you have one minute to play.
o Each team designates a person to review measurements.
o You are allowed to fill in one hole on the terrain when it is your turn to play.
o Always leave it to the team who has just played to decide if they’re holding the point or not: don’t interfere in any way.
If they say they have the point but you have doubts, then you can ask them to measure or call in a referee.
o After the last boule has been played in an end, do not pick up any boules until both teams have agreed how many
points have been scored.
o Avoid excessive displays of excitement or defeat during the game. Only when the game or competition is over, is it acceptable to cheer, hug, wail, etc.
As a precaution, keep in mind that in competition, if it’s your turn to play and you are holding more than one boule in your hand, do not discard the extra boule(s) next to you while standing in the circle because the opposition may count it as a throw.