Boccia: The Paralympic Sport That Resembles Pétanque

Among the 22 sports represented at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, only two disciplines are unique to parasports and have no Olympic equivalent: goalball and boccia. I invite you to discover the latter, which is reminiscent of... pétanque!

How is boccia played?

If you have the chance to watch the boccia events on television during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, you will notice that this sport has many similarities with pétanque.

Even though this Olympic discipline is played indoors and pétanque outdoors, the goal of the game remains the same: to place your ball as close as possible to the target!

Moreover, this sport can be played individually, in pairs, or in teams of three players, just like in pétanque competitions. The teams and the events are mixed. On the field, men and women compete without distinction in all categories.

What are the rules of boccia?

Boccia is played indoors, on a flat and smooth court measuring 12.5 m by 6 m.

Each player has 6 balls, each weighing 275 g. These are red or blue leather balls, slightly larger than tennis balls.

At the start of the match, a draw determines which team will have the red balls and which will have the blue balls. The red team starts the game by throwing the equivalent of the jack, a white ball called the Jack.

Matches are played:
• in 4 ends for individual or doubles matches.
• In 6 ends for team matches of three.

Who can play boccia?

Boccia players or boccians are athletes with severe motor and/or cerebral disabilities. Indeed, this Paralympic sport was specifically created for significant disabilities, such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy.

Players are divided into 4 categories based on their disability from BC1 to BC4. This category determines their way of playing. For example, it is allowed to throw the ball with the hand, foot, or with the help of a device for wheelchair athletes.

BC3 category players, who have impairments in all four limbs, can use a launch ramp, a pointer helmet, and a sports assistant. This assistant is not allowed to speak and must face away from the game to execute commands. The helmet equipped with a rod used by some players to push the balls is called... a unicorn!

This form of adapted pétanque is a perfect example of how Paralympic athletes, even those with severe disabilities, can engage in various sports, with a few adaptations.

Moreover, anyone, whether disabled or not, can play this sport! It is a 100% safe game that helps develop agility, coordination, concentration, and proprioception (i.e., the perception of one's body in space).

Who invented boccia?

Boccia is a sport of Greco-Roman origin. In ancient Greece, it was played with stones!

This game was later adopted and perfected in Italy in the 16th century. That is why its name, which means "ball," comes from Italian.

This discipline became an official Paralympic sport at the New York Games in 1984. The first world championship was organized two years later in Gits, Belgium.

How to follow boccia at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games?

At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the events in this discipline will take place from August 29 to September 5 at the Arena Paris-Sud Porte de Versailles.

Boccia is interesting to follow because it is a true game of strategy, requiring both technique and tactics.

With each throw, the player must make the right decision and demonstrate precision. Indeed, they can choose to:
• get closer to the Jack;
• hinder their opponent by placing balls in their trajectory;
• clear the opponent's balls;
• pass over with their ball.

When a ball goes over the opponent's balls and stays on top of the pile while touching the jack, it's a masterful move called a pyramid!