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Rules of Boccia

Boccia is a precision ball sport, similar to bocce, designed specifically for athletes with physical disabilities. It is a Paralympic sport, played indoors on a flat court.

🎯 Objective

Players aim to throw or roll leather balls as close as possible to a white target ball called the jack.

🔢 1. Players & Classifications

  • Played individually, in pairs, or as a team of three.
  • Players are classified based on their physical abilities (BC1 to BC4).
  • Some players may use assistive devices (e.g., ramps) and may be assisted by a sport assistant, depending on classification.

🎲 2. Equipment

  • 6 red balls, 6 blue balls, and 1 white jack ball.
  • All balls are soft, made of leather, and designed to be gripped or propelled in various ways.

🏟️ 3. Court

  • Court size: 12.5m x 6m, marked with throwing boxes and a central V line.
  • Played on a smooth, flat indoor surface.

⏱️ 4. Match Structure

  • A match consists of 4 ends (individuals/pairs) or 6 ends (teams).
  • In each end:
    • One side throws the jack.
    • Players alternate throwing their 6 balls.
    • The team whose ball is furthest from the jack throws until they get closer or run out.

🧮 5. Scoring

  • After all balls are thrown, the side with the closest ball to the jack scores 1 point per ball that is closer than the opponent’s nearest ball.
  • The team/player with the highest score after all ends wins.

🚫 6. Fouls & Penalties

  • Fouls include stepping out of the box, throwing out of turn, or using an illegal device.
  • Penalties can result in ball removal or points awarded to the opponent.

🦽 7. Assistive Play

  • Some classifications allow the use of ramps and assistants, who must keep their backs to the court and not lookduring play.

🔁 8. Tie-breaks

  • In the event of a tie, a one-end tie-break is played.

🧠 Relevant Support & Organisations

🏢 1. BISFed (Boccia International Sports Federation)

🏴 2. Boccia UK

  • Manages the UK’s national Boccia team.
  • Offers information on elite competition and classification.
  • 🌐 https://boccia.uk.com

🏳️‍🌈 3. Boccia England

  • National governing body for grassroots and competitive Boccia in England.
  • Training, equipment guidance, clubs, and events.
  • 🌐 https://bocciaengland.org.uk

🧑‍🏫 4. Activity Alliance