If you are on holiday in Spain, you should bundle your trip and discover bocce ball and petanque in Rojales. Many petanque and bocce ball enthusiasts also come to Rojales for holiday to play and learn from the locals.
Petanque is a very popular sport in Spain and therefore the 3rd edition of the World Championships of Petanque will take place in Almeria, Spain 2019.
It has become a part of Spanish culture, so you are missing out a lot if you don’t try petanque. Even though bocee ball and petanque both falls into the category of boules sports, there are still differences.
Petanque and bocce ball have low entry barrier, and therefore they are perfect sports for the whole family. Club Petanca in Rojales is the perfect place to play bocce ball/petanque in Spain.
The exclusive club is well known amongst locals because of its charming environment and people. You can almost always find games in play and as a bonus, you can learn some secret techniques from the competitive games.
Club Petanca offers equipment and courts for both beginners and advanced players. If you are new to the game, the staff there can explain the rules of the game and teach you the basics.
The cost to rent equipment is reasonable and there is possibility for food and beverages. However, their bocce ball equipment are limited. Nevertheless, below are the reasons why Club Petanca is the perfect place to play bocce ball/petanque in Spain.
1) The environment
Playing petanque and bocce ball with warm sea breeze on your face is such a blessing. The weather isn’t too hot and the local staff are very friendly. Alicante is a dynamic and attractive Spanish city surrounded by water and beaches. Alicante climate makes the beaches accessible nearly all year round.
The city has an old castle, museums, old quarters and long shores. Alicante has an interesting range of cultural activities around town, such as Les Fogueres de Sant Joan, festivals and exhibitions.
The food is just as exciting and the city has a vibrant nightlife. Many bars and clubs open until the early hours of the morning. There are many places to eat, and you should try the delicious varieties of rice dishes, combined with different meats.
2) The people
One of the main reasons why people keep coming back to the club is because people there are pretty easy going and social. They love to tell jokes and funny stories that will make you laugh. The staff there gets along with everyone. It is good knowing you will have comfortable company.
If you are new to boule sports, people there will gladly teach you the basics. But if you want to be a bit more competitive, you can try challenging the locals and experience how professionals play!
3) The equipment
Club Petanca offers both leisure and competition boules.
Leisure boules are for casual games. They are boules that don’t meet the FIPJP, petanque competition federation, standards for competition boules. Leisure boules tend to be less expensive, not of exact perfect dimensions and lower quality. They come in one weight and size suited for beginners.
Competition boules are boules that meet specifications set by the FIPJP. They must be hollow and made of metal with a diameter between 70.5 and 80 mm. They must also weigh between 650 grams and 800 grams. Different competition boules has different characteristics. Such as the size, weight, hardness and the grooves on the boule’s surface.
4) The court surface
Petanque and bocce ball can be played on any large open space. However, as most advanced players know the best surfaces to play are on even but imperfect grounds. So normally you wouldn’t play on too soft or hard surfaces, such as grass or concrete.
Club Petanca court grounds are made of loose gravel, crushed sea shells and a bit of sand. It is perfect for any playing style, and the courts are barricaded so your boules wouldn’t get out of bounds. As well as, different court lengths for different level of play.
Basics to playing petanque
- You need two teams of 1, 2 or 3 players. You can play in singles or doubles.
- Each player gets 3 boules, unless in triples, then it’s 2 boules per player.
- Toss a coin to decide which team starts the game.
- The starting team tosses the cochonnet (the small ball) onto the court. It should be tossed to at least 4m away, but not over 12m. However, it can’t be too close, 1m, to any obstacles.
- The starting team draws a starting circle. Players must stand and not step outside of while throwing. The circle should be about 50 cm in diameter and at least 1 m away from any obstacle.
- The starting team then chooses a player on the team to throw the first boule.
- The goal is trying to throw your boule close as possible to the cochonnet without touching it.
- You can knock the opponent’s boule away as a strategy.
- Normally you don’t take more than 60 seconds to throw your boule. Both feet must stay together on the ground and within the circle while throwing.
- The team with the closest boule to the cochonnet wins the round.
- The winning team starts a new round. The number of rounds is determined by the teams.
In short
If you are interested in boule sports and Spanish culture, then you should come to Club Petanca in Rojales Spain. Club Petanca offers the best environment, good company, equipment, and surface for playing petanque and bocce!
You will not regret spending your holiday in the warm weather and luxury restaurants, whilst enjoying such a wonderful sport.