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Article 5 - Statutory Terrain's
The game of pétanque is played on any terrain. However, by a decision of the Organizing Committee or the Umpire, the teams may be asked to play on a marked terrain. In this case, for National Championships and International Competitions, the minimum dimensions must be as follows:
4 m wide and 15 m long.
For the other competitions, the Associations may concede derogations to their subdivisions, allowing variations down to 12 m x 3 m.
If the terrains are surrounded by solid barriers, these must be a minimum of 30 cm outside the dead ball line, which will surround the terrain at a maximum distance of 4 m.
These rules apply also to the 'Carres d'Honneur'.
The game is played up to 13 points, though leagues and qualifying heats may be played to l 1 points.
Article 6 - Start of the game rules related to the circle
The players must toss a coin to decide which of the two teams will choose the terrain and will throw the jack first.
If a terrain has been designated by the organizers, the jack must be thrown on the imposed terrain. The teams concerned may not play on a different terrain without the Umpire's permission.
Any member of the team winning the toss chooses the starting point and traces a circle large enough for any player to stand with both feet fully inside it. However it may not measure less than 35 cm or more than 50 cm in diameter. It must be drawn at least 1 m from all obstacles or at least l m from the boundary of a forbidden area and for competitions on open terrains, at least Z m from another circle in use.
The team that will throw the jack must wipe out all circles located nearby the one that it will use.
The circle may be completely cleaned during the end but must be restored when the end is finished, or, at the latest, before the first boule of the next end is thrown.
The circle is not considered as out of bounds.
The feet must be entirely inside the circle without touching it and must not leave the circle or be lifted completely off the ground until the thrown boule has touched the ground. No other part of the body may touch the ground outside the circle. Players who have lost a lower limb need to place only one foot inside the circle.
Players throwing from a wheelchair must place it so that the circle is in the middle of the wheels with the footrest above the edge of the circle.
The throwing of the jack by one member of a team does not imply that he/she must play the first boule.
Article 7 - Legal distances for throwing the jack
For the thrown jack to be legal, the following conditions apply:
The distance from it to the nearest edge of the circle must be between:
- 4 m minimum and 8 m maximum for Minors,
- 5 m minimum and 9 m maximum for Cadets.
- 6 m minimum and 10 m maximum for Juniors and Seniors.
The circle must be minimum 1 m from all obstacles and from the boundary of the playing area.
The jack must be at least I m from all obstacles and from the closest dead boule boundary of the playing area. For open side boundaries the jack need only be half a metre (50cm) inside the playing area.
The jack must be visible to the player whose feet are entirely inside the circle and who is standing upright. In cases of dispute, the Umpire decides if the jack is visible and there can be no appeal.
At the following end, the jack is thrown from a circle drawn around the point where it finished at the previous end, except in the following cases:
The circle would be less than 1 m from an obstacle or from the boundary of the playing area.
The jack could not be thrown out to all valid distances.
In the first case, the player will trace the circle in the nearest valid position from the obstacle or the boundary.
In the second case, the player may step back, in line with the previous end's line of play, until he/she is able to throw the jack any valid distance up to the maximum distance allowed, and not beyond. This may only be done if the jack cannot be throw in any other direction to the maximum distance.
If after three consecutive throws by the same team, the jack has not been thrown correctly, it is then passed to the opposing team who also has three tries and who may move the circle back as described above. After this, the circle cannot be moved again even if this team has not succeeded with its three throws.
In any case, the team who lost the jack after the first three tries keeps the priority to play the first boule.
Article 8 - Valid throwing of the jack
If the jack is stopped by the Umpire, a player, a spectator, an animal or any moving object, it is not valid and must be re-thrown without being included in the three throws to which the team or player is entitled.
After the throwing of the jack and the first boule, an opponent still has the right to contest the validity of the jack's position. If the objection is valid, the jack is re-thrown and the boule re-played.
If the opponent has also played a boule, the jack is deemed valid and no objection can be accepted.
For the jack to be thrown anew both teams must have accepted the throw as being illegal or the umpire must thus have decided. If a team proceeds otherwise, it would lose the throw of the jack.
Article 9 - Annulment of the jack
The jack is deemed dead in the following six cases:
1. When, after being thrown, it is not within the limits as defined in Article 7.
2. When, during an end, it is moved outside the boundary of the playing area, even if it comes back onto the playing area. A jack on the line of the boundary is still in play. It only becomes dead after having completely crossed the boundary or the dead boule line, i.e. when looking directly along the boundary line all parts of the jack have crossed the line. Where a jack floats freely in water the area of the puddle is out of play.
3. When, still on the legal terrain, the moved jack is not visible from the circle, as foreseen in Article 7. However, a jack hidden by a boule is not dead. The Umpire may temporarily remove a boule to ascertain whether the jack is visible or not.
4. When the jack is displaced to more than 20 m (for Juniors and Seniors) or 15 m (for Cadets and Minors) or less than 3 m from the throwing circle.
5. When the moved jack cannot be found after a maximum search time of 5 minutes.
6. When there is dead ground between the jack and the throwing circle.
Article 10 - Removal of obstacles - Penalties
It is strictly forbidden for any player to remove, move or flatten any obstacle on the terrain within the boundaries of the playing area. However, the player about to throw the jack is allowed to test the ground by tapping it no more than three times with one of his/her boules. Furthermore, the player who is about to play, or one of his/her partners, may fill in the hole that was made by the last boule thrown.
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