Bocce - June 1st & 2nd

Registration for our Bocce Tournament is closed

If you'd like to put a team on our waitlist, please contact Coby at: 

clafayette@councilonaging.com

​

Venue:

Julliard Park Bocce Courts

227 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa

Parking is extremely limited on-site and in the adjacent neighborhood.

Please carpool.

​

Tournament Schedule:

Saturday, June 1st 

Registration: 8am-9am

Games: 9am-1pm

​

Sunday, June 2nd

Registration: 8:30am-9am

Games: 9am-1:45pm

​

​

Registration opens: March 1, 2024

Deadline for registration: Friday, May 24th at 5pm

 

Categories:

Teams are composed of four registered/paying players and two alternates. Teams can be a mix of age and gender.

 

Age divisions:

Players must be 50+ in order to participate.

 

Levels:

All skill levels are welcome to compete.

 

Registration Cap:

A maximum of 18 teams can register for this tournament.

 

Fees:

$60 registration fee, plus a $10 sport fee. Alternates do not pay, but should be listed on the team roster.

 

T-shirt:

Included with registration and available at check-in. No size exchanges will be possible on-site.

​

Tournament Details & Rules:

All balls must be placed in the ball racks between frames for safety reasons. 

 

Beginning the Match:

Capos from both teams flip a coin to start the match.  The winner of the coin flip may choose to throw the pallino first or choose the color of the balls.  Teams must play on assigned courts. A player may toss the pallino any distance so long as the pallino passes the centerline of the court and does not hit the back wall.  If a player fails to validly toss the pallino after two (2) attempts, the opposing team will have one chance to put the pallino in play.  If the opposing team fails to achieve a proper toss, the pallino will be placed on the centerline.  In any case, when the pallino has been properly put into play, the team that originally tossed the pallino will throw the first bocce ball.

​

Rolling/Shooting:

Rolling and Shooting are allowed. The ball must contact the playing surface before reaching the center-line. Lofting and any form of Volo shooting is not allowed.  The safety of players and spectators is our primary concern. 

​

Playing the Game:

The team that originally tossed the pallino, whether successfully or not throws the first bocce ball.  If a bocce ball hits the back wall, the ball is called dead and removed from the court and that team must roll again until a ball is left in play.  After a ball has been left in play, the opposing team will roll until one of their balls is closest to the pallino or they have thrown all of their balls.  The team whose bocce ball is closest to the pallino is called ‘Holding’ or ‘In’.  This continues until both teams have used all of their bocce balls.  The team, who scored last, throws the pallino to begin the next frame.

• If a player rolls the wrong colored ball, simply replace it with the correct color when the ball comes to rest.

• If a player rolls out of turn, return the thrown ball and replace any moved balls back to the approximate spot before the ball was thrown.

• Each team member rolls 2 balls.  If a player rolls more balls than is allowed in any one frame, that 3rd ball is dead and will be removed from the court, replacing all balls to prior positions.

• If a ball is moved accidentally before all 8 balls are played, the scorekeeper/referee replaces the ball or balls to the approximate original position in a properly sportsmanlike manner.

• When a team wins a game players exchange ends of the court and substitutions may be made.  A team may make two substitutions per game, (one substitution from each end).  Substitutions may be made between frames if needed. A player substituting out may not re-enter the same game. The team winning the previous game will toss the pallino to start the next game.

• Practice between games is not allowed.

​

Dead Ball Rolls:

Should any bocce ball make contact with the back wall, the bocce ball is considered a dead ball on impact and is removed from play until the end of the frame.  If after a valid play only the pallino remains on the court, the team that last rolled must roll again until a ball remains in play or that team is out of balls.

• If the thrown ball comes to rest on the pallino or another ball that is touching the back wall that thrown ball remains in play.  The ball touching the back wall is removed from the play.  If the pallino is touching the back wall it remains in play

• If a bocce ball, after hitting the back wall, strikes a stationary bocce ball, that stationary bocce ball shall be replaced in its original position.  The thrown ball is removed from play.

• Play will continue only after the dead ball is removed from the end of the court by either a player or scorekeeper. If a bocce ball is thrown before the ball is removed, that ball will be returned to the player and thrown again.

​

Pallino:

Once the pallino has been put into play, it remains in play even if it hits the back wall.  However, if the pallino is knocked out of the court, the frame will end, no points are awarded, and the game will resume from the opposite end of the court with the same team tossing the pallino.

​

Foul Line:

Player’s movements are limited to the foul line.  The player may step up to, but not on or over the foul line before releasing the pallino or balls.  There will be a first time warning, the second time the ball will be declared dead and removed from the court and any affected balls will be replaced in the approximate positions.  If the intent of the foot foul rule is abused, a Director of Sonoma County Bocce Club may remove the offending player from the game.

​

Scoring:

Only one team scores in a frame.  One point is given for each ball that is closer to the pallino than any ball of the opposing team.  If during the game opposing balls are at equal distance from the pallino, the last team to throw will throw again.  If at the end of any frame the closest ball of each team is equal distance from the pallino, the frame ends in a tie and no points are awarded to either team.  The game will resume from the opposite end of the court with the same team tossing the pallino.

​

Measurements:

All measurements will be made from the inside dimension of the bocce ball to the inside dimension of the pallino.  Only scorekeepers and one representative from each of the opposing team may be present, on the court, during measurements.  Both Capos must agree on which team has the point(s) if the scorekeepers cannot agree.  If both teams have balls remaining, the team that does not have the closest ball to the pallino rolls again, if all balls have been played, points are awarded based on the balls that are actually closest to the pallino.

​

Forfeits, Starting Times:

• A team not present within 15 minutes after the start time, forfeits the match.

​

Protests:

• A protest will be considered valid only if the opposing Capo is notified at the time of the dispute (before the next frame begins) and the game is officially recognized as being played under protest.

• No more than six (6) people may be on a roster. A person can only play on one league team. A team forfeits any game in which they play a non-roster player.

• If a team fields less than two (2) players, the game is considered a forfeit.  Three players constitute a team.  A 3-member team may play throwing only 2 balls per player.  A 3rd or 4th player arriving late may enter the game after the completion of the currently active frame.

• No player may play two consecutive games from the same end of the court.  A player who does not play the second game may re-enter at either end of the court for the third game.

• Players need not throw alternate throws.  Consecutive or alternating throws by teammates shall be at the option of the players.

• To preserve the integrity of the courts and in the interest of safety, all participating players must wear flat-soled shoes.  No bare feet or open-toed shoes will be allowed.

​

Conduct and Courtesy:

• Team Capos are responsible for the actions of their players and fans (spectators). 

• If there is any problem with a spectator that is not involved with any team, both Capos will suspend play and will attempt to resolve the problem in a timely fashion.

• If a player is standing in the playing half of the court while the opposing team is rolling and the opposing team requests that the player step aside, that request will be honored.

• Only participating players will be on the court while the game is in progress.  Spectators are not allowed on the courts anytime during regulation play.

• Unsportsmanlike conduct and vulgarity will not be tolerated by SCBF.  If the conduct goes beyond the control of the captain, the opposing team has the option of stopping the game and claiming forfeit of the game and any remaining games and will note this on the score sheet.

• There is no smoking allowed. (Ordinance No. 3786). All animals must be on a leash at all times. (Ordinance No. 3796).  All beverages must be in non-glass containers, per Park rules.

• For any situations not covered here USBF rules will apply.

​

Medals:

Awarded to the top three teams Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

​Medals will not be mailed and will not be available

for pick-up at Council on Aging office.  Please stay for

the ceremony or make arrangements for someone to

pick up your medal there.

​

Questions about the Games?

Contact Coby LaFayette

707-525-0143, ext. 117

clafayette@councilonaging.com

Printable Bocce Flier

​

A BIG thank you to our tournament hosts,

without whom this would not be possible:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​