Rules & Equipment
Balls:
A boccia ball is made of natural or synthetic leather and is slightly bigger than a tennis ball. Any ball will be accepted for play from any manufacturer providing it weighs 275g (+/- 12g) and measures 270mm in circumference (+/- 8mm). There are six red and six blue balls to indicate which team is playing, and one white ball called the ‘jack’.
Court:
A boccia court measures 12.5m long by 6m wide. The throwing area is split into six rectangles, and there are lines shaped like a ‘V’ which the ball must cross for a throw to be valid. A cross marks the position where the jack must be placed if it touches or crosses the boundary line, or in the event of a tiebreaker. The surface of the court is flat and smooth.
Dead ball container:
A dead ball container is placed at the end of the court. A ball is ‘dead’ if it is thrown after the time limit or out of the court, or if an athlete makes a rule violation during their throw.
Measuring device:
A measuring device is used to accurately measure the distance of each ball from the jack.