Petanque or boule, as it is often called informally, is a national pastime in France. The bowling game is similar to Italian boccie but played with baseball-sized, 1 ½ pound steel balls (boules) on dirt courts. In Provence, the hotbed of the sport, the game is played on any uneven rocky terrain.
Part of petanque's appeal is its simplicity. No special shoes, dress, courts or lessons; this sport can be played after a heavy lunch. The only equipment needed are steel boules, usually 6 or 8 in a set (they last longer than lifetime). The boules are divided evenly among two opposing teams. One other thing needed is the cochonnet, a 1-inch wooden target-ball (but a golf ball is quite suitable).
Each member of the two teams gets at least one boule to try to score a point by throwing it or rolling it closest to the cochonnet.
The team that won the toss draws a line in the dirt and throws the cochonnet some 20 to 30 feet away, in any direction suitable to the play. That team also plays the first boule. The objective is to come as close as possible to the cochonnet.
The opposing team plays next. It must keep on playing until its boule is the closest to the cochonnet -- or use up its boules in the attempts.
The game ends when both teams have no more boules to play. Only the boules of the same team that are the closest to the cochonnet count, one point per boule. To identify the player’s boules, the boules have different engraved lines.
The winner of the inning starts the successive inning. Innings are played until one team earns 13 points.