*NEW* Rosters & Waivers Required *NEW*

All players must be listed on the team roster AND must accept & sign the online waiver to be allowed to play. Captains can edit their roster by logging in at https://www.playerssports.net/login and clicking "Manage My Team." Once listed on the roster, all players can log in to sign the waiver at https://www.playerssports.net/player/waiver.

Sportsmanship 

Being competitive on the field is applauded & encouraged in all of our leagues! It is also important to understand that there is a fine line between being competitive & being unsportsmanlike. All players and referees should treat one another with respect on the field & after the game. Everyone has to go to work tomorrow, so please keep safety & sportsmanship in mind out there!

Inclusivity

Every individual participating in a Players Sport & Social Group program may compete as a member of the gender that they identify with, regardless of their gender at birth. We expect all players to be respectful and honor the spirit of this policy. We are LGBTQIA+ friendly (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and other sexualities and gender identities/expressions). 

We have found that open communication between teams is super helpful. If there is a situation that may raise some questions from opposing teams, captains are encouraged to have a quick conversation with our umpire/official before the game to ensure everyone is on the same page. At the end of the day, inclusivity is key. 

BOCCE EQUIPMENT: 

8 BOCCE BALLS, 1 PALLINO (TARGET BALL), 2 TEAMS OF 4 PLAYERS

BOCCE RULES & HOW TO PLAY: 

-We play our league on indoor turf. Each bocce ball represents a potential point, though points are not tallied until all the balls have been thrown at the target. Only the team with the ball closest to the pallino will score and they’ll tally as many points as they have balls closer to the pallino than the other team. At the end of every frame, one team is awarded 1-4 points, depending on how many of their balls are closer than the opponent’s closest. You’ll play 3 games to a predetermined score—11 points. Officials reserve the right to shorten the final game based on time.
 

The first is that teams do not simply alternate turns.

-In a frame of bocce, one team is “in” and one team is “out.” The “in” team has the ball closest to the pallino. The “out” team has to throw until they are “in.” That may take one more throw or they may throw all four of their balls before the “in” team throws their second ball. 

The other key rule is that the back wall is dead.

-Rather, any ball that touches that back wall is dead, AKA removed from play. A ball cannot be thrown and hit the back wall unless it touches a ball first. An important note to keep in mind is that once a ball is legally thrown and is on the court, it will stay in play even if it hits the back wall. 

SPECIFIC RULES

-In a 4v4 game, split your team into 2s and send a pair to each side of the court. 

-Each player on a side has to throw 2 balls in the frame. The order in which they do that is up to them (AABB, ABAB, ABBA).

-Courts typically have foul lines that you cannot cross with a ball in your hand. Once the ball leaves your hand, you’re free from those restrictions. 

 -The pallino belongs to the team that scored in the previous frame. They throw it as well as the first bocce ball of the frame. To decide who begins with it to start the game, a coin flip or anything more fun than that is recommended. 

-If drinks are allowed on your court of play, then we highly recommend having one in your non-throwing hand (to stay hydrated, of course).

Offical USBF Open Bocce Rules Here: https://usbf.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/open-rules.pdf

 

FORFEITS

- Teams will forfeit the first game/match at 10 minutes after the start time. Forfeit scores are 11-0

If your team forfeits a match during the season, the following rules apply:

First Offense: Loss of game.

Second Offense: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.

Third Offense: Removal from the league

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office so as to help us schedule your opponent a game.

 

Playoff Information

All teams make the playoffs. Teams will be seeded based on the following criteria:

1) Game record is used to determine place in standings and will be used to determine playoff seeding.

2) If two teams are tied in game record:

a. Head to head result(s) (matches first, then games)

b. Least number of forfeits

c. Overall match record

d. Combined winning % of opponents

e. Earliest sign up date/time

3) If three or more teams are tied in game record:

            a. Head to head game record versus all tied teams

            b. Head to head match record versus all tied teams

            c. Least number of forfeits

            d. Combined winning % of opponents

            e. Earliest sign up date/time

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Any of the above rules are subject to change at any time without notice at the discretion of Players Sport & Social Group. 11/16/2023