Rules of Turbo Bocce

Because knowledge is power!

(1) TEAMS

1. Each team is comprised of two players.
2. Each team is expected to create its own original team name.
3. Teams can be formed either by the league or by individual member discretion as needed or directed.
4. Substitute players are encouraged during the regular season when a regular team member is unable to participate, per agreement by opposing team, however substitute players need the approval of the league to participate in the playoffs.

(2) PLAYER BEHAVIOR

1. Any and all rules and regulations set forth by the venues where the bocce games are being held must be strictly adhered to by all players.
2. Any fighting or physical confrontation can lead to being removed from the league at the discretion of the league.
3. Turbo Bocce, including any and all members of the Turbo Bocce League, may not be held responsible for any injuries incurred on the Bocce field or during any League event.
4. Wearing Sandals is discouraged by the league.  If you wear sandals the league and all of its members will not be held accountable for broken toes.
5. Inappropriate delays in play to measure distance or resolve disputes are looked upon with disfavor by the league due to the need to share bocce balls and get all the games finished before dark. All disputes should be settled in an affable manner with the utmost good faith, and above all else, each match should be played at a fast pace, so the next team can begin play without undue delay.
6. You may not walk up to the pallino for any reason other than to check on a disputed shot until you have thrown all your bocce balls.
7. Each team has one Time Out per set of 3 games, where they may smoke a cigarette, go to the bathroom, or take a phone call.  Any delays outside of that one Time Out should not happen due to the fact that we all need to share bocce balls and get the games done before dark.
8. Touching anybody in the box getting ready to throw the bocce ball or pallino is forbidden.
9. All members must be over 21 years of age in order to comply with State drinking laws.

(3) STARTING THE GAME

1. A coin flip will start every game, with the winner of the coin flip choosing either to throw the Pallino (and as a result the first bocce ball) or the color balls they would like to throw.

(4) PLAYING THE GAME

1. Players must stand in a league approved “starting box” while making every throw.
2. The person who throws the Pallino must throw the first bocce ball.
3. Teams have discretion to choose which member will throw the Pallino in every scoring round.
4. The person that throws the Pallino must throw it a minimum of 5 feet from the “starting box” and a maximum of 50 feet from the “starting box.”  The first ball thrown outside of these parameters is a warning and a “do over”.  The second, results in losing control of the Pallino.   There is a 50 foot rope on hand at all bocce games that can be used to measure if the throw was within the necessary parameters.
5. The “starting box” will be placed by the person who is throwing the Pallino.
6. Each player must have at least one foot on the “starting box” and no foot in front of the “starting box” when they throw their bocce ball.  The starting box must be visible under your foot and your foot must be on the starting box.
7. A person cannot, by momentum or by his own choice, step in front of the starting box until the ball he has thrown lands on the ground.  Stepping in front of the starting box before your ball hits the ground once is a warning.  A second infraction leads to your ball being ruled ineligible from scoring, and taken off the course.
8. If the Pallino is not visible from the “starting box” the throwing player can ask the scorekeeper to stand by the Pallino and point out its exact location.
9. If a Pallino is thrown out of bounds (all out of bounds areas will be agreed upon by the two teams before the match begins, but must include any area with water or any hard surface that can damage the bocce balls) the throwing team will lose its throw and the other team will be awarded the throw of the Pallino.  If no boundaries are agreed upon – or an agreement cannot be reached – the only boundaries are those which may injure the bocce balls.
10. If a bocce ball is thrown out of bounds it will not be included in the scoring even if it is closest to the Pallino.
11. A player from the opposing team must throw second, after the person who threw the Pallino throws his first shot.
12. Whichever team does not have the closest bocce ball to the Pallino must throw each additional ball.
13. Each player gets two throws and each team gets four throws.
14. Each set of bocce balls will have two different sets of lines for each color. Teammates must throw bocce balls with different lines so it is possible to determine which teammate threw which ball. (NOTE: it will be necessary to determine which teammate threw which ball in the event that a “Turbo” round is necessary)
15. Teammates must alternate throws between each other. No player may throw out of turn. No player may throw twice in a row.   If you throw out of turn your throw is taken away.
16. The round ends when each team has thrown all four of its bocce balls. Each team must throw all of its bocce balls, even if a game winning score has been reached in the middle of a round.
17. The team that scores in one round throws the Pallino (and thus the first bocce ball) in the following round.
18. The team that wins the Pallino can move the “starting box” no more than 10 feet in any direction from the spot where the Pallino sat in the previous round.
19. If a player accidentally drops a bocce ball while in the starting box, it does not count as a throw, and he may pick that ball up and throw it again.  If a player accidentally drops the ball a second time it will count as his throw. * New Rule

(5) SCORING

1. Only one team can score per round.
2. Only the “inside” team scores. One point is given for each ball of the inside team that is closer than any ball of the opposing team.
3. All disputes over ball position during a round must be agreed upon by 3 of the 4 players before it can be settled. In the event that two or more opposing balls are equidistant (tied) during a frame, or an agreement cannot be reached, the team that threw last will continue to throw until the tie is broken.
4. If all 4 team members agree to have the scorekeeper judge a dispute, the scorekeeper can come in during a round and decide whose ball is closer. In this case the scorekeeper’s decision will be final.  The scorekeeper can bring in others to give their opinion, but the scorekeeper’s official decision is final.
5. All disputes over ball position at the end of a round must be settled in the following way:

Step 1 – Can the two teams agree on a “Turbo” round.  The ultimate and preferred  way to settle any dispute.  The details of the “Turbo” round are enumerated below.

Step 2 – If the two teams cannot agree on playing a “Turbo” round the scorekeeper will decide (A) one of the disputed balls is closer than the other or (B) the disputed balls are tied and a “Turbo” round must be played. The scorekeeper can bring in others to give their opinion, but the scorekeeper’s official decision is final.

Step 3 – Once the scorekeeper gives his decision the losing team has the option of challenging the decision and having a measurement taken with an official league measuring device providing they have a challenge available.  Each team has 1 challenge per 3 game round.  If they use their challenge and are correct they keep the challenge.  If they use their challenge and are incorrect they lose the ability to challenge again during any of the games in the 3 game round.

6.    When a “Turbo” round is played, the Pallino is left where it is sitting, all the bocce balls are cleared away, and       the two players who threw the equidistant (tied) or disputed balls will throw one bocce ball from the “starting box”. The team that threw first in that round must throw first in the “Turbo” round. The team with the “inside” ball wins the disputed point. (NOTE: “Turbo Ball” is not intended to be used solely to determine who wins the only point of the match. This technique can be used to determine if the winning team gets a second, third or fourth point in the round as well).

7.   If three balls are equidistant (tied), or disputed and a “Turbo” round is called for.  The team that threw the pallino will throw the first ball, and the natural progression of bocce throws follows from that point.

8.    A third party should be used to measure any challenge, whenever possible, and the third party should use a standard league measuring device whenever possible. (NOTE: the most accurate way to determine which bocce ball is closest to the Pallino is by standing directly over the Pallino and observing the balls. Remember a “Turbo” round is the preferred way to settle any ball measurement dispute).

9.  Any player can ask for a ball position measurement at any time in the match so long as they still have a challenge available.

10.    If a ball is accidentally moved while measuring, or otherwise, the ball should be put in its original position with no penalty to the team that accidentally moved the ball, so long as the original position can be agreed upon by all 4 playing members. If the original position cannot be agreed upon, within reason, by all 4 playing members, and the ball is one of the offending parties balls (i.e. the party that moved the ball) than that ball will be discounted from play. If the offending party accidentally moved the opposing team’s ball, then that team will have full discretion to place it where they think it should go, within reason. (NOTE: when a bunch of drunk idiots get together to play bocce there is bound to be someone who accidentally moves a bocce ball, please try to settle these disputes amicably and not be a huge asshole about this, even if you are a huge asshole by nature).

11.  Each competition will consist of three games up to 11 points between the same two teams.

12.  The winning team must win by two points.

13.   The first team to reach 11 and win by at least two gets one point in the standings.

14.   Three points in the standings will be awarded during each match up.

(6) STATISTICS

1.  Each game will have a score keeper who will keep track of total points for each team as well as individual points, bocces, de-bocces, and aces.

2. A bocce is defined as striking your ball, the opposing team’s ball, or the pallino, when the opposing team has “inside position” and your strike knocking a ball in a way that is meaningful to your team gaining “inside position.”  The key word here is knock, you have to move either your ball or the opposing ball in a meaningful way resulting in a ball on your team having “inside position” when it did not before.  Incidental contact will not get you a bocce.

3.  A de-booce occurs when you unintentionally strike your own team’s ball in such a way so that it goes from having “inside” position to not having it.  Or unintentionally striking an opposing team’s ball in such a way that it goes from not having “inside” position to having it.  Or unintentionally striking the pallino in such a way that one of your team’s balls loses “inside” position when it previously had it.

4. An ace occurs when a bocce ball is touching the pallino at the end of the throw.

5. Individual statistics will be kept on the website and medals will be given for the leaders in each (except de-bocces) at the end of the season.

(7) LEAGUE SET UP AND SCHEDULE

1. The league will be comprised of 2 divisions.
2. The divisions will be called the TURBO division and the BOB division.
3. The TURBO division will be comprised of primarily earlier arriving teams and the BOB division will be comprised of primarily later arriving teams, although there is no particular time that any team in either league is compelled to arrive by.
4. When BOTH players on a team have arrived at the playing field, the team must “sign in” at the designated area.
5. Each division will keep a list of teams that have signed in.  The first team to sign in will play the next available team in their division to sign in providing they have not already played before.
6. No two teams should play twice in a regular season unless specifically dictated by the league.
7. If an even number of teams arrive, every team should play a team in its own division it has not played yet.  If an odd number of teams arrive, ask if a team in your division would like to play twice in one day.  Only if an odd number of teams arrive and nobody in the division wants to play 2 games should an inter-league game be forced.
8. Someone from your league must keep score for you.
9. Everybody in the league is expected to keep score every day.
10. Inter-league games can be played only after 8 league games have been played.

(8) STANDINGS AND PLAYOFFS

1. Playoff standings are determined by the Bocce Championship Series – or BCS.
2. Divisions will be mixed together to form the playoff brackets.
3. Once a bracket is created, there will be no re-seeding between playoff rounds.
4. A regular season will last 10 weeks and 3 games will be played by each team each week.
5. A make up week will be scheduled at the end of the season to allow teams to make up any games they missed during the year.
6. Each team should have 30 combined wins and losses by the end of the season.
7. If a team fails to play any of its games by the end of the make up week they will forfeit those games.
8. BCS rankings are determined by adding a team’s win/loss percentage with that team’s opponent’s win/loss percentage.
9. Playoffs consist of a best 2 out of 3 match up with each game going to 11 points (win by 2). The winning team moves on to the next round and the losing team is eliminated from wining the championship but placed in a loser’s bracket designed to determine who finishes in what place (3 through 32).
10. Any team missing a playoff game automatically forfeits that game.  A substitute player cannot be obtained for the playoffs unless league permission is given as well as being agreed to by the opposing team.

(9) MISC. ISSUES

1. All games will be played in designated areas of Onondaga Park, in Strathmore.  Unless permission to conduct a make up game at an alternate location is obtained from the league.
2. All league games will take place between 5pm and Dark unless permission to conduct a make up game at an alternate time is obtained from the league.
3. The players of the teams who schedule their own game at their own time, have a responsibility to call (315) 254-3639 and report the scores and statistics of all three matches so the league standings can be updated.
4. League bocce balls must be used during all games unless permission has been given by the league to use a different set of balls.
5. A game will be called due to rain if 2 of the 4 members playing agree to re-schedule the game.
6. The Bocce Trophy will be given to the playoff championship team, and is theirs to keep for an entire calendar year until the next playoffs begin.  However, it is the responsibility of that team to return the trophy in a reasonably similar condition to when the received it.
7. Last, and possibly most importantly.  We do not expect any player to be there all ten weeks, but we do expect all players to realize that not being in attendance affects 3 other people and make it a priority to show up as often as possible. For the few occasions when games are missed teams are expected to make up the game either on their own or by playing two matches of 3 games as soon as possible.