Bocce Rules
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// PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
1. All Players must be at least 21 years of age and have current, adequate health insurance.
2. All players must be properly registered on a team during the season for which they are playing.
*If a player is registered on more than one team within the league, they may only play for one team in the playoffs.
*All players must agree to the Fray Liability Waiver as described in the Fray Terms and Conditions section of Player Registration.
3. Any use of an ineligible player will result in a forfeit.
// GAME PLAY
1. Teams will each have four (4) balls in every set. Games are played to 15 points, there is no win by 2.
2. The match will begin after the captains rock-paper-scissors to decide who will throw the Palina first. The team who throws the Palina first will also throw the first Bocce Ball.
*Teams can decide on their own order of who throws the Palina and bocce balls.
*No player can throw more than two (2) bocce balls in a given set.
3. The Palina must go past the midway point of the bocce court and stay in bounds in order to start.
*If the Palina does not go past the midway point and/or goes out of bounds then the Palina must be re-thrown. If the Palina once again does not pass the mid-way point and/or goes out of bounds, the opposing team will throw the Palina.
4. Once the Palina is in play the object is to get your team’s balls closer to the Palina than the other team.
*The four bocce balls closest to the Palina count for one point each. The remaining four bocce balls do not count for a score. The maximum points awarded per turn is 4 points.
5. The team with the bocce ball farthest from the Palina will continue to throw until they throw a ball closer than the opposing team or they run out of bocce balls.
6. Players can knock a bocce ball of the opposing team or your own team without a penalty.
7. Players can also knock the Palina. If the Palina goes out of play, the set will restart and the team who originally threw the Palina will throw it again.
8. Hosts will settle any disputes between teams. Their decisions are final.
// GOLDEN RULE
First and foremost, all Fray leagues are 50% Social and 50% Sport. While we have staff // officials, we expect individuals to respect the league’s culture of fair and fun play. Foul language and rough play will not be tolerated. Individuals who cannot adhere to our standards of fair play and sportsmanship may be asked to leave the league. We want everyone to have fun and be social while enjoying a great sport. We will do whatever we can to make sure all players are having fun!
// GENERAL POLICIES
Fray is proud to relieve captains of the burden of paying for full teams. We accept individual player payments and allow prepayment for additional players and/or full teams. We are also proud to welcome those who do not have a full team (small groups and free agents) to participate in our league.
Because our mission is to make fun possible, these policies make it easier for people to get involved with and build community through social sports.
All registrations are on a first come, first serve basis. Any roster that does not reach our official size (based on each sport) is eligible to receive free agents and/or small groups. Rosters made up of primarily free agents and/or a collection of small groups may have more players than the standard roster size. This policy is in place to help ensure free agent teams are able to consistently field a team each week.
// Roster Size Chart
| Sport |
Promotion Size |
Official Size |
Max Roster Size |
Female Minimum |
| Bocce |
4 |
6 |
8 |
N/A |
// Teams & Substitutions
1. A maximum of 8 players can be on the court
* Teams must have the required 2 player minimum to start the game
*The use of substitute players above the player minimum is at the discretion of the opposing team’s Captain and confirmed with the Host before the start of the game.
2. Teams have until 10 minutes past the designated start time to field the minimum number of players. The 10 minute grace period is considered part of the overall game time. If a team is unable to reach the minimum number of players, the game will be deemed a forfeit.
*Teams may play a “legal game” with less than the required minimum number of players with the opposing team’s consent. Teams who agree to play under these conditions will lose the option of receiving a forfeit win and the outcome of the game will stand as is. Team’s must notify the Host before the start of the game.
3. Teams must designate a captain prior to the start of the game.
// Equipment, Uniforms & Facility Use
1. All equipment will be provided on site.
2. Players should make every effort to wear the official Fray division shirt.
3. If an individual or team violates the facility’s Code of Conduct, they may be asked to leave and a refund will not be issued.
// Game Duration
1. Each team has approximately 45 minutes to play as many games as they can, typically 1-3 games.
2. Regular Season Games can end in ties. Playoff games will continue until a winner is decided.
// Playoffs & Standings
1. Playoffs are determined after the regular season has concluded and are based on scheduling and other league logistics. Playoffs are not guaranteed.
2. Standings are automatically sorted in Commish based on teams’ Win-Loss-Tie record. If there is a tie in the standings, we sort based on the following information in order until the tie is resolved:
*Head-to-head matchups
*Score differential
*Points For
*Points Against
// Forfeits
1. Teams have until 10 minutes past the designated start time to field the minimum number of players. The 10 minute grace period is considered part of the overall game time. If a team is unable to reach the minimum number of players, the game will be deemed a forfeit.
*First Forfeit – Loss of game and warning issued
*Second Forfeit – Loss of game and Fray reserves the right to remove team the playoffs.
*Third Forfeit – Loss of game and removal from the league with no refund
2. In the case of a forfeit, the final score is recorded as 15-0
// Weather Cancellations
1. All players will be notified via email if games are canceled
2. One weather cancellation is guaranteed as we build one week into the end of each season.
*If more than one weather cancellation occurs, Fray will do our best to find another week to make up the games, but it is not guaranteed.
*Additional rescheduled games beyond the one guaranteed make up may be played at different locations and/or on different days of the week from the regular season.
3. Should inclement weather or other factors limit normal scheduled game duration and more than half the game has been played, the game shall count as the full game.
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